When designing an entirely new multivitamin, the team of scientists and researchers at Ritual questioned much of the existing thinking about what a vitamin supplement for women over 50 should include.
First, why are women being told to have more calcium? The answer we are led to believe is that since bones are made of calcium, and bone health post menopause is important, then taking more calcium, theoretically, should help support bone strength. However, this is not what some of the research indicates.
“Estrogen helps with calcium absorption and calcium helps with bone health. Post menopause, estrogen levels decrease and the body can’t absorb calcium as easily. When we looked at the scientific evidence across many studies, we concluded that supplementing with more calcium isn’t necessarily the solution. Recent research in postmenopausal women has raised concerns on safety of calcium supplementation and many experts are recommending that people rely on food sources to meet their calcium needs. Thus we focused on calcium-helper nutrients like vitamin D3, K2, magnesium and boron to help calcium absorption/metabolism and support bone health,” Dr. Mastaneh Sharafi, PhD, Director of Scientific and Clinical Affairs at Ritual.
Iron is another common ingredient found in women’s multivitamins. Again, the science team dug deeper. What is the reason for it and is there a need for it? Postmenopausal women don’t experience the monthly blood loss from menstruating. Therefore, there is less need for iron supplementation. In fact, taking extra iron may even have negative consequences.
Now vitamin C, a nutrient we all need, should it be included? Once again, in a food-first program, you are probably already getting enough vitamin C from your diet. If one eats a fair amount of fresh fruits and veggies, chances are you’re taking care of your body’s needs. The National Institute of Health recommends that adult women aim for 75 mg a day. For reference, the food equivalent of 75 mg is one medium orange. In fact, if you ate 1 cup of raw broccoli (78 mg) you would also be fine. Grapefruits and bell peppers are also a great source of vitamin C.
This has all been deeply considered by the scientists at Ritual. “We have PhDs in different areas of health. The thoughts behind this product are very unique. I believe in this product. We care a lot about how we can help support people’s health.”
We feel the same way. We only endorse products we feel are on solid scientific ground. Essential for Women 50+ is a product that has been carefully thought out from the packaging to the peppermint taste of the capsule to the beadlet-in-oil encapsulation of the nutrients to its monthly subscription model. This is a great product from a great company. We couldn’t be more proud to have been chosen as Ritual’s launch partner.
