Daily Vitamins You Need in Your 20s, 30s, and 40s

A healthy and balanced diet is recommended at any age. However, your vitamin needs vary, depending on how old you are.

Reviewed and approved by the nutritionist Maria Patricia Pinero Corredor.

Written by Lorena González

Last update: 24 August, 2022

Your body needs particular daily vitamins during your 20s, 30s, 40s, and beyond. Experts suggest that your ability to expend energy depends on an adequate intake of nutrients and calories. However, these needs aren’t always exactly the same. In fact, you need to take note of the type of vitamins your body needs based on your age.

Vitamins you need in your 20s

At this age, you get a lot of physical activity and, even if you might not be aware of it, your body is beginning to prepare for motherhood.

• Multi-vitamins will help your body gain strength and resistance.
• You gain skin elasticity and tone, as well as healthy hair from vitamins A, D, and zinc.
• Your reproductive system needs vitamin E, folic acid, and iron.
• Your immune system functions especially well. This is thanks to vitamins B6 and B12.

Your body’s overall health is improved through the intake of vitamin C. A study published in Dermato-Endocrinology in 2012 found that the intake of nutrients at an early age promotes better skin aging. Therefore, if you include all these vitamins from when you’re 20, you pave the way for a better appearance of your skin in the future.

Your ideal diet

If you eat too much highly-processed food or skip meals, you could end up being overweight or poorly nourished. Therefore, you should bear in mind that your 20s is the ideal time to start a healthy eating routine.

• At this stage, your body needs minerals and proteins for the development of muscle mass.
• It’s best to eat fats of vegetable origin and increase your consumption of iron, and vitamins B and C, with the aim of strengthening your immune system.

Vitamins you need in your 30s

At this age, your body is protecting itself from current and future diseases while keeping all its systems functioning efficiently.

• The elasticity and overall health of your skin depends on your intake of vitamins A and E.
• Your immune and nervous systems are optimized thanks to the B vitamins, vitamin C, and magnesium.
• Your body’s healthy function is improved due to zinc, vitamin A, and iron. In addition, phosphorus and calcium ensure that your cells are replenished and restored.

When we think of aging, we’re usually referring to a process that begins around 50 years of age. However, that’s not the case. In fact, aging is a systematic and slow process that begins around 30 years of age.

For example, experts have determined that, after the third decade of life, muscle mass decreases by approximately three to eight percent every ten years. Therefore, taking care of your diet and nutrition at this stage is essential. It’ll mean that the changes that are beginning to take shape won’t have as much impact on you.

Your ideal diet

At this stage in your life, you might start seeing a few extra pounds on the scales that gradually keep increasing. If this is happening to you, it’s time to take action and reduce the amount of food you eat as your metabolism starts to slow down.

Therefore, you must try to eat more healthy and natural foods. Choose:

• Salads.
• Cold water fish (rich in omega 3 fatty acids).
• Vegetables.
• Five servings of fruit a day.
• Cereals for breakfast to provide your body with fiber.
• Foods that are rich in calcium and iron.

Avoid processed foods and certain condiments like sauces and fried foods. They only provide your body with empty calories.

Vitamins you need in your 40s

In your 40s, you’re still young but you need to start protecting the weakest areas of your body.

• If you have low levels of energy, you could be suffering from anemia and need more iron.
• To protect your bones, take calcium and vitamin D.
• If you’re experiencing anxiety, muscle aches, or cramps, you should up your intake of magnesium and potassium.
• To protect the health of your heart and blood vessels, you need folic acid and vitamin B12.
• If you want the best protection against cancer from antioxidants, you need vitamins A, C, D, and E.

The changes around this age are a little more pronounced. For example, we know that after the fourth decade of life, the volume and weight of the brain decreases by an average of five percent every ten years. Consequently, an adequate intake of vitamins during this time promotes healthy aging.

Your ideal diet

At this stage, your body will begin to experience some hormonal changes. The key to fighting possible shifts in your weight comes from antioxidants.

Foods that are rich in antioxidants prevent the negative effects of free radicals. These are the culprits of premature cellular aging.

• Make sure you get five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. For example, you could eat steamed or grilled fish, as well as nuts.
• At this stage, it’s important to increase your consumption of foods that are rich in Vitamins A and D to fight osteoporosis.
• You should also reduce your salt intake to avoid suffering from fluid retention, as this causes you to gain extra weight.

Taking care of your diet is essential to maintaining your health. As you’ve seen, at each stage of life, your body needs specific nutrients. Fortunately, most of these can be obtained from a balanced diet. Despite this fact, a high percentage of the population takes multivitamin supplements.

According to experts, their use is debatable. That’s because a balanced diet is enough to obtain our daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. In fact, the intake of supplements can lead to episodes of hypervitaminosis. If in doubt, consult a nutritionist so that they can design a plan based on your own personal requirements.