WHY WE NEED VITAMINS
During perimenopause, your body goes through significant hormonal changes that can affect everything from energy levels and mood to bone strength, sleep, skin, and immune health. Vitamins play a crucial supporting role during this stage of life, helping to fill nutritional gaps, support hormone balance, and protect long-term health. Key nutrients such as vitamin D, B vitamins, vitamin C, and vitamin E are especially important for maintaining strong bones, supporting the nervous system, reducing fatigue, supporting immunity, and helping the body cope with increased physical and emotional stress.
While a balanced diet should always come first, many women find that paying closer attention to their vitamin intake during perimenopause can make a meaningful difference to how they feel day to day.
MULTI VITAMINS
One of the simplest ways to stay on top of your nutrient needs during perimenopause is by choosing a high-quality multivitamin designed specifically for this stage of life. These formulas bundle the most important vitamins and minerals—like vitamin D, magnesium, B vitamins, iron (if needed), and omega-support blends—into one easy daily dose. Instead of juggling multiple bottles or worrying whether you’re getting enough from food alone, a targeted multivitamin offers a convenient, reliable way to cover the essentials. For many women, this “one-and-done” approach removes the guesswork and makes daily self-care feel effortless, especially on busy days or when appetite and routine can be unpredictable during hormonal shifts.
B COMPLEX VITAMINS
Vitamin B complex is like a cheerful family of 8 essential vitamins that play a big role in keeping us feeling our best!
They go by friendly names like B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12.
Vitamin B complex can be a wonderful ally in managing perimenopause symptoms by boosting our energy, helping us feel balanced, and improving our ability to handle stress.
B6 and B12 are vital for creating neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which can help keep our mood stable and fight off feelings of fatigue and brain fog. Plus, B vitamins lend a hand to our adrenal glands in producing hormones during this time, while also supporting heart and nerve health.
We need these vitamins for so many important things, like creating energy, keeping our nerves happy, building DNA, and producing red blood cells.
To ensure we get enough vitamin B, it’s great to enjoy a healthy and balanced diet. Foods like whole grains, meat, dairy, leafy greens, and legumes are fantastic sources . If we don’t get enough of these we might feel a bit tired or weak, and experience skin or digestion issues, as well as some nerve troubles.
You can buy B Complex Vitamins in all the high street pharmacies and health food shops along with most of the supermarket chains. Prices range from under £10 to over £20.
How Vitamin B6 Can Help You
Vitamin B6, also known as pyridoxine, is a fantastic nutrient that can really support you during perimenopause! It’s involved in so many important areas that are affected by hormonal changes:
Mood Boosting: This vitamin is essential for creating neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which are key players in managing our mood and emotions.
Research indicates that adequate levels of vitamin B6 can enhance cognitive function, leading to sharper thinking and clearer memory during this transitional phase.
As estrogen levels shift during perimenopause, serotonin can also fluctuate, which may lead to mood swings, anxiety, and feelings of sadness.
Such fluctuations can contribute to irritability and emotional instability, making it essential to find effective strategies to manage these changes.
Luckily, B6 might just help make things a little brighter.
Hormone Harmony: B6 plays a role in balancing estrogen and progesterone levels, which helps keep everything in sync.
This balance is crucial for maintaining emotional well-being, as any disruption can affect your overall mood and health.
It contributes to healthy hormonal activity overall!
Energy Boost: Together with other B vitamins, B6 assists your body in turning food into energy.
When your body is fueled effectively, you can better cope with the physical and emotional demands of perimenopause.
It’s a great ally against that pesky fatigue and low energy that many experience during this time.
Better Sleep: Did you know that Vitamin B6 is also important for producing melatonin? This is the hormone that helps you manage your sleep-wake cycle, and getting enough of it can lead to more restful nights.
Brain Power: With its support for brain health and neurotransmitter production, B6 may help tackle those moments of “brain fog,” forgetfulness, and trouble focusing.
Relief for PMS Symptoms: Since some perimenopause symptoms can feel like intensified PMS, and since B6 has been shown to ease PMS, it may also be beneficial for those mood-related challenges you may face during this transition.
In fact, several studies have shown that women who supplement with B6 report a noticeable improvement in their premenstrual and perimenopausal symptoms.
VITAMIN B12
Although a lot of vitamins are vital, vitamin B12 is one of the most important ones you need during perimenopause.
Most adults will get enough B12 from their diet as it is mostly found in animal products – fish, meat, poultry and eggs. If you are vegetarian or vegan you may need to take extra supplements to make sure your levels are high enough.
Some of the symptoms of low B12 are fatigue, constipation, loss of appetite, numbness and tingling, balance issues, depression and confusion.
Adults (aged 19 to 64) the recommended daily amount is 1.5 micrograms a day.
VITAMIN C
Did you know that vitamin C is super important for keeping your immune system strong? On top of that, it helps in boosting collagen production and is packed with amazing antioxidant benefits, which can help counteract falling estrogen levels which have an impact on wrinkles and skin thinning.
That’s why I always look for face moisturizers that have vitamin C; it’s a great way to tackle those annoying spots and brighten up my skin!
To make sure you’re getting enough vitamin C, try to add a colourful mix of fruits and veggies to your meals. Oranges, strawberries, broccoli, and vibrant peppers are all fantastic sources of this essential nutrient. By choosing these yummy foods, you’ll be on your way to easily increasing your vitamin C levels and reaping the awesome rewards for your skin and overall health.
Vitamin C supports blood vessel health and may help reduce frequency or intensity of hot flashes for some women, but evidence is mixed. It’s not considered a primary treatment, it also helps the body absorb iron more efficiently.
VITAMIN D
Vitamin D is such an important friend 
for our bones, helping them stay strong while also playing a key role in calcium absorption and bone mineralization. As we age and move closer to menopause, it’s good to keep an eye on this vitamin because our risk of osteoporosis increases. When women experience the changes of menopause, keeping vitamin D levels up is super important to help protect against potential bone density loss. Plus, it helps support our immune system and keeps our spirits bright!
Getting outside and soaking up some sunshine is a wonderful way to get your daily dose, but let’s be real—during those chilly winter months in the UK, it can be a bit tricky! No worries, though! We can boost our vitamin D with tasty options like seafood, oily fish, egg yolks, and even mushrooms.
For adults, especially those over 50, considering vitamin D supplements can be a fantastic way to support our overall health during these years.