Patients often come to their doctor's office carrying bags filled with vitamins and supplements. It can be a time-consuming process to go through every bottle and box in each bag, but our women's health experts believe it's well worth the time. It can be confusing as to which vitamins and supplements one should or shouldn't be taking.

Our Women's Health team is particularly concerned about what vitamins and supplements women are taking. Check out their vitamin and supplement guide for women below. Remember to check with your own physician about what to take to be sure that these supplements don't interfere with other medications.

Hair		Yes to Biotin supplements to promote hair growth. Yes to gentle organic shampoos that don't strip natural oils.
Mood		Yes to vitamin D that appears to help with depression. Have your vitamin D level checked and take supplements if you need them.
Brain		Yes to caffeine, shown to help prevent Parkinson's and certain brain tumors (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition).
Sleep		Yes to melatonin, 1 to 3 milligrams one hour before bedtime. Yes to Valerian root tea, known to be calming.
Skin		Yes to oatmeal in skin products because it fights dryness, is moisturizing and is a gentle pore cleanser. Yes to retinoids that can unclog pores, boost collagen to reduce fine lines and lighten scars from acne. If you don't want to use a prescription version, over-the-counter retinol can help. It will take longer to see results than when using retinoids. Try using retinoids on a small area first. Some people's skin can't handle them. Yes to PSP growth factor for wound healing. Yes to coffeeberry for rosacea.
Eyes		Yes to Lutein, an antioxidant that may help prevent macular degeneration, a leading cause of age-related vision loss.
Ears		Yes to folate and B12. Studies show that these vitamins help prevent age-related hearing loss.
Mouth		Yes to using a bacteria-killing mouthwash in addition to regular brushing and flossing. Research has shown a link between gum disease and heart disease.
Lips		Yes to lanolin to keep lips smooth and chap-free.
Heart		Yes to Omega 3 fatty acids that help reduce inflammation throughout the body including blood vessels. Yes to Coenzyme Q10, which may help decrease blood pressure. Yes to dark chocolate (70% cacao), which decreases cholesterol plaque and lowers blood pressure.
Breasts		Yes to green tea and soy in the diet. Both may help prevent breast cancer.
GI		Yes to probiotics, as they may improve digestion. Yes to omega 3 fatty acids for those with Crohn's disease and irritable bowl disease.
Sex		If your libido is low after menopause, yes to testosterone. But first, have your testosterone level checked. Yes to lubricants and vaginal creams without propylene glycol, which can irritate the skin and genitals.