Part 4: For Young Adults (19-35 Years): The Hustle Years
October 25, 2025 2025-10-25 17:59Part 4: For Young Adults (19-35 Years): The Hustle Years
John Francis 
Part 4: For Young Adults (19-35 Years): The Hustle Years
The Ultimate Age-by-Age Vitamin Guide – Young Adults
Welcome to Adulting!
You’ve made it! You’re now responsible for yourself. You might be at university or college, starting your career, hustling side gigs, Online gigs, Forex gigs, or juggling multiple jobs.
The young adult Kenyan reality:
- Irregular meal schedules.
- Late nights and poor sleep.
- Maybe Club hopping on weekends (alcohol depletes nutrients).
- Surviving on a tight budget (groceries vs. rent decisions).
- Stress from work, relationships, and figuring out life.
- “Adulting” is generally exhausting.
Your twenties are also when lifestyle diseases start creeping up if you’re not careful. Prevention is cheaper, easier, and wiser than a cure!
Let’s roll with the genders, then, starting with our Queens.
Essential Supplements – Young Adult Women (19-35 years):
Multivitamin: Your Daily Insurance
A good quality women’s multivitamin fills nutritional gaps from inconsistent eating.
Should Contain:
- Iron (18 mg)
- Folic acid (especially important if there’s any chance of pregnancy)
- vitamin D (600-800 IU minimum)
- B-complex for energy
- Calcium (500-600 mg)
- Antioxidants (vitamins C, E, selenium)
Iron: Still Crucial
Until menopause, you need iron. Period. (Pun intended.)
What to take:
- 18 mg daily
- 65 mg elemental iron if you’re anaemic (doctor confirmed)
Signs of iron deficiency:
- Hair loss
- Shortness of breath
- Cold hands and feet
- Pale skin and nail beds
- Exhaustion that sleep doesn’t fix
- Brain fog, difficulty concentrating
Folic Acid: The Pregnancy-Ready Nutrient
Even if you’re not planning pregnancy right now, if there’s ANY possibility (and be honest with yourself), you need folic acid.
It prevents neural tube defects in the first few weeks of pregnancy—often before you even know you’re pregnant.
What to take:
- 400-800 mcg daily
- Often included in multivitamins
- If planning pregnancy actively: 800 mcg
Kenyan foods with folate: Leafy greens, beans, lentils, oranges, fortified cereals
Calcium + Vitamin D: Bone Bank
You’re still building bone mass until about age 30.
After that, it’s maintenance mode. Get it right now!
What to take:
- Calcium: 1,000 mg daily (food + supplements)
- Vitamin D: 1,000-2,000 IU daily
Why it matters: Prevents osteoporosis later. Your 60-year-old self will thank you.
Brain function, heart health, hormone balance, mood stability, reducing inflammation, skin glow—omega-3s do it all.
What to take:
- 1,000 mg combined EPA+DHA daily
- Higher doses (2,000-3,000 mg) if you have inflammatory conditions or mood issues – On Doctor’s Advice.
Magnesium: Stress Management
Your twenties and early thirties can be stressful. Magnesium helps.
Benefits:
- Reduces anxiety
- Improves sleep
- Eases PMS and cramps
- Supports energy production
- Prevents migraines
What to take:
- 300-400 mg daily
- Magnesium glycinate (best absorbed, doesn’t cause diarrhoea)
- Take before bed
Probiotics: Gut Health = Overall Health
Stress, antibiotics, irregular eating, and alcohol—all mess with your gut bacteria. Probiotics help maintain balance.
When to take:
- Daily for overall health
- During and after antibiotics
- If you have digestive issues
- To support immune function
Look for:
- Multiple strains of bacteria
- At least 10 billion CFU
- Refrigerated if possible
B-Complex: Energy for the Hustle
If you’re juggling multiple jobs, side hustles, or a demanding career, B vitamins support energy production and stress response.
Especially important if:
- High stress levels
- You’re always tired
- You’re vegetarian/vegan
- You drink alcohol regularly (depletes B vitamins)
What to take:
- B-complex once daily
- Or ensure your multivitamin has adequate B vitamins
Let’s now turn to Los Hombres next.
Essential Supplements for Young Adult Men (19-35 years):
.
Like a Bronco, you are saddled with the weight of inherited expectations, the desired self-directed future, and the weight of proving who you are as you struggle to figure out who you actually want to be!
The Young Adult Kenyan Male reality:
- Lousy meals
- Pressure to marry
- Social expectation
- HELB debt burden
- Stratospheric unemployment rates
- Supporting extended family financially
- Peer pressure around material success
- Unaddressed mental health challenges
- Economic pressure to provide for the family
Like the Bronco, smart supplementation can help you overcome these challenges.
Men’s Multivitamin: The Foundation
You are no sissy for being fussy about your health.
Look for:
- Vitamins A, C, D, E, K
- B-complex
- Zinc (15 mg)
- Selenium (for prostate health)
- Magnesium
- Less iron than women’s formulas (you don’t lose blood monthly)
Vitamin D: The Sunshine You’re Not Getting
Office jobs, long commutes, indoor lifestyles—Kenyan men aren’t getting enough sun exposure for vitamin D production.
Benefits:
- Bone health
- Immune function
- Mood regulation
- Muscle function
- Testosterone production
What to take:
- 1,000-2,000 IU daily
- 2,000-4,000 IU if you’re rarely in the sun
Omega-3: Heart and Brain Health
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men globally. Prevention starts young.
What to take:
- 1,000-2,000 mg EPA+DHA daily
- More if you don’t eat fish regularly
Benefits:
- Joint health
- Heart health
- Brain function
- Reduces inflammation
- May support testosterone levels
Zinc: The Man’s Mineral
Zinc supports testosterone production, sperm health, prostate function, and the immune system.
What to take:
- 15-20 mg daily
- Often in multivitamins
- Don’t exceed 40 mg daily
Important for:
- Fertility
- Sexual health
- Muscle recovery
- Wound healing
Magnesium: Muscle and Stress
Whether you’re hitting the gym or just stressed from work, magnesium helps.
Benefits:
- Better sleep
- Heart health
- Muscle recovery
- Stress management
- Testosterone support
What to take:
- 400-500 mg daily
Protein Support (For Active Men)
If you’re working out, playing sports, or have a physical job:
What to consider:
- Protein powder (whey or plant-based)
- BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids) for muscle recovery
- Creatine (if seriously building muscle)
But remember: Supplements enhance a good diet; they don’t replace it.
Probiotics: Gut Health
Men need gut health too! Especially if you:
- Have digestive issues
- Have taken antibiotics
- Drink alcohol regularly
- Eat a lot of processed foods
What to take:
- 10-20 billion CFU daily
- Multiple strains
For Students (University/College)
Priority supplements:
- Multivitamin (nutritional insurance for irregular eating)
- Omega-3 (brain function for exams)
- B-complex (energy and stress)
- Vitamin C + Zinc (immune support in cramped hostels)
- Magnesium (better sleep during exam stress)
Budget tip: Focus on multivitamin and omega-3 if money is tight.
For Night Shift Workers
Working at call centers, hospitals, security, or other night shifts messes with your circadian rhythm.
You need:
- Vitamin D (3,000-4,000 IU since you’re sleeping when the sun is out)
- Magnesium (better sleep quality)
- B-complex (energy support)
- Melatonin (optional, helps regulate sleep—3-5 mg before bed)
For Gym Rats
Hitting the gym regularly or training for marathons?
Consider:
- Protein powder (1-1.5 g protein per kg body weight)
- BCAAs (muscle recovery)
- Creatine (strength and power)
- Magnesium (muscle function)
- Omega-3 (reduces inflammation)
- Multivitamin (increased nutrient needs)
Vegetarians/Vegans
Must-haves:
- Vitamin B12 (100-250 mcg daily or 2,500 mcg weekly)
- Iron (18 mg for women, 10-15 mg for men)
- Zinc (15-20 mg)
- Omega-3 from algae (300-500 mg DHA)
- vitamin D (2,000 IU)
- Calcium (if not consuming fortified foods)
- Iodine (consider kelp supplements or iodised salt)
For Frequent Drinkers
Alcohol depletes nutrients faster than you can say “one more round.”
You need:
- B-complex (alcohol destroys B vitamins)
- Magnesium (alcohol causes deficiency)
- Zinc (immune support)
- Vitamin C (antioxidant protection)
- Probiotics (alcohol disrupts gut bacteria)
- Milk thistle (supports liver health)
Better idea:
Moderate your drinking. No supplement can undo heavy alcohol consumption.
Conclusion
These are foundational years. What you do (or don’t do) nutritionally now affects your health for decades.
Smart supplementation supports you through:
- Immune support
- Stress management
- Prevention of future health issues
- Brain function for exams and work
- Energy for the daily hustle (young adults)
You don’t need to take everything.
Start with the basics: a good multivitamin, omega-3, and vitamin D.
Add others based on your specific needs, diet, lifestyle, and budget.
Key Takeaway
Supplements work best alongside a balanced diet, adequate sleep, regular exercise, and stress management.
Think of them as your nutritional backup plan, not your primary plan.
Next in our series: We tackle pregnancy, conception, and breastfeeding—the most nutritionally demanding time in a woman’s life.
Essential reading for anyone planning to have children or currently expecting!
Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before starting any supplement regimen, especially if you have existing health conditions, take medications, or are pregnant/planning pregnancy.
