It can be confusing to sift through the vast amount of supplement advice for women currently available. You might read one recommendation while sipping your morning coffee, hear conflicting advice from a coworker, and then your best friend might tell you later that day about the new supplement she’s taking that’s making her feel great! With all of these conflicting messages, it’s easy to feel lost when choosing the right vitamins and supplements for our individual bodies.
Continue reading to learn the best vitamins to support women’s optimal health and how to choose them.
- Vitamin D for bone health
- Folate for fertility
- Iron for energy
- Zinc for insulin management
- Magnesium for PMS symptoms and mineral balance
- Balanced Omega Fatty Acids for inflammation
- Fiber for a healthy digestive system
Women’s biology is complex, especially when it comes to dietary and supplement needs. Many factors impact the nutrients you might choose to supplement with, including fluctuating hormone levels, energy needs, your menstrual cycle, and stress levels. These factors, and many more, impact your health and are worth considering when looking to improve your overall health.
Vitamins D3/K2 for bone health
Vitamin D, often referred to as the “sunshine vitamin,” is typically produced in your skin when you are exposed to sunlight through your body is also able to get vitamin D through certain foods and supplementation. Unlike most other vitamins, vitamin D actually functions similarly to a hormone and impacts every single cell in your body. Although it is an important nutrient for each gender, it is especially important for women’s health. Foods rich in vitamin D include salmon, sardines, egg yolks, mushrooms, and certain fortified foods, including orange juice and dairy products.
Vitamin D has many significant health benefits that make it a great supplement option for women looking to improve their health. For starters, vitamin D plays an essential role in calcium and phosphorus absorption. Absorption of these minerals is critical for maximizing bone health and decreasing the risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis, two diseases women have a higher risk for developing. Research estimates that 40% of women over 50 will experience an osteoporotic fracture during their lifetime, while only 22% of men will experience the same. Vitamin D is also one of the many nutrients that possess immune regulating qualities. Individuals who do not get adequate amounts of vitamin D might find they experience illness or infections more frequently, especially during cold and flu season. Lastly, vitamin D plays a prominent role in supporting your mood. Individuals who consume adequate amounts of vitamin D could be less likely to experience symptoms related to depression and anxiety.
It is recommended that adult women aim to have an intake of at least 600IU or 15mcg. To increase vitamin D absorption, it is recommended to pair it with vitamin K2.
Interested in a reliable, good-quality vitamin D3/K2 supplement? We recommend this one by Seeking Health.
Folate—Vitamin B9 for fertility, bone health, and DNA
Folate, also known as vitamin B9, is an important member of the B vitamin group. It is well known in the women’s health realm, especially for its fertility and reproductive health benefits. However, even if you are not pregnant or trying to conceive, folate is an essential nutrient for any woman looking to improve her health. Not to be confused with folic acid (the synthetic form of the nutrient that is less bioavailable), folate is an important vitamin vital for many functions like DNA health, cellular level energy conversion, methylation, immune health, heart health, healthy bones, and fertility.
Unfortunately, unlike men’s health, many women do not receive enough education on keeping their heart healthy and functioning well to prevent things like heart disease. The B vitamins, including folate, help manage healthy homocysteine levels, an amino acid that can increase your risk of poor heart health when levels become too high. We know that bone health is vital for women. Like vitamin D, adequate folate levels also help promote strong bones and decrease the risk of bone disease, bone fractures, and poor bone density. Finally, folate is most well-known for the important role it plays in fertility and preventing birth defects. This vitamin supports pregnancy and healthy embryonic development due to its important role in DNA synthesis, and research has shown adequate levels may also promote reaching a healthy gestation length, support circulation, and boost the mother’s overall health. The recommended daily intake of folate tends to fall in the range of 400 mcg, though you should consider speaking to your doctor or practitioner regarding the appropriate amount for you. Folate is also naturally found in many foods, including leafy greens, broccoli, beans, legumes, and eggs.
Interested in a reliable, good-quality B vitamin complex? We recommend Active B Complex by Integrative Therapeutics.
Iron for Energy
Iron is an important micromineral that the body requires in small amounts. Its main job is to support oxygen delivery and proper cellular growth and development, which are essential for overall health. It is involved in creating important proteins like myoglobin, a protein that supports oxygen delivery to the muscles, and hemoglobin, a protein that helps red blood cells transport oxygen from your lungs throughout the rest of your body.
Women, when compared to men, require higher amounts of iron for a few reasons. First, if you are a menstruating woman, you are likely to consistently decrease your blood supply and thus lose iron every cycle. This can be a significant loss depending on the heaviness and length of your menstrual cycle. Additionally, women who are trying to conceive or are currently pregnant should also consume more iron-rich foods. Pregnant women require adequate iron not only for themselves but also for their babies, and too little iron could increase the risk of complications. When iron intake is too low, the body resorts to using up its stored iron. As a result, fewer red blood cells deliver oxygen throughout the body, and people commonly experience symptoms such as constant fatigue and feeling cold.
Foods naturally high in iron include red meat, shellfish, dark chocolate, legumes, certain seeds, and some whole grains. Although not all women identify as vegetarian, many do, and their risk for iron deficiencies increases because heme-iron (the type found in animal products like red meat) is the most bioavailable form. Those who follow a plant-based diet should ensure they consume iron-rich plant foods like legumes and fermented soy and should consider whether supplementation might be right for them. The current recommended dietary intake for adult women is 18mg and 27mg for those who are pregnant or lactating.
Interested in a reliable, good-quality iron supplement? We recommend Iron Complex by Integrative Therapeutics.
Zinc for insulin management
Zinc is an important nutrient that is needed in small amounts. It is the second most abundant trace mineral in the body and is required for the function of hundreds of enzymes reactions. It has many vital roles that influence health, including proper taste and smell, the development of immune cells, DNA synthesis, and cellular growth.
Not only are the roles listed above crucial for women’s health, but zinc has an additional role that can be especially applicable when it comes to choosing supplements that improve your health: adequate levels of zinc can help to manage blood sugar levels throughout the day, and decrease the uncomfortable symptoms that go along with blood sugar dysregulation.
As women age, the body becomes less efficient at managing insulin levels and experiences higher levels of insulin resistance. When you consume food, specifically those rich in carbohydrates, the pancreas releases a hormone called insulin that opens up the cells for glucose (our energy source). Although glucose is an important energy source and critical for overall health, too much of it becomes a problem and our cells become less and less responsive to insulin moving the glucose into the cells. As a result, we experience high blood sugar levels, leading to a whole host of other problems, including diabetes, heart disease, metabolic syndromes, unexplained weight gain, and high blood pressure.
Because your body doesn’t naturally produce zinc, you must obtain it through food or supplementation. Food sources of zinc include oysters, shellfish, whole grains, dairy products, and legumes. The recommended daily intake for zinc is 8mg per day, 12mg per day for those who are pregnant, and 13mg per day for those who are lactating.
Please visit our Zinc collection for more details
Interested in a reliable, good-quality zinc supplement? We recommend Pure Encapsulations Zinc.
Magnesium for PMS symptoms and Mineral Balance
Magnesium is another critical mineral that women should consider when choosing nutrients to improve their health. This mineral is needed in large quantities, and most of the population is actually quite deficient in this nutrient already due to chronic stress, processed foods, increased sugar intake, exercise, and poor soil quality–things that many women experience!
Vitamin D3, folate, calcium, and phosphorus are not the only nutrients involved in bone formation and health. Although it gets less attention than its peers, magnesium also has an important role in healthy bone formation. Research has identified a link between adequate magnesium intake and healthy bone density levels. As a result, this also means that for women after menopause, the risk of osteoporosis decreases. That alone warrants consideration for whether magnesium might be beneficial for you!
In addition, supplementing with magnesium may decrease the uncomfortable premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms that some women experience in their menstrual cycle. Magnesium is essential for muscle function, and adequate intake may reduce the severity and frequency of muscle cramps experienced. One study also found that supplementation with 200-360 grams of magnesium may alleviate some PMS symptoms including water retention, headaches, and mood swings.
Finally, magnesium helps to regulate blood sugar levels, something that’s extremely important for maintaining healthy energy levels throughout the day. Low magnesium levels are often found in individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. It is hypothesized that this could result from increased magnesium loss in the urine and the increased presence of oxidative stress and inflammation in the body.
Due to many factors, we must aim to get enough magnesium throughout the day. Foods that are a great source of magnesium include dark chocolate, potatoes, bananas, whole grains, nuts and seeds, beans, and legumes. The daily recommended intake for healthy adult women is 320 mg, while pregnant women should aim for 360mg.
Interested in a reliable, good-quality magnesium supplement? We recommend Seeking Health’s Active Mg Chewable .
Balanced Omegas for Decreased Inflammation
When we hear the word omega, we typically think of omega-3s like fish oil. Surprising to some, other omegas are essential to health, including omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids. Each has its own individual health benefits and ensuring adequate consumption should be a focus for maintaining overall health, though it's important that you keep the correct balance between the three. An imbalance (like too much or too little of one) can increase your risk for a range of uncomfortable symptoms or chronic disease, often impacted by inflammation.
Omega-3 (found in fatty fish and seeds like flax seeds) and omega-6 fatty acids (found in poultry, nuts, seeds, and many different processed foods) are both polyunsaturated essential fatty acids. This means that the body cannot produce them, and instead they need to be consumed to ensure that we are getting adequate levels. Unlike the previous two, the body can produce the monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acids in some circumstances, making them “conditionally essential” fatty acids (which simply means we don't necessarily have to get them from our diet though they are found in different nuts and seeds).
Choosing a balanced omega supplement for women could be a great option for two important reasons. First, many people struggle to consume adequate amounts of each omega. This is especially true for those who follow a western diet, one typically too high in unhealthy processed omega-6 fats and too low in omega-3s. Depending on dietary preference, some people might consume healthy amounts of omega-9 fats, though the ratios are likely still off. Secondly, all three omega fatty acids can help decrease inflammation and improving energy. Both are something many women might feel they need support with! When choosing a balanced omega 3-6-9 supplement, look for one that is appropriately sourced and has between a 2:1:1 to 4:1:1 ratio for optimal balance.
Interested in a reliable, good-quality balanced omega supplement? We recommend Nordic Naturals Balanced Omega .
Fiber for a Healthy Digestive System
Fiber is a form of carbohydrate that is typically found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Unlike most carbohydrates, which the body quickly converts to glucose for fuel, the body cannot break down and digest fiber molecules, so they serve as fuel for the healthy bacteria that inhabit the gut microbiome. It is also worth noting that fiber comes in two forms: insoluble and soluble. Insoluble fiber gathers water as it moves through the intestinal tract and helps to produce bulkier and softer stools. On the other hand, soluble fiber dissolves in water and creates a gel-like substance that slows down the passage of food through the intestinal tract.
Fiber is an extremely important nutrient that most women should ensure they consume enough of for many reasons. Because of its ability to slow down digestion, fiber can help regulate blood sugar levels and lessens potential blood sugar spikes after eating a high carbohydrate meal. This alone is extremely important as chronic high blood sugar is not only uncomfortable, but it increases the risk for many chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes. Adequate fiber intake may also help to prevent or alleviate constipation. Fiber works by pulling water to the colon to help create softer and bulkier stools, which means it keeps bowel movements more regular. Fiber is naturally occurring in foods like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
Choosing a fiber supplement can be confusing and is best done with a practitioner or doctor, depending on your goals. Common, natural fiber supplements typically used include chicory root fiber, psyllium husk, and ground flaxseed. In general, women should aim to consume 25 grams of fiber per day for optimal health.
Interested in a reliable, good-quality fiber supplement? We recommend Klaire Labs BiotaGen.
Choosing the right vitamins and supplements for yourself can be confusing and stressful. As a woman, there is a lot of marketing and mixed messages recommending different supplements for optimal health. By doing your research or working closely with a practitioner, you can ensure you receive good quality products that are right for your individual needs.
While we don’t treat sickness or disease, at Curated Wellness, we can guide you towards a more holistic and well-rounded approach to your health. Our trained nutrition professionals can accompany you on your wellness journey through food and supplement choices, movement, and mindfulness. If you’re ready to take back your health with a knowledgeable guide and accountability partner, our practitioners are ready for you.
About the Author
Emily Alexander, M.Ed, FNTP—Emily is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner with Curated Wellness. She is passionate about supporting others in their journey to improve their relationship with food and their body through gentle nutrition, and is a firm believer that understanding the bio-individual components of nutrition is one of the best ways to do so. Emily completed her Master’s of education in health education and promotion with a concentration in eating disorders, and draws from both her educational background and life experience to help her clients improve their energy, understand their bodies, boost their athletic potential, and break down diet myths one at a time. Learn more about Emily.
The information presented on this website is intended for educational purposes only. Statements within this site have not been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration. This content is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any specific condition or disease, nor is it medical advice and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise. Readers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health conditions or concerns. One should always consult a qualified medical professional before engaging in any dietary and/or lifestyle change or new health program. Curated Wellness does not take responsibility for any health consequences of any person or persons following the information in this educational content.
