To fully take care of your nutrition and dietary needs, you'll want to learn all about the vitamins and nutrients that play a role in women's health.
Apr 22, 2025 5 Minute Read
Many individuals are looking for the best supplements for women and vitamins for women's health. Diet is first, and then supplementation can help.
Women's health needs are as diverse as they are unique, requiring careful attention to ensure overall well-being at every stage of life. From hormonal balance to bone density and immune support, women often find themselves searching for the best supplements and vitamins to fill nutritional gaps and promote optimal health.
With so many options available, choosing the right vitamins for women's health can feel overwhelming. Whether it's vitamins tailored to help enhance energy levels, support reproductive health or boost skin vitality, understanding your specific needs is key to creating an effective wellness plan. Getting the proper amount of nutrients from eating a healthy, well-balanced diet and supplementing when needed can help you thrive, leading to better physical, mental, and emotional health.
While all vitamins and minerals play a role in achieving optimal health, some are more specifically emphasized in women's health. A rule of thumb is to get the bulk of your vitamins and minerals from eating a diverse and balanced diet before considering supplementation.
If you're unsure if you're getting enough of the vitamins and minerals recommended for your age group, consult with your doctor or a registered dietitian who can help you come up with a plan to solidify your nutritional foundation and add supplements as needed.
Folic acid or folate (also known as vitamin B9) is essential for women who are planning to get pregnant or are pregnant. Per the Mayo Clinic, this vitamin helps the body make blood cells and DNA for new cells, prevent neural tube defects that can occur in the first three months of pregnancy and prevent premature births and low birth weight.
In addition to the many pregnancy-related benefits folic acid provides, there are several reasons to ensure folic acid levels are sufficient throughout your lifespan. Some research has shown that folic acid may help support brain and heart health, might reduce the risk of certain cancers, and may help prevent type 2 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, particularly when taken during and after menopause.*
Some people have difficulty absorbing folate in its naturally occurring form due to digestive conditions, medications or alcohol consumption. Folic acid is more easily absorbed in manufactured form and enriched foods, so ask your doctor to help you determine whether supplementation may be beneficial for you.
The daily recommended intake for adult women is 400 mcg. For women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, 400 mcg to 800 mcg of folic acid is recommended. You can get your daily amount of folic acid through dietary supplements like prenatal vitamins, fortified foods like breakfast cereal, or other natural foods as part of a balanced diet. This nutrient is found in foods like dark green, leafy vegetables like spinach, as well as oranges, nuts, beans, chicken, lean beef and whole grains.
Vitamin B12 plays an important role in helping your body create red blood cells and ensuring that the cells in your brain and nervous system work properly. You can find B12 in low-fat or fat-free milk, eggs, liver, poultry, clams, sardines, flounder, herring, blue cheese, nutritional yeast and fortified foods such as some cereals, soy beverages or veggie burgers.
The recommended daily allowance of B12 for adults is 2.4 micrograms (mcg). However, some individuals might not meet this requirement through their diet alone and may need to take supplements. Pregnant women, vegetarians or those aged 50 or older may be at increased risk of deficiency. For pregnant women, B12 may help prevent health problems for the unborn baby. Since much of your B12 dietary intake comes from animal products, if you are vegetarian or vegan, you may need a supplement. If you're exclusively breastfeeding as a vegan or vegetarian, talk to your pediatrician to see if your baby may also need a supplement. Additionally, as you age, B12 absorption can decline, and you may need to obtain B12 from supplements or fortified foods. Certain medical conditions that can affect B12 absorption, including but not limited to pernicious anemia, celiac disease, Crohn's disease, and lupus, should also be considered to ensure levels are sufficient or determine if dietary changes or supplementation are necessary.
If your B12 is low, you may experience feelings of weakness, anemia, issues with balance, and numbness or tingling in the arms and legs. Your doctor can order a blood test to check if your B12 levels are too low.
Vitamin D is an important contributor (alongside calcium) to bone health and preventing osteoporosis while also helping to reduce cellular inflammation and support your immune system. It also helps support muscle function and is important for brain function.
The following women may be at risk for deficiency:
Foods like tuna and salmon or fortified foods like low-fat or fat-free milk and some types of orange juice, cereal, soy beverages and yogurt can provide vitamin D. When your skin is exposed to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays, vitamin D is produced naturally in the body. Studies show that, on a sunny day, the skin can create 10,000 IU of vitamin D from UV light exposure, which is much higher than the recommended daily allowance of 600 IU for those aged 1 through 70 years and 800 IU for those over 70.
Additionally, older adults may not get routine exposure to sunlight and have a hard time absorbing vitamin D. If you or your doctor feel that you may not be getting enough, a basic lab draw can check the amount of vitamin D in your blood.
If you are not getting enough vitamin D through being outdoors or your diet, your doctor can advise whether a supplement would be beneficial and guide you on a safe and effective dose, while avoiding potential interactions.
Calcium helps to build and protect your bones while reducing the risk of osteoporosis. It also helps move messages between your brain and muscles. You may need different amounts of calcium at different stages of life.
Those who follow a vegan diet, limit dairy products, consume increased quantities of protein or sodium, are receiving long-term treatment with corticosteroids, or have certain bowel or digestive diseases that can impact calcium absorption (like celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease) may need to pay closer attention to whether calcium needs are being met.
Calcium is not produced in the body. To effectively absorb calcium, your body also needs vitamin D. You can find calcium in dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese, canned salmon and sardines with bones, dark green, leafy vegetables, and in foods fortified with calcium like 100% orange juice, some soy beverages and breakfast cereals.
There's a variety of calcium supplement compounds available (calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, calcium gluconate, and calcium lactate), so it's important to discuss with your doctor which is the right choice for you, in form and quantity. For those with hypercalcemia, a condition that causes excess calcium in the bloodstream, calcium supplements should be avoided.
Iron is a vital building block for red blood cells that carry oxygen from the lungs to the body. It also helps to make certain hormones and connective tissue. Because iron is lost during monthly menstrual periods, it is important that women who menstruate get enough iron, per Yale Medicine. During pregnancy, women need more iron to supply enough blood for their babies as they grow. If you do not get enough iron from food, you may be at risk for iron-deficiency anemia.
Across the globe, iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies, and it especially impacts women. Your doctor would check two types of protein in the blood to see if you have enough iron. The first, ferritin, is the protein that stores iron. The second, hemoglobin, is the iron-containing protein in red blood cells. If you are experiencing iron deficiency, you may feel tired, weak or dizzy due to the increased work your heart is doing to pump blood so more oxygen can reach all parts of your body.
The following is a list of the recommended amounts of iron for women at different stages of life:
The body does not make its own iron, so it is especially important to get iron from the food you eat. You can find this nutrient in lean red meats and poultry, seafood, fortified cereals and bread, oysters, beans, dark chocolate, liver, spinach, tofu and canned tomatoes. Heme iron, the most easily absorbed form, is specific to animal products, while non-heme iron can be found in plants or foods that are fortified with iron.
Ultimately, women have changing nutrient needs at different stages of life. Through menstruation, pregnancy, perimenopause and menopause, it's important to ensure you're getting the right amount and type of vitamins for women's health. As always, remember to consult your healthcare provider to tailor your vitamin intake for optimal health outcomes.
Clinically reviewed in April 2025.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
These articles are intended for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and are not intended to treat or cure any disease. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in these articles. Advances in medicine may cause this information to become outdated, invalid, or subject to debate. Professional opinions and interpretations of scientific literature may vary. Consult your healthcare professional before making changes to your diet, exercise or medication regimen.
