Vitamins for Women: Top 7 Best Vitamins and Minerals for Women’s Health

The micronutrient needs of women are different at different stages of life. Are you choosing vitamin supplements tailor-made for you?

Vitamins for women help keep the body healthy and active. The market is filled with many brands that claim to be the best, but the truth is that only a few are worth the money, and all of them have side effects.

This blog will be helpful for any woman looking for information about top vitamins for women.

What are the best vitamins for women?

Okay, let’s cut to the chase. Firstly, there is no such thing as ‘best vitamins for women’ or ‘best minerals for women’!

All vitamins and minerals are equally essential and carry out numerous functions; one of them is protecting our body from diseases.

There are 9 water-soluble vitamins – B complex vitamins- Vitamin B1 (Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin), B3 (Niacin), B5 (Pantothenic acid), B6 (Pyridoxine), B7 (Biotin), B9 (Folate), B12 (Cobalamin) and Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid); and 4 fat-soluble vitamins- Vitamin A, D, E and K; each having their own functions.

Coming to minerals, we have

Macrominerals are minerals present at levels more than 0.05% in our body and include Calcium, Phosphorous, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Chlorine, and Sulphur.

Micro minerals, also called trace minerals, are present at levels less than 0.05% in our body and include Iron, Iodine, Zinc, Copper, Fluorine, Selenium, Chromium, Manganese, Cobalt, and Molybdenum.

Every vitamin and mineral listed above, at adequate levels, play a vital role in the growth, development, and maintenance of our body.

Did you know?

Women are more likely to take multivitamin supplementation than men! [38]

Why should women take vitamin supplements?

It is anything but easy in today’s world to have a perfectly balanced diet every single day. Even if you are eating well, it is hard to know for sure whether you are consuming enough nutrients to avoid deficiencies and minimize the occurrence of diseases.

Things get even more confusing when you are on certain lifestyle modifications, like switching to a vegetarian or maybe vegan diet, or if you are going through puberty, trying to get pregnant, are lactating, or just hit menopause.

In such cases, vitamin and mineral supplements assist us in bridging the gap between what’s considered “an ideal life” and “real life.”

What vitamins and minerals should women take?

The nutritional needs of women vary at different stages of their lifespan and also on their health status. Here are the dietary recommendations of vitamins for women [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13]:

Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) and Adequate Intakes (AI) of Vitamins for Women
Age group Vitamin	9-13 years	14-18 years	19-50 years	51+ years
B1 (in mg)	0.9	1.0	1.1	1.1
B2 (in mg)	0.9	1.0	1.1	1.1
B3 (in mg NE)	12*	14*	14*	14*
B5 (in mg)	4*	5*	5*	5*
B6 (in mg)	1.0	1.2	1.3	1.5
B7 (in mcg)	20*	25*	30*	30*
B9 (in mcg DFE)	300	400	400	400
B12 (in mcg)	1.8	2.4	2.4	2.4
C (in mg)	45	65	75	75
A (in mcg RAE)	600	700	700	700
D (in mcg)	15	15	15	15-20
E (in mg)	11*	15*	15*	15*
K (in mcg)	60*	75*	90*	90*
*Adequate Intakes NE= Niacin Equivalent; DFE= Dietary Folate Equivalent; RAE= Retinol Activity Equivalent

Below are the dietary recommendations of a few minerals [14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 ]

Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) and Adequate Intakes (AI) of Minerals for Women
Age group Mineral	9-13 years	14-18 years	19-50 years	51+ years
Calcium (in mg)	1300	1300	1000	1200
Phosphorous (in mg)	1250	1250	700	700
Magnesium (in mg)	360	310	320	320
Potassium (in mg)	2300*	2300*	2600*	2600*
Molybdenum (in mcg)	34	43	45	45
Iron (in mg)	8	15	18	8
Iodine (in mcg)	120	150	150	150
Zinc (in mg)	8	9	8	8
Copper (in mcg)	700	890	900	900
Fluorine (in mg)	2*	3*	3*	3*
Selenium (in mcg)	40	55	55	55
Chromium (in mcg)	21*	24*	25*	20*
Manganese (in mg)	1.6*	1.6*	1.8*	1.8*
*Adequate Intakes

However, there are a few vitamins and minerals that women need in higher quantities when compared to men [27, 28]. Let’s check them out.

What vitamins should women take on a daily basis?

A few recommended vitamins for women in their reproductive years are:

Vitamin B6
Vitamin C
Vitamin D

Vitamin E
Iron
Folic acid

Calcium
Iodine

Daily vitamins for women aged above 50 are

Vitamin A
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B9

Vitamin B12
Vitamin C
Vitamin D

Vitamin K
Calcium

In addition to the above-mentioned vitamins for women, it is also important to consume sufficient amounts of essential fatty acids like Omega 3 fatty acids. So, if you are looking for daily vitamins for women, it is important to ensure that you are getting your essential fatty acids from them.

Measurements for vitamins and minerals:

The most common ways of measuring vitamins and minerals are:

mg (milligrams)

mcg (micrograms)
IU (International unit)

Top 7 Vitamins and minerals for women:

A few best vitamin supplements for women’s health are:

1. Calcium:

Calcium is one of the most abundant minerals found in foods like milk and milk products, tofu, seafood, foods fortified with calcium like cereals, juices, supplements, etc.

It is an important mineral that is an essential part of our bones and teeth that also performs many other functions like muscle function, nerve transmission, hormone secretion, and signaling inside cells.

Who is at risk of calcium deficiency?

Women with Amenorrhea,
Female athletes,

Post-menopausal women,
Elderly women, and
Individuals with lactose intolerance, etc are at the highest risk of dietary calcium deficiency

They might need calcium supplementation to prevent deficiency symptoms like cramping, muscle weakness, osteoporosis, and fractures.

Benefits:

Getting adequate amounts of calcium in your early 20s is very important for bone growth and preventing fragile bones later on in life. Consuming enough calcium also reduces the risk of fractures and prevents bone loss in peri- and postmenopausal women [29].

It is also associated with other beneficial effects, mainly obesity, hypertension, colorectal cancer, and better maternal and fetal outcomes. Pregnant women need more calcium to improve fetal bone health and also so that they do not increase the risk of fractures for both the infant and themselves [30].

2. Vitamin D:

Also known as the “Sunshine vitamin,” the primary source of this fat-soluble vitamin is sunlight. A few alternate sources of this vitamin are fatty fish like salmon, sardine, mackerel, cod liver oil, egg yolks, mushrooms treated with UV light, and other fortified foods.

Groups at risk of Vitamin D deficiency are:

People who don’t often go outdoors,
Those who wear clothes that cover most of their skin,

The older populations,
People with darker skin, and
Those with few health conditions

Such people must consider talking to a healthcare provider and take vitamin D supplementation.

Benefits:

Vitamin D helps improve bone growth and bone remodeling, reduces inflammation while promoting calcium absorption, and enables bone mineralization by maintaining adequate serum and phosphate concentrations.

It can prevent the incidence and development of osteoporosis, breast cancer, hypertension in women and also may improve the vaginal health of women [31].

3. Iron:

Iron is an important mineral, an essential part of hemoglobin, and a protein that helps transport oxygen throughout the body. The best sources of iron are animal foods, which contain both heme and non-heme iron like liver, red meat, seafood, etc. Plant sources only have non-heme and include green leafy vegetables, beans, fortified cereals, etc.

It has many functions, right from cellular functioning, neurological development to supporting muscle growth and synthesis of hormones.

As you might already know, Anemia is one of the major symptoms of iron deficiency; however, iron deficiency can also negatively impact several other parameters like growth, cognitive development, muscle metabolism, etc.

Groups at risk of iron deficiency include:

Menstruating women,
People living in malaria-endemic areas,
Infants, and children.

In addition to that, pregnant women also have increased physiological needs for iron and can benefit from iron supplementation, in case of deficiencies.

Benefits:

Pregnant women with low iron stores must consider supplementation since iron sufficiency greatly benefits maternal and fetal outcomes. The benefits of supplementation outweigh the risks that women planning to become pregnant and pregnant women might face [32].

4. Folate:

Folate, also known as Vitamin B9, is found in dark green leafy vegetables, liver, pulses, beans, fruits, nuts, cereals, etc.

Groups at risk of folate deficiency:

People with conditions like malabsorption,
those with increased demand for folate like in the case of

cancers,

pregnant and lactating women

Benefits:

Prenatal supplementation of folate and also supplementation a month prior to pregnancy helps prevent fetal neural tube defects. Other potential benefits of folate and folic acid include treatment of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, and improved neurocognitive function and neurological development in infants and adults [33].

5. Vitamin B12:

Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is a family of cobalt-containing compounds. This water-soluble vitamin is naturally present in foods of animal origin like meat, liver, seafood, poultry, eggs, milk, and milk products.

Groups at high risk of vitamin B12 deficiency include:

Vegan women,
Vegetarians,
Older adults,

Individuals with gastrointestinal disorders,
Pernicious anemia, etc [8].

Low levels of vitamin B12 in pregnant women are associated with adverse maternal and child health outcomes, including neuromuscular and developmental disorders in infants that might cause stunting, anemia, and possibly even low birth weight [34].

There is also a possible association between low vitamin B12 status and the increased risk of Gestational Diabetes mellitus [35].

Benefits:

Vitamin B12 supplementation in pregnant women may reduce the risk of fetal neural tube defects, improve cognitive development in children, decrease pernicious anemia in both infants and women [34].

6. Vitamin C:

This potent antioxidant, also known as ascorbic acid or antiscorbutic vitamin, is a water-soluble vitamin found in several fruits and vegetables, especially in citrus fruits, tomatoes, bell peppers, brussels sprouts, strawberries, Indian gooseberry, etc.

It performs many roles like reducing free radical damage and increasing collagen formation, thus maintaining healthy skin. It also aids efficient wound healing, reduces heart disease risk, boosts immunity, etc.

Groups at Risk of Vitamin C deficiency are:

Individuals on a limited variety of food,
those with malabsorption,

smokers

Benefits:

Regular ascorbic acid supplementation in pregnant women decreases the risk of hospitalization. It also increases the absorption of nonheme iron, thereby reducing the risk of anemia [36].

7. Zinc:

Zinc is an essential micronutrient involved in numerous activities like wound healing, protein synthesis, immune function, DNA synthesis, and cell division while also supporting normal growth and development during pregnancy, childhood, and adolescence.

Good sources of zinc are whole grains, seafood like oysters, lobsters, crab, milk products, beef, beans, fortified breakfast cereals, etc.

Benefits:

Zinc deficiency in women can lead to abnormal ovarian development, disruption of the menstrual cycle, abortions, still-births, delayed and prolonged deliveries, ineffective uterine contractions, and several other conditions [37].

Adequate intake of zinc can help prevent such complications.

What vitamins and minerals are important for pregnant women?

Most nutrient requirements are higher for pregnant and lactating women. The most important vitamins for women who are pregnant or planning to get pregnant are

Folate
Vitamin D

Calcium
Iodine
Choline

Below are a few daily vitamin and mineral requirements for pregnant and lactating women

Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) and Adequate Intakes (AI) of Vitamins for Pregnant and Lactating Women
Age group Vitamin	Pregnancy (14-18 years)	Pregnancy (19-50 years)	Lactation (14-18 years)	Lactation (19-50 years)
B1 (in mg)	1.4	1.4	1.4	1.4
B2 (in mg)	1.4	1.4	1.6	1.6
B3 (in mg NE)	18*	18*	17*	17*
B5 (in mg)	6*	6*	7*	7*
B6 (in mg)	1.9	1.9	2.0	2.0
B7 (in mcg)	30*	30*	35*	35*
B9 (in mcg DFE)	600	600	500	500
B12 (in mcg)	2.6	2.6	2.8	2.8
C (in mg)	80	85	115	120
A (in mcg RAE)	750	770	1200	1300
D (in mcg)	15	15	15	15
E (in mg)	15*	15*	19*	19*
K (in mcg)	75*	90*	75*	90*
*Adequate Intakes NE= Niacin Equivalent; DFE= Dietary Folate Equivalent; RAE= Retinol Activity Equivalent

Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) and Adequate Intakes (AI) of Minerals for Pregnant and Lactating Women
Age group Mineral	Pregnancy (14-18 years)	Pregnancy (19-50 years)	Lactation (14-18 years)	Lactation (19-50 years)
Calcium (in mg)	1300	1000	1300	1000
Phosphorous (in mg)	1250	700	1250	700
Magnesium (in mg)	400	350-360	360	310-320
Potassium (in mg)	2600*	2900*	2500*	2800*
Molybdenum (in mcg)	50	50	50	50
Iron (in mg)	27	27	10	9
Iodine (in mcg)	220	220	290	290
Zinc (in mg)	12	11	13	12
Copper (in mcg)	1000	1300	1000	1300
Fluorine (in mg)	3*	3*	3*	3*
Selenium (in mcg)	60	60	70	70
Chromium (in mcg)	29*	30*	44*	45*
Manganese (in mg)	2.0*	2.0*	2.6*	2.6*
*Adequate Intakes

What vitamins and minerals are important for women’s health?

It is of utmost importance that we get every vitamin and mineral in adequate amounts to maintain a healthy life.

However, micronutrient requirements of women vary at each stage of their life and depend on their lifestyle and current nutrition status.

So you must work with a healthcare professional to determine which vitamins and minerals you need.

Women’s multivitamin supplements for good health

Third-Party Certification: Look for brands where multivitamins are tested by a third party like USP or NSF or TGA.
Quality of ingredients: Consider taking a multivitamin in the most biologically active form.

Excipients: These are ‘extra ingredients’ added to improve the palatability and color, to mask off-flavors, improve compressibility in case of tablets, or improve flow. It is important to look at the quality of these ingredients, check for allergens, artificial colors, etc.
Quantity of ingredients: It is important to check the nutrition facts labeling and understand the quantity of active ingredients used. Most multivitamin supplements don’t give you 100% of the DRI of vitamins and minerals.
Formulation: Supplements are available in many formulations – capsules, tablets, gummies, gels, syrups, and powders; each having their own benefits.

Gummies and syrups often have added sugars and miss multiple nutrients as a result of trying to increase its palatability. So, it is important to check the nutritive label for added sugars and other allergic substances.

You can select a form that is affordable, convenient, and per your preference.

Top 7 Vitamins and Minerals for Women
S.No	Nutrient	Sources	RDA/ AI*	Benefits
1	Vitamin B12	Meat, fish, poultry eggs, etc	2.4- 2.8 mcg	Reduces the risk of fetal neural tube defects, Improves cognitive development in children Decreases risk of pernicious anemia
2	Vitamin C	Fruits and vegetables like oranges, Indian gooseberry, brussels sprouts, guava, red and green peppers, and strawberries	65-75 mg	Improves immune function Decreases hospitalization in pregnant women Improves iron absorption
3	Vitamin D	Sunlight, fish liver oils, fatty fish like salmon, sardine, mackerel, milk, and butter.	15-20 mg	Improves fertility Maintains heart health Helps in bone development
4	Calcium	Milk and milk products, tofu, seafood, foods fortified with calcium	1000-1300 mg	Improves bone health in mother and fetus Helps in nerve transmission and hormone secretion
5	Iron	Liver, red meat, seafood, green leafy vegetables, beans, fortified cereals, etc	15-27 mg	Prevents Iron deficiency anemia Promotes better maternal and fetal outcomes
6	Folate	Dark green leafy vegetables, liver, pulses, beans, fruits, nuts, cereals, etc.	300-600 mcg	Prevents neural tube defects in infants Helpful in conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, etc.
7	Zinc	oysters, meat, poultry, beans, nuts and seeds, and fortified breakfast cereals.	8-13 mg	Decreases the risk of abortions and stillbirths Prevents abnormal ovarian development Helps in immune function

Wrapping Up:

Multivitamin supplementations help bridge the gap between inadequacy and sufficiency and help prevent or/and treat a number of deficiencies. They can also be used during certain chronic conditions.

Vitamins are good for women, but like any other food/ supplement, taking multivitamin or mineral supplements in excess can be toxic and does more harm than good.

So, always consult a healthcare professional and make informed decisions regarding supplementation.

FAQ’s

What vitamins and minerals are important for women?

While every vitamin and mineral is important, you might have an increased requirement for a few vitamins and minerals like iron, folate, Calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, etc.

Will taking vitamin supplements daily make me healthier?

While there are quite a few potential benefits of taking your daily vitamins, there is still limited evidence that taking vitamin supplements every day gives you the benefits you expect.

It is best to work with your healthcare provider on what improvements you are looking for, so they can prescribe a targeted supplementation.

I’ve switched to a vegan diet recently. Do I need to take an iron supplement?

Your doctor/dietician is the best person to judge if you are getting enough iron or if you need to take a supplement.

While animal foods are the best sources of iron, even plant foods like beans, vegetables, nuts, and fortified foods have good amounts of iron.

Is Vitamin B6 effective in reducing PMS symptoms?

While B6 supplementation might reduce PMS symptoms, more research is needed to confirm these findings.

Can I get my daily calcium from a multivitamin?

No. Most vitamins have limited amounts of calcium. This is because it can interfere with the absorption of iron, zinc, and magnesium.