A Guide To The Best Supplements For Women In 2024

Ideally, a woman could derive all her nutritional needs from her daily food and beverage choices—but that’s not always possible, says Persak. For instance, when a woman’s needs increase—say, she ramps up her fitness regimen, catches a virus, endures a prolonged period of stress or has a medical condition—her food nutrient intake may miss the mark, she says. In that case, supplementation may help.

Here are nine top supplements to support women’s wellness.

Beta-Carotene

Beta-carotene is a carotenoid (a type of antioxidant) found in high amounts in red, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables (like sweet potatoes, carrots and peppers), says Dr. Frick. In the body, beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A, she explains, which is important for heart and lung function, healthy skin and vision and a robust immune system. In women, vitamin A is essential during pregnancy to support fetal development, she adds.

“Although taking excess beta-carotene results in harmless orange-yellow skin tones, too much vitamin A can cause toxicity,” says Dr Frick. “In addition, too much vitamin A during pregnancy can cause congenital disabilities.” Even so, pregnant adult women need more vitamin A than normal— 770 micrograms of retinol activity equivalents, versus 700 in nonpregnant women ages 19 to 50.

Lutein

Lutein is a carotenoid that’s particularly important to eye health, says Dr. Frick. “Its most direct function is to protect an area at the back of your eye called the macula. The entire back of your eye is the retina, and the macula sits in the middle of the retina,” she explains. It helps you see what is directly in front of you, allows you to see fine detail, and plays an important role in color vision, says Dr. Frick.

Lutein protects the tissues of the eye from damage from the sun’s rays and blue-spectrum lights from screens, says Dr. Frick. It also helps prevent cataracts and age-related macular degeneration—an eye disease that affects women more than men. And as an antioxidant, lutein protects brain health, helping to prevent memory loss and dementia, adds Persak.

Although there’s no recommended daily amount of lutein, a typical dosage is 5 to 10 milligrams daily, says Persak.

B Vitamins

As a group, B vitamins help convert food to energy and support healthy red blood cell production. B vitamins are found in animal protein, leafy greens, legumes and fortified breads and breakfast cereals. A vitamin B12 or B6 deficiency can result in a serious condition called anemia, in which your body can’t produce enough healthy red blood cells.

For women, vitamins B6, B12 and B9 (folate) are particularly important, says Dr. Frick.

• Vitamin B12 is important to fetal development during pregnancy. It’s also a good idea to supplement with B12 if you are vegetarian or over age 50, when the body is less able to absorb the nutrient. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for B12 is 2.4 micrograms for women, 2.6 micrograms for pregnant women and 2.8 micrograms for lactating women. Certain medications can also cause B12 deficiency including metformin and proton pump inhibitors.
• Vitamin B6 may help reduce premenstrual symptoms (PMS) and morning sickness during pregnancy. For morning sickness, 10 to 25 milligrams is recommended three to four times daily; for PMS, try 80 milligrams daily when experiencing symptoms.
• Vitamin B9 (folate) is crucial during pregnancy to avoid the risk of neural tube defects, premature births, and low birth weight. Pregnant individuals need 400 to 800 micrograms of folic acid daily.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits (like oranges and grapefruits), kiwi, red and green peppers, broccoli, tomatoes and strawberries. It is essential for healthy immune function, wound healing and collagen production, says Dr. Frick. And as an antioxidant, vitamin C helps defend your body against free radicals, unstable molecules that can damage cells, she says.

Vitamin C is particularly important for women because it aids in iron absorption, says Persak. Women lose iron in their menstrual blood during their monthly cycle, putting them at higher risk of iron deficiency, she explains.

Daily vitamin C needs are set at 75 milligrams for women, increasing to 85 milligrams and 120 milligrams during pregnancy and lactation, respectively. The upper daily limit of vitamin C is 2,000 milligrams, and most supplements come in doses between 250 to 500 milligrams.

Iron

Iron is found in red meat, poultry, seafood, fortified cereals and bread, oysters, legumes, dark chocolate, liver, spinach and tofu. The mineral is used to make hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the body’s cells.

Teenagers and women with heavy periods may need extra iron since it is lost through monthly periods. Pregnant individuals also require extra iron to support the needs of their growing baby. Athletes and women with high activity levels have higher iron needs because their bodies use more oxygen during exercise, notes Persak.

While the RDA for iron is 18 milligrams in women ages 19 to 50, pregnant women need more (27 milligrams) for their growing babies and breastfeeding women need less (10 milligrams) as a breastfeeding woman is not typically having their monthly period and is not losing blood. “It is possible to take too much iron, so if you are supplementing regularly, be sure to consult your health professional about the amount of iron that is right for you,” advises Dr. Frick.

Fish Oil

The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and shellfish, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), offer several benefits to women, says Dr. Frick. “EPA and DHA are important for promoting brain health and repair, eye, skin and heart health, healthy fetal development in pregnant women, and maintaining a healthy level of inflammation throughout the body,” she says.

Because the typical American diet is often lacking in these essential fats, a quality supplement can help, advises Dr. Frick. Although it would be difficult to take too much EPA or DHA, she recommends discussing supplementation with your health practitioner, especially if you’re pregnant, taking a medication that might affect your blood clotting or have an upcoming medical procedure. That’s because fish oil can increase the risk of bleeding.

Magnesium

Magnesium is found in leafy greens, legumes, nuts, seeds, dairy, whole grains and fortified foods. The mineral is necessary to regulate blood sugar, blood pressure and muscle and nerve function. It’s also needed to produce protein, DNA and bone. “Getting enough is particularly important for women given the number of female-focused perks it has to offer,” says Persak. They include:

• Better bone health: Magnesium plays a key role in the regulation of calcium and vitamin D, two main nutritional participants in bone integrity and maintenance, says Persak.
• Improved blood pressure: “Magnesium dilates or relaxes the blood vessels, which has a blood pressure lowering effect,” says Persak. Not only does this help with heart disease prevention, but it also helps prevent pre-eclampsia, a type of hypertension that can develop in women in the later stages of pregnancy, she explains.
• Headache relief: Magnesium may reduce the frequency of migraines, which are more likely to occur in women.

Women need 310 to 320 milligrams daily or 350 to 360 milligrams during pregnancy. Magnesium may interact with some medications, so check with your doctor or pharmacist before starting supplementation.

Calcium

The most abundant mineral in the human body, calcium is essential for bone health. It is most commonly found in dairy products like milk and yogurt, vegetables like kale and broccoli, and canned sardines. Calcium is stored in the bones, and insufficient intake can make them weak and easy to break. Although all women need calcium, it’s particularly important in the following groups:

• Girls ages 9 to 18: During this time, the majority of bone growth and development occurs. For this age group, 1300 milligrams of calcium is recommended daily.
• Adult women: To maintain bone health, women should consume 1000 milligrams of calcium daily.
• Postmenopausal women: Due to reduced estrogen after menopause, women need more calcium (1200 milligrams daily) to prevent bone loss. However, it’s important for adult and post-menopausal women to use caution when supplementing calcium as some studies have shown it can cause deposits in cardiac arteries and increase risk of heart attack.

While food sources of calcium are preferred, Persak says supplements can help women who avoid or limit dairy products or don’t get enough calcium through their diets. She says the body can only absorb calcium in doses up to 500 milligrams, so higher amounts should be divided.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is obtained from foods like egg yolks and fatty fish such as tuna, salmon and trout. The body also synthesizes it after exposure to sunlight. It helps your body absorb calcium and works with the mineral to prevent osteoporosis. It’s also essential for muscle, nerve and immune system function.

Women may need to supplement with vitamin D if they don’t get enough sun exposure, are postmenopausal, or have had gastric bypass surgery or inflammatory bowel disease. African-American, Hispanic or Asian American women may also need to supplement because darker skin makes it more difficult to absorb the sunlight needed to produce vitamin D.

The daily requirements for vitamin D are 600 international units for adult women, increasing to 800 international units for women over 70, says Persak. She suggests checking your D levels with a blood test before starting a supplement to determine your requirements. “If a deficiency exists, dosages can range anywhere between 1000 international units to upwards of 10,000 international units, with 2000 to 5000 international units being common,” she says. Excessive supplementation can be toxic so it is important to not overdose on your own and to have levels re-checked following supplementation.