11 Vitamins and Minerals Women Need

Ever wonder why you can be doing everything right and still feel like something’s off? For a lot of women, the answer lives in the constantly changing demands on their bodies.

As women move from one decade to another, hormone levels fluctuate and nutrient needs shift. Ultra-processed foods, hectic days, high stress levels, and poor sleep can lead to significant gaps in daily nutrition. The effects can show up differently based on your life stage.

In your 20s and 30s is the time when many women are juggling having children and a career. Healthy nutrition levels before pregnancy are critical for a healthy baby. And while it brings a bundle of joy into your life, pregnancy and post-partum trigger huge hormonal changes. Nutritional support is essential for managing recovery, energy levels, and overall wellness.

In your 40s many women are raising kids, building professional lives, and may also start looking after aging parents. At the same time, hormones begin to fluctuate, triggering a cascade of changes. Perimenopause can result in weight gain, fatigue, disturbed sleep, and mood swings. Proper nutrition levels are a must to support energy, metabolism, and calm moods.

In your 50s is when women move from perimenopause to menopause. This dramatic change usually coincides with big life changes such as kids going to college. Increased stress and hormonal shifts can cause brain fog, sleep issues, thinning hair, dry skin, and brittle nails. Vitamin and mineral support can deliver essential nutrients your body needs.

No matter your life stage, every woman needs daily nutritional support for energy, immunity, and hormone health. Here are 11 vitamins and minerals foundational for women’s wellness.

1. Vitamin A (Beta Carotene)

Let’s hear it for carrots! Beta carotene is what gives carrots, sweet potatoes, and red bell peppers their color. Beta carotene converts to vitamin A as needed by the body. Extra beta carotene then acts as a powerful antioxidant, supporting vision and protecting cells against damage (1).

While vitamin A is known for how it makes your skin glow and hair shine, it’s also essential for hormone health. Research indicates beta carotene is associated with better fertility and progesterone levels (2).

2. Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)

Chances are you’re not just tired and running on empty, your cells are too. Every cell in your body runs on ATP (adenosine triphosphate). Your body needs vitamin B1 to help convert your food into ATP (3).

Vitamin B1 is also important for the nervous system and supports adrenal (hormone) health. Research backs this up with studies showing B1 and B2 support stress response and sleep quality (4).

3. Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

Riboflavin is vital for energy production and it also supports healthy skin and eye function. But that’s not all. This B vitamin plays a critical role in coenzymes, one of which is needed for glutathione (5).

Glutathione is considered to be the body’s “master” antioxidant. It restores other antioxidants and helps detox the body. So having enough vitamin B2 is a must for maintaining glutathione levels.

4. Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

There’s been a lot of talk in the longevity space about NAD+ or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (yes, it’s a mouthful). It gets a lot of attention due to how NAD+ supports DNA repair in your cells. What’s less well known is that vitamin B3 is used to make NAD+ in the body, supporting cell health (6).

5. Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)

As with other B vitamins, pantothenic acid helps to metabolize your food for cellular energy. It also helps to maintain healthy cholesterol levels. That’s important during perimenopause and menopause, a time when women’s cholesterol levels typically rise (7).

6. Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

During hormone fluctuations some of the biggest impacts are on mood, sleep and brain fog. That’s because changing estrogen and progesterone levels disrupt neurotransmitters. Vitamin B6 helps by supporting neurotransmitter production. That means more emotional well-being during that time (8, 9).

7. Vitamin B9 (Folate)

Thinking of having a baby? Folate is critical before and during pregnancy, helping to prevent birth defects. It’s essential for forming red blood cells, synthesizing DNA, and proper cell division. It’s also needed later in life, working with vitamin B6 to help reduce homocysteine for heart health (10).

8. Vitamin B12

That fatigue, lack of focus, and moodiness? It’s not just hormones. A lack of vitamin B12 can make all of those symptoms worse. Vitamin B12 is involved in making neurotransmitters that make us feel good. Research shows lower levels of B12 are associated with greater feelings of sadness (11).

9. Vitamin C

Here’s the reality check: you can chug all the collagen supplements in the world, but unless your body has enough vitamin C, that collagen won’t work. That’s because vitamin C is critical for building human collagen.

Aside from collage production, vitamin C gives you radiant skin thanks to its antioxidant properties. It’s also essential for immune health, and helps to modulate stress hormones in the body (12).

10. Iodine

Iodine is a mineral essential for thyroid health. The thyroid uses iodine to produce T3 and T4, the hormones that regulate metabolism, energy, body temperature, and mood. Without enough iodine, thyroid function slows. That can lead to a disrupted metabolism, weight gain, and thinning hair (13).

11. Zinc

You’ve probably heard that zinc is a must for the immune system, fighting off germs and promoting healing (all true!) (14). Less noticed is the important role this mineral plays in hormone regulation.

In particular, studies show that zinc helps hormone balance for women with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), now known as PMOS. Zinc is also associated with reduced pain during your period (15).

What About Vitamin D?

Technically not a vitamin (surprise!). Vitamin D is actually a prohormone and is vital for immune, bone, and hormone health. Most people are deficient in this vitamin, so supplementing is recommended.

Our pick is Supergreens +D. It features organic vitamin D, and comes with organic greens to nourish the gut and immune system. It also includes organic broccoli, which has a compound that helps the body regulate estrogen (16).

The Best Source for Vitamins

You wouldn’t eat artificial colors, artificial flavors, or artificial sweeteners (right?). So, it stands to reason that your vitamins and minerals shouldn’t be artificial either. Yet, that’s what’s in most multivitamins. Labels have chemical sounding names that reveal they were made in a lab.

The thing about lab-made vitamins is that they’re just a chemical. They lack bioflavonoids, enzymes, and other co-factors. And your body can tell the difference. That’s why it’s critical to get nutrition from plant sources.

Essentials is different. The ingredients are grown, not made. It delivers 100% of your daily value for 11 vitamins and minerals. Every single one is certified organic. All sourced from superfoods. Vitamin C from organic acerola cherries. B vitamins from organic guava, organic mango, and organic lemon. Iodine from organic sea kelp. Zinc from organic guava leaf.

The Bottom Line

Life throws a lot at us. From intense physical changes of having kids, to huge levels of mental stress, and wildly changing hormones as we age. Every woman needs solid nutritional support to navigate all these demands.

By stepping up your support with plant-based vitamins and minerals you can give your body the tools to support your wellness at every stage. With all these vitamins and minerals, you can feel strong, energized, and balanced.