Throughout a woman’s lifetime, her nutritional needs fluctuate to support different stages of development. From childhood to adolescence, adulthood to menopause, the nutrition that a woman provides to her body plays an essential role in her growth and overall health. What are the best vitamins for women of all ages? What about minerals and other nutrients? Read on to find out about essential nutrients, including the top vitamins for women, at each stage of her life.

Starting from infancy

When a baby first meets the world, their routine seems simple. Eat, sleep, wet diaper, repeat. While a baby gets to sit back and relax, the parents have a much different experience. The first six months of life is the fastest period of growth an individual will ever experience.1 Fun fact – total blood volume doubles between 4 and 12 months.1 Because of this rapid development, an infant is at risk for a low iron level, making iron one of the top nutrients for women to focus on throughout pregnancy. Although the mother’s iron level in late pregnancy and at delivery is usually a reliable indicator of infant iron stores in the first few months of life, adequate iron intake through breast milk or formula is needed to maintain a healthy iron status.

Infant metabolism is the most active at this stage of life, so it makes sense that many of the initial concerns about infant nutrition revolve around access to and tolerance of breastfeeding, infant formulas, and – after the first few months – complementary foods. Parents and caregivers want to ensure their babies are getting enough.

These food sources provide the initial nutrition needed to kickstart neuromuscular, eye, and brain development and promote a healthy growth pattern to help an infant meet major milestones early on.

Toddlerhood and young children

As toddlers and into childhood, their nutritional demands typically match patterns of growth and development, changing with age and activity levels. The rapid growth rate in infancy typically slows until the later adolescent growth spurt.

Parents – don't stress! Although your child might be eating less than before, this is totally normal. Children slowly begin to have more autonomy over when they eat, what foods they like, and how much they want. And they’re going to tell you (or show you) what they don’t want – that’s for sure! This is a crucial time for parents and caregivers to facilitate the development of healthy dietary patterns.

Children need to develop feeding skills and learn the value of accepting new foods that make up a diverse diet full of different flavors and textures. You can help your child by reinforcing healthy choices that limit added sugars, saturated fats, and excessive salt.

Don’t forget about media influences too; many television or screen-time advertisements during kids’ programs promote sugar-sweetened cereals, candy, and fast food paired with cartoon characters or logos that kids recognize. Young children pick up on messages that associate excitement and fun with these foods.

Parents and caregivers, don’t underestimate your power! You can model healthy eating patterns and relationships with foods to help your kids develop good habits.

Adolescence

Ah, puberty. Full of fond memories, no? Puberty and adolescence are periods of major growth socially, emotionally, cognitively, and physically. This is where the nutrition needs of males and females often begin to diverge significantly; the range of calorie and nutrient needs widens to support different growth paths. 

Adolescents aged 14-18 are at greater risk of dietary inadequacy than other age groups, often due to unhealthy dietary preferences in another period of rapid growth. Because teenagers have more opportunities for independent decision-making about their preferred foods in school and away from home, the common choices usually aren’t full of fruits and veggies or whole grains. I mean, c'mon, we were all teenagers once. This is where multivitamins like Basic Nutrients 2/Day can come to the nutritional rescue! Multivitamins can help to fill nutrient gaps that may be present in the diet to help meet all the necessary needs from daily vitamins for women (and men).

Particularly in adolescent females, nutrition concerns typically revolve around under-consumption of protein and low intake of food sources containing iron, folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12. This becomes especially pronounced when menstruation occurs with its monthly loss of key nutrients. Thorne’s Ferrasorb provides iron along with these essential vitamins for women of menstruating age to support adequate nutrient levels for the formation and function of healthy red blood cells.*

Vitamin D should also be added to the list of “best vitamins for women” during the adolescent period, along with the minerals calcium and magnesium, to ensure strong bones throughout the lifespan.* Half of peak bone mass is accrued during adolescence and peak bone density typically occurs by age 25 or 30, so banking bone mineral stores early on is key! Bone remodeling and the gradual loss of bone density naturally occurs throughout the rest of life, so starting with a high peak bone mass helps prevent accelerated bone degradation and risk of fracture that is common in females as they age. 

Adulthood and pregnancy

Throughout adulthood, nutrient needs tend to level out and even decline slightly as the human body has passed its peak growth and development periods. Some of the best vitamins for women in their 20s and the best vitamins for women over 30 revolve around maintaining lean body mass with healthy lifestyle habits and navigating the physical and mental stressors of the adult world. Honing in on daily vitamins for women like antioxidants and nicotinamide riboside to support the natural aging process become the focus.* Well, with one key exception. 

Pregnancy and breastfeeding drastically increase a woman’s nutritional needs to support her growing baby and the stresses placed on her body. During pregnancy, a woman’s body water volume increases from seven to 10 liters to help transfer essential nutrients from mom to the placenta and fetus.1 

The first half of pregnancy is typically anabolic, where mom is building her nutrient stores to be available for the fetus whose growth really picks up in the second and third trimesters. To keep up and gain the necessary weight needed for proper development and nutritional adequacy, the mother’s appetite and food intake increase (ironically as she becomes more sensitive to smell and taste). In addition to getting lots of fruits and veggies, lean proteins, and healthy fats, a pregnant woman has heightened nutrient needs for key vitamins and minerals, like those in Thorne’s Basic Prenatal, which contains essential vitamins for women of childbearing age, whether they are pregnant, nursing, or trying to conceive.* 

Research points to the B vitamin folate as essential for fetal development, landing it in the number 1 position for top vitamins for women before and during pregnancy. In addition, more and more research points to omega-3 fatty acids as essential nutrients during pregnancy – especially DHA. DHA is essential for the development of a healthy brain, nerves, and eyes.* DHA is especially important for healthy fetal and infant development, accumulating in a baby’s developing brain primarily during the third trimester of pregnancy and through the first two years of life.* DHA supports a healthy pregnancy as well.*

These elevated nutrient needs don’t stop after pregnancy, however. Breastfeeding increases the demand of vitamins for women to provide sufficient nutrition through breast milk for a new baby. But even when mom is doing everything right, she still might need to rely on supplemental breast milk or infant formula to feed her baby. No shame in that game. Ultimately, it’s a personal choice to breastfeed or not, and as always, the well-being of both mom and baby is the priority.

Menopause and beyond

As a woman reaches menopause, her nutrient needs shift again to accommodate her body’s changing hormones and slowed metabolic processes. A lower estrogen level affects bone mass, cardiovascular disease risk, brain health, skin elasticity, metabolism, and urovaginal health. Some of the most essential minerals and best vitamins for women over 50 can be found in Women’s Multi 50+ and Advanced Bone Support, which help a woman acquire foundational nutrients with adequate calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D to support bone health – and even muscle strength.* Magnesium also supports cardiovascular health and promotes restful sleep,* the latter of which can be interrupted by hot flashes, night sweats, and other symptoms associated with menopause. Thorne’s Meta-Balance offers additional botanical support to help moderate changes in hormone production and benefit symptoms related to menopause.*

The natural aging process often has negative connotations associated with it. However, our attitudes around aging impact the way we age. If you think about it, it’s actually the goal, to get to age. By practicing positive thinking and shifting our mindset to think of growing older as a satisfactory part and accomplishment in life, we have the power to improve our health and well-being.

The takeaway

Throughout all the stages of life essential nutrients, including the top vitamins for women discussed in this article, play a key role in growth, development, health, and happiness. Interested in taking a deeper look at your nutrition status and the interactions with your overall health? Then try Thorne’s Biological Age Health Panel, a health test that provides a detailed assessment of your body’s internal age by analyzing the impact that lifestyle, nutrition, illness, and genetics have on your vital organs.

Thorne also offers health tests for different phases of a woman’s life, from exploring her fertility to assessing hormone changes throughout menopause to support the health needs of women at any age.

Reference

  1. Brown JE. Nutrition Through the Lifecycle. 6e. Print. Cengage Learning; 2017.