Natural-foods manufacturer Odwalla also recently launched a line of vitamin and herb drinks dubbed Femme Vitale, which contain calcium, iron and folic acid. It s true that women have different nutritional needs than men, but each woman s needs are different, says Emily Haeussler, a registered dietitian in Fort Worth. Some may be getting too much calcium. Most of the time, you can meet your needs through your diet, so these types of products could just be marketing hype. But they may really help some women.
Manufacturers say they are trying to help women who aren t meeting their daily nutritional needs.
We re all living crazed lives, said Liv Lane, a spokeswoman for General Mills. Mead Johnson, makers of infant formula, already had a lot of experience marketing to moms, spokesman Pete Paradossi said, so the company introduced the Viactiv line as an easy but tasty way to provide the needed nutrients. In 1999, the company launched its line of calcium chews and has had such a good response that the brand was extended into energy bars and drinks. Yes, it s true that the ideal way to get your nutrients is through diet, but the reality is, there are barriers for many women to do that, he said. We re trying to provide a solution for those women.