When choosing a multivitamin for women, you may want to consider specific nutritional deficiencies that women are more prone to, such as iron deficiency. Women’s menstrual cycles mean that they have higher requirements for iron than men do, as they lose five to 12 teaspoons of blood in an average cycle. The body needs iron to replenish lost red blood cells.
"Iron is an important nutrient and one females are more susceptible to being low in due to menstruation," says Roxana Ehsani, registered dietician and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "When your body doesn’t have enough iron to make hemoglobin, a protein in the red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body, you can feel fatigued and tired."
Women between the ages of 20-39 often have lower iodine levels than other groups, according to the CDC, although they still fall within the ‘adequate levels’ range. Iodine is important for thyroid health as it contributes to the production of the hormones thyroxine and triiodothyronine. Women are five to eight times more likely to develop a thyroid problem than men, due to interactions between the thyroid and the hormone estrogen.
Folate (vitamin B9) is particularly important for women who are pregnant or trying to conceive, as a folate deficiency can lead to developmental complications for the baby. Alcohol also inhibits the absorption of folate and increases the amount of folate the body excretes, so alcohol abuse increases your risk of folate deficiency.
Ehsani explains further: "Folate needs are higher for pregnant women as folate supports healthy growth and development of the fetus’s brain and spine.
"Folate can be found in dark leafy greens like spinach and kale, and also in beans and nuts. Folate is an important B vitamin that helps your body make new red blood cells and DNA."
Around 67% of vegetarians are women, according to a 2022 NHANES Data Report, so common deficiencies for those who don’t eat meat, such as vitamin B12 and vitamin D, should be taken into consideration for women who fall into both groups. Women who cover most of their skin for religious reasons may also be prone to vitamin D deficiency and may require a multivitamin that contains vitamin D.
"Vitamin D plays a role in bone health, muscle health, heart health, immune system, and nervous system," says Ehsani. "It is actually found naturally in very few foods, therefore some people may need to supplement with it or get more sunshine time. It's said that 1 billion people in the world have low vitamin D levels, therefore a very common vitamin more people need to pay attention to. Low levels can make one feel fatigued or even depressed. Vitamin D also is essential for calcium absorption and formation."
Calcium is another mineral for which women are at a higher risk of deficiency, due to hormonal changes during the menopause. Falling estrogen levels impact bone density in menopausal women, making a calcium supplement a good idea for this group. The depo Provera injection, a common contraceptive, is also known to lower bone density, so women using this method may want to ensure that their multivitamin contains adequate calcium to mitigate their risk of developing osteoporosis.
"Calcium is a major component of our bones, teeth, skeletal muscles and organs," adds Ehsani. "Females have higher needs for calcium when pregnant and lactating and when in menopause."