Shop all Womens Multivitamins

When it comes to vitamins, multivitamins are seen as the holy grail, helping you get some of the essential nutrients your body needs.

In an ideal world, we’d all get these from our diet. But women and AFAB folk in particular can have specific nutritional needs that vary based on age, health goals and lifestyle. Think iron support around heavy periods, extra calcium post-menopause or folic acid for pre-conception and during pregnancy.

With so many options out there, choosing the right supplement can feel overwhelming. So let’s break down the benefits and how they could support you…

What vitamins do women need?

Our nutritional needs vary at different life stages, including during puberty, pregnancy and menopause. Let’s take a look at some of the vitamins and minerals women shouldn’t go without.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential for bone health because it helps your body absorb calcium.¹ Women, especially those over 50, need sufficient vitamin D to help protect against osteoporosis, maintain bone strength and prevent fractures.^2,3

Beyond bone health, vitamin D helps support your immune system.¹ The NHS recommend all adults, including pregnant and breastfeeding women, need 10µg of vitamin D daily.⁴

Calcium

Calcium is another key player in bone health. It works with vitamin D to reduce the loss of bone mineral in postmenopausal women. It’s also essential for strong teeth, muscle function, nerve signalling and normal blood clotting.^1,5

Women aged 19–64 should aim for 700mg of calcium per day, and those who are breastfeeding need 1,250mg daily.^6,7

People with conditions such as osteoporosis and coeliac disease may also need more calcium – sometimes up to 1,000mg per day. Though if you have these conditions, it’s best to check with your doctor how much you need.^1,8

Iron

Iron is crucial for producing haemoglobin, which carries oxygen in your blood.¹ Women of reproductive age need more iron due to menstruation. A lack of iron can lead to iron deficiency anaemia, causing tiredness, low energy and paler skin.⁹

Adequate iron levels can help prevent anaemia, support normal cognitive function and reduce tiredness and fatigue, which is vital for an active lifestyle.^1,10

Women aged 19–49 need 14.8mg of iron daily, while those 50 and over need 8.7mg. If you experience heavy periods, you may be at higher risk of anaemia and wish to consider iron supplements. Speak to your doctor if you think you have anaemia as you may require a specific prescribed dose of iron.¹¹

Folic acid

You may have heard of folic acid or folate as being used interchangeably. In fact they are slightly different, folate is found naturally in many foods such as spinach and kale, whereas folic acid is the man-made version often found in supplements.¹²

Both are particularly important during pregnancy and taken pre-conception (at least three months before you try to get pregnant) to prevent neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, and support healthy baby development.¹² Folate also supports cell division, red blood cell formation and brain health throughout life.^1,13

Eating a healthy balanced diet should give most people the amount of folate they require. However, since it cannot be stored in the body for long you would have to eat these foods regularly, which some people may struggle with.

Most women need 200µg of folic acid daily, but if you’re considering becoming pregnant, you may want to increase it with a 400µg supplement daily.¹² Women at a higher risk of folic acid deficiency may need more than this daily, as recommended by their GP.¹⁴

The final say

Have you found your daily dose of you’ve got this?

Whether you're powering through your 20s, embracing your 50s or rocking every age in between, the right multivitamin can be a small-but-mighty step towards feeling good every day.

Disclaimer

This article provides informational advice and is not a substitute for medical care. Curated by experts for accuracy, we take great care to ensure the information is up-to-date and relevant. However, you should always consult your GP or healthcare professional before using supplements or alternative products, particularly if you have medical conditions or are under supervision.

Centrum

*Centrum women contains biotin and zinc to help maintain normal hair and skin, selenium to support normal, healthy-looking nails, vitamin B12 to support normal energy yielding metabolism and vitamin D to help support normal function of the immune system and to help support normal strong bones.

Sources

1. EU Register of Health Claims [Internet]. [cited 2024 May 24]. Available from: https://ec.europa.eu/food/food-feed-portal/screen/health-claims/eu-register
2. NHS. Osteoporosis - Causes [Internet]. [cited 2024 May 24]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/osteoporosis/causes
3. Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin D: Fact sheet for health professionals [Internet]. [cited 2024 May 24]. Available from: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional
4. NHS. Vitamin D - Vitamins and minerals [Internet]. [cited 2024 May 24]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-d
5. Office of Dietary Supplements – Calcium: Fact sheet for health professionals [Internet]. [cited 2024 May 24]. Available from: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-HealthProfessional
6. NHS. Vitamins and minerals - Calcium [Internet]. [cited 2024 May 24]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/calcium
7. British Nutrition Foundation. Nutrition requirements [Internet]. [cited 2024 May 24]. Available from: https://www.nutrition.org.uk/media/nmmewdug/nutrition-requirements.pdf
8. Coeliac UK. A guide to calcium. [Internet]. [cited 2024 Jul 11]. Available from: https://www.coeliac.org.uk/document-library/141-a-guide-to-calcium/
9. NHS. Iron deficiency anaemia [Internet]. [cited 2024 May 24]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/iron-deficiency-anaemia
10. Office of Dietary Supplements – Iron: Fact sheet for health professionals [Internet]. [cited 2024 May 24]. Available from: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional
11. NHS. Vitamins and minerals - Iron [Internet]. [cited 2024 May 24]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/iron
12. Office of Dietary Supplements – Folate: Fact sheet for health professionals [Internet]. [cited 2024 May 24]. Available from: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional
13. NHS. How and when to take folic acid [Internet]. nhs.uk. 2022. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/folic-acid/how-and-when-to-take-folic-acid/
14. NHS. Vitamins and minerals - B vitamins and folic acid [Internet]. [cited 2024 May 24]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-b
15. National Institute of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements - Biotin [Internet]. Nih.gov. 2017. Available from: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Biotin-HealthProfessional/
16. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements - Vitamin B12 [Internet]. NIH.gov. 2023. Available from: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-Consumer/
17. National Institutes of Health. Vitamin D [Internet]. National Institutes of Health. 2022. Available from: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-Consumer/