Women's Multivitamins

Women's multivitamins

Women's multivitamins include all daily multivitamins designed for a woman's physiology. Because women have specific health concerns that are different from the health concerns of men, nutritional supplements designed for women take these specific health issues into account.

The daily multivitamin

Many people take a basic daily multivitamin to fill in any nutritional gaps left by the diet. Women's multivitamins contain 100 percent of the recommended daily intake of many of the essential vitamins and minerals. However, some nutrients may still be lacking even in a high-quality women's multivitamin. Calcium is an extremely large molecule, so putting large amounts of it in a multivitamin makes the pill far too large for comfort. Instead, many women take an additional calcium supplement as well as their regular multivitamins.

Types of women's multivitamins

In addition to daily women's multivitamins, there are other formulations designed for specific phases of a woman's life. Formulas for older women take into account the needs of women over about the age of 55. These formulas are designed for a woman who has already gone through menopause. They are typically easier to swallow and absorb than other women's multivitamins. Prenatal vitamins are another category of women's multivitamins. These are designed to meet the needs of pregnant women. A prenatal vitamin is typically higher in folic acid, a nutrient that is essential for preventing the birth defect spina bifida. Prenatal vitamins may also be higher in iron than normal women's multivitamins because iron needs increase drastically during pregnancy.