Women’s Health Month: Experts uncover the top nutrition gaps holding them back

In honor of Women’s Health Month, nutrition experts reveal the most pressing dietary gaps affecting women today — from low iron and folate to vascular health and fertility concerns — urging life stage-specific, science-backed solutions to meet growing health needs and market demand.

Nutrition Insight speaks with experts from Balchem, HTBA, IFF Health Sciences, and Kaneka Nutrients Europe to learn more.

Biggest nutrition gaps

Experts reveal the most significant nutrition gaps in women’s health today, noting essential micronutrient deficiencies, especially those needed for high energy when stressed or fatigued.

“Many women encounter considerable shortfalls in essential micronutrients, including iron, vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, and coenzyme Q10 — especially its active form, ubiquinol,” reveals Filip Van Hulle, the general manager of Kaneka Nutrients Europe.

“Our bodies produce ubiquinol naturally. However, levels decline as we age. By the time we’re in our 40s, ubiquinol production is reduced by 30%, with a further decrease of 57% by our 80s.  This reduction affects mitochondrial function, decreasing energy production and increasing oxidative stress.”

Maider Gutierrez, business development lead, Women’s Health & Healthy Aging at IFF, says the growing women’s health market reflects a need for more investment, especially in the menopause and reproductive health space. However, she points to a gap where global supplement launches are not meeting women’s demand, pointing to opportunities for brands.

“Today’s biggest nutrition gaps in women’s health are diverse and life stage-specific,” she adds, echoing deficiencies van Hulle mentions and adding folic acid. “Key nutrition gaps in specific areas of women’s health include gut health, with digestive issues like constipation and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) being more common in women.”

“Nutritional needs also shift due to hormonal changes during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause, while weight management, impacted by hormones, metabolism, and lifestyle, remains a notable concern for many women. Additionally, cognitive health is an emerging concern requiring focused nutritional support solutions.”

Ubiquinol, iron, and methylfolate are among the most commonly lacking nutrients in women.Gutierrez claims that although there is a growing market for goods that address these important aspects of women’s health, closing these complex nutritional gaps calls for specialized, scientifically supported solutions that change as women’s needs do. 

Vascular health and folate in the spotlight

Tom D’Hoore, chief commercial officer of HTBA, nods to the micronutrient deficiencies  Gutierrez and van Hulle mention but says more attention is required to women’s vascular health.

“Circulatory changes during pregnancy can increase pressure on veins, leading to issues like varicose veins, swelling, and leg discomfort. Similarly, hormonal shifts during perimenopause and menopause can affect vascular tone and circulation,” he says. 

“There’s a clear need to increase awareness and understanding of the importance of vascular health in women and the solutions, such as venotonics, which can help address this nutritional gap.”

Lauren Eisen, senior marketing and business development manager of Minerals and Nutrients at Balchem Human Nutrition & Health, highlights the importance of folate, a B vitamin.

“While essential throughout life for balanced methylation, such as supporting gene expression, cell division, and homocysteine metabolism, its importance is amplified as women age to maintain cellular health and genetic integrity.” 

“But 27% of adult women in the US do not get enough from their diet alone. Adequate folate intake is a well-established necessity for women planning pregnancy, ideally starting one to three months before conception, to significantly reduce the risk of neural tube defects,” Eisen continues.

However, she stresses that consumers frequently miss the important difference between the various forms of folate, often using folic acid and folate interchangeably.

“Folic acid, being synthetic, requires a multi-step conversion process to become bioactive. In contrast, methylfolate (L-5-MTHF), a nature-identical form, is readily available for transport and the body’s use, bypassing metabolic hurdles and demonstrating superior bioavailability in women,” Eisen explains, stressing women need the most bioavailable form.

Key life stages: Fertility and menopause

Van Hulle of Kaneka Nutrients Europe says women need a personalized approach to nutrition and supplementation based on body changes. “For instance, nutrients supporting mitochondrial energy and antioxidant protection are crucial before pregnancy. As women age, the ovarian reserve, oocyte quality, and competence for fertilization all decline.”

Nutrient needs change with menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause, affecting energy, fertility, and mood.“Supplementing with ubiquinol can help support women’s reproductive health by addressing these issues. Ubiquinol supplementation has been seen in clinical trials to enhance ATP production in egg cells, restore mitochondrial gene expression, and promote mitochondrial biogenesis, positively affecting fertility outcomes.”

“Additionally, the antioxidant properties of ubiquinol help to protect oocytes against oxidative damage, playing a role in improving pregnancy rates in in vitro fertilization procedures.”

During menopause, when specific support is required for cardiovascular, bone, metabolic, and mental health, Van Hulle says women can also benefit from targeted nutrition solutions. “With 50% of [UK] women reporting that their menopause symptoms affect their home life, it is imperative they have access to solutions that enable them to enjoy life fully.”

“Recent consumer research indicated that after two months of supplementation with Kaneka Ubiquinol, nearly 80% of participants noted the positive effects in alleviating symptoms, particularly regarding psychological and emotional benefits.”

Van Hulle adds that maintaining mitochondrial function and acting as a strong antioxidant are the keys to ubiquinol’s effective menopausal support. It also provides advantages for healthy aging, like better skin and more energy. 

Key life stages: Modern women’s lifestyles

According to HTBA’s D’Hoore, focusing on vascular health is essential because aging, menopause, pregnancy, and other physiological changes can impact vein integrity and circulation. 

Experts urge targeted solutions like ferrous bisglycinate and venotonics to address stage-specific health concerns.“Lifestyle strategies such as exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, and avoiding prolonged sitting or standing can all help ensure vascular comfort. Nutritional supplements can play a big role in supporting vascular comfort in women — and that’s where ingredients like diosmin come in.”

“DiosVein, HTBA’s pioneering diosmin ingredient, is a naturally occurring flavonoid found in citrus fruits that enhances the elasticity and tone of vein walls while delivering anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits,” he shares.

As a venotonic, the ingredient is made to relieve vascular discomfort, promote lymphatic circulation, and strengthen capillaries for addressing symptoms like leg heaviness, swelling, and spider veins.  D’Hoore says these issues affect up to 70% of women over 55, and many expecting mothers, office workers, and frequent travelers. 

Key life stages: Pregnancy and post-menopause 

Eisen addresses women’s health demands during pregnancy and post-menopause. Balchem’s L-5-MTHF ingredient Optifolin+ is designed for pre-conception and pregnancy periods to reduce the risk of neural tube defects and support healthy fetal development.

“It delivers seven times the methyl groups found in other folate products, providing critical methyl groups to support amino acid, neurotransmitter, hormone, red blood cell, DNA, and RNA production. Thanks to its high methyl capacity (98%) combined with choline, Optifolin+ plays a functional role, aiding in the control of gene expression for epigenetic well-being while optimizing the integrity and stability of our DNA.” 

“This promotes active, healthy aging across life stages from the reproductive years to post-menopause. During menopause, as estrogen levels decline, choline-enriched, bioactive folate can help normalize homocysteine levels to support cardiovascular health, mood regulation, and cognitive function,” Eisen explains.

She says that iron is another essential component for women’s health, particularly during pregnancy, as 84% of American pregnant women do not obtain enough iron from their diets alone. “New research reveals that anemia affects more than one-quarter of pregnant women in the US, much higher than previously thought.” 

“Even when pregnant women supplement with common forms of iron, such as ferrous fumarate, the prevalence of iron deficiency can still be alarmingly high. Ferrous bisglycinate is a chelated iron that offers multiple benefits in pregnant women.” 

“In a recent meta-analysis, ferrous bisglycinate was shown to provide significantly greater improvements in hemoglobin status among pregnant women and reduce GI events by 64% compared to other iron salts. Ferrochel is part of Balchem’s Albion Minerals portfolio, and is the most clinically studied brand of chelated iron on the market today,” she concludes.