Your biological sex has a lot do with your diet and the supplements or vitamins that can optimize your overall health. For instance, the best collagen supplements for women might be different from the best collagen supplements for men.
In some cases, there will be overlap between the sexes, but that’s often in relation to your health goals and the intention behind taking your supplements and vitamins.
The stage of life that you are in as a woman can also influence the supplements and vitamins that will benefit you most.
There is so much variability in this arena. While we have several recommendations for the best collagen supplements for women, along with other important vitamins. You should take this information and find where it fits in with your health needs.
It is important to note that any significant dietary changes should be done under the guidance of a medical professional. This is especially true if you are pregnant or breastfeeding or if you have any preexisting health conditions.
Keep in mind that supplements are not regulated in the same way that pharmaceutical drugs or food are, and close attention should be paid to supplement labels and scientific evidence of health claims.
Are supplements and vitamins necessary?
For many, this is a subjective question. Your diet, physical activity level, age, and other health conditions will influence whether or not adding supplements or vitamins to your diet is necessary.
Women’s bodies go through a number of changes with age, which is why a woman in her early twenties and a woman going through menopause will likely turn to different supplements.
We have specific nutritional needs as humans, and with our current food system and our gravitation to processed foods, it can be hard to meet all of them through food.
Different life phases as a woman will also demand certain supplements. Take pregnancy for example. The vitamins and supplements you need during pregnancy won’t necessarily carry over into life after you give birth.
Some healthy women may never find supplementation necessary, but common scenarios that require women to supplement include:
- Pregnancy
- Menopause
- Old age
- Disordered eating
- Diets that eliminate food groups (i.e., vegetarian, vegan, etc.)
- Obesity
- Using certain prescription drugs
- Having certain medical conditions
- Having deficiencies (i.e., low iron)
- Recovering from surgery or a physical trauma
- Living in an extreme climate (i.e., lack of sunlight)
Eating a balanced diet these days now also includes the addition of a few supplements here and there. Finding the right balance for your personal needs may take some trial and error, along with some guidance from a dietitian or a few medical nutrition therapy appointments.
Anytime you are looking to add a new supplement or vitamin to your diet, take time to research the company and do not blindly accept any health claims without evidence to back them up.
With an overload of information available on the internet, it can be difficult to navigate all of the options on the market, let alone know which ones are trustworthy.
First things first, you want to identify your nutrition needs and go from there. Once you have an idea of what supplements you might want to integrate into your diet, you can start to narrow down the options available to find the best vitamins and best collagen supplements for women.
The the top vitamins and best collagen supplements for women
Anytime you choose a new supplement or vitamin to add to your diet, evaluate the necessity through your nutritional needs and health goals.
Here is a list of the top vitamins and supplements for women. Keep in mind that the items on this list are merely suggestions. Avoid taking unnecessary supplements by consulting a medical health professional regarding your dietary needs.
Collagen peptide protein
At this point, you may be wondering, “what supplements should I take daily?”
If we had to recommend one daily supplement for women, it would be collagen. There are several surprising benefits of collagen for women, even beyond the often touted benefits of improving skin or hair health.
Collagen is a naturally occurring protein in the body, and it begins to decrease as we age. Although collagen is most often sold as a beauty supplement, it is an essential protein found in your cartilage, bones, tendons, blood vessels, and other connective tissues.
The best collagen supplements for women are the ones that have the best absorption rates and the fewest additives.
Many collagen supplements on the market use collagen in the original form, meaning that your body can only absorb a small percentage of the amino acids you are seeking.
These will not be the best collagen supplements for women.
The best collagen supplements for women are the most bioavailable ones. Look for supplements that are hydrolyzed or nano-hydrolyzed, which means that it has gone through the process of hydrolysis to break the molecules into more digestible pieces.
The other major players in collagen quality include transparent ingredients, science-based evidence and clinical testing, and verified customer reviews.
No matter the supplement, putting the focus on the ingredients within that supplement is necessary. This is especially true when identifying the best collagen supplements for women because so much of a focus is put on clever marketing schemes and flashy claims.
A tell tale sign of what are NOT the best collagen supplements for women are ones that have unidentifiable additives or high levels of sugar. Sugar, and artificial sugars, are sneaky additions to some collagen supplements as they make them taste better.
Although some supplement companies are becoming more transparent and backing their claims with scientific evidence, this isn’t always the case. Take special care to look for companies that support health claims with case studies and third party research.
While all of these things are important considerations in your research, sometimes choosing the best collagen supplements for women comes down to reading verified customer testimonials. Knowing whether a product is quality or not often comes down to reading a few reviews.
B vitamins
Beyond the best collagen supplements for women, there are several B vitamins that are very beneficial. Most B vitamins are water soluble and play an important role in your body functions.
Water soluble vitamins are vitamins that your body does not store on its own, which is why they must be included in your diet. Some of the water soluble vitamins your body needs include eight B vitamins:
- B1 (thiamine): B1 converts nutrients into energy and is necessary for optimal cell functioning. B1 is a recommended vitamin for women on diuretic medications, women that have a thiamine deficiency, or women that are pregnant.
- B2 (riboflavin): B2 is necessary for energy production as well as healthy growth and development. Riboflavin is a recommended vitamin for women that are pregnant or breastfeeding, women with eating disorders, or women with a B2 deficiency.
- B3 (niacin): B3 is necessary for energy production, healthy nervous system functioning, and healthy enzymatic reactions. Niacin is present in a wide variety of foods, however, women experiencing malnutrition, women that have Hartnup disease, and women with carcinoid syndrome may benefit from a B3 supplement.
- B5 (pantothenic acid): B5 is required to make coenzyme A, which is essential for hormone and neurotransmitter production. While a deficiency in pantothenic acid is rare, women experiencing malnutrition and women with PANK2 gene mutations may need it.
- B6 (pyridoxine): B6 is necessary for immune system function, neurotransmitter production, and macronutrient metabolism. Women that have an autoimmune disease or are obese have a high likelihood of having a pyridoxine deficiency.
- B7 (biotin): B7 helps regulate oxidative stress and is necessary for energy production. Pregnant women, women that drink alcohol regularly or excessively, and women on certain medications may benefit from a biotin supplement.
- B9 (folate): B9 is necessary to produce red blood cells, proteins, RNA, DNA, and neurotransmitters. Most folate deficiencies stem from an inadequate diet, pregnancy, malabsorption conditions, or alcohol dependencies.
- B12 (cobalamin): B12 is an essential vitamin for neurological function, as well as the production of red blood cells and DNA. A deficiency of cobalamin is most often caused by a diet excluding animal products, autoimmune diseases, or malabsorption conditions.
Many of these B vitamins are found in foods that we eat, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. The exception is vitamin B12, which is only found in animal products or foods fortified with B12 (i.e., plant based milks).
Since B12 does not originate from the animal product itself, and comes from the soil, most animal products in today’s food system only contain B12 because they themselves were fed supplements.
Women experiencing low energy levels often find that introducing B vitamins to their lives help them with focus and ability to complete more tasks throughout their day. So, in addition to finding the best collagen supplements for women, B vitamins can be extremely beneficial.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is the next vitamin that is beneficial for women.
Another water soluble vitamin, vitamin C is present in a variety of plant-based foods. Some women do not eat enough of these types of foods, however, to reach adequate vitamin C levels.
Your body needs vitamin C for a variety of reasons, but the primary role it plays is supporting healthy immune function. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, which means it also influences collagen and neurotransmitter production.
Beyond those with an unbalanced diet, women who smoke or drink excessively may experience a vitamin C deficiency. Taking vitamin C, alongside the best collagen supplements for women, can help your body and immune system function properly.
Omega 3s, EPA, DHA
When we think of Omega 3s, we often think of fish. However, we also need nutrients such as EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) that are found in seaweed and fish products.
These are healthy, specialized fats your body needs but can’t make on its own. They help your heart and brain health.
Omega 3s in particular help reduce circulation of triglycerides, lowering risk of heart disease and helping with inflammation and joint health.
Many women, especially women that are pregnant or breastfeeding, are low in these healthy fats because they do not eat fish to avoid heavy metals and other contaminants. Other women may be deficient in Omega 3s, EPA, and DHA because they follow a diet that restricts fish.
Introducing foods like flax meal and seaweed can help supplement the lack of fish in your diet.
If seaweed isn’t a staple in your diet, taking a supplement is helpful. If you are allergic to fish, you can take seaweed based supplements instead of fish oil ones.
Invest in quality vitamins and the best collagen supplements for women
Finding the best supplements for women often boils down to getting to know supplement companies, their ingredients, and science-backed evidence of health claims.
Finding products and foods that are fortified with vitamins is also a great choice to supplement a well-balanced diet. However, humans rarely get high enough levels of collagen from food alone, especially when following a plant-based diet.
That’s why we recommend investing in your health with one of the best collagen supplements for women on the market: ProT Gold.
ProT Gold liquid collagen is a nano-hydrolyzed collagen supplement that is digestible within 15 minutes of consuming. As a medical grade supplement used by more than 2,000 medical facilities, ProT Gold is one of the best collagen supplements for women.
Don’t just take our word for it! See what our verified customers have to say.
