If you landed on this blog article, you’re probably very health conscious. You want to make the right choices: from the right foods, to getting enough sleep, to counting your daily steps. When it comes to picking a dietary supplement, the choices are virtually endless (and quite overwhelming). As a dietitian (and woman) myself, I’ve compiled a list of the best supplements for women to help with your search.
The criteria for the winning products included:
- Nutritional composition: Includes key nutrients specific to women’s physiology, health needs, goals, or preferences.
- Popularity: Best-sellers and products customers rave about in reviews
- Proven efficacy: Products with clinical studies to back up the benefits
In terms of building a supplement routine, I recommend taking a two-step approach:
Step 1: Build a Healthy Foundation with three key wellness essentials: a high-quality multivitamin, an omega-3, and a probiotic. These are truly the foundation your body needs to ensure you’re getting the micronutrients, healthy fats, and beneficial bacteria to support overall health.
Step 2: Add Products For Your Goals. Are you trying to keep hot flashes at bay? Get toned in the gym? Prep your body for pregnancy? There are different product recommendations depending on what it is you’re trying to achieve.
Best Supplements for Women 2024
STEP 1: BUILD A HEALTHY FOUNDATION
- Best Women’s Multivitamin – GNC Women’s Ultra Mega Multivitamin
- Best Vitamin Pack – GNC Women’s Energy & Metabolism Vitapak Program
- Best Women’s Probiotic – GNC Probiotic Solutions Women’s
- Best Omega – GNC Triple Strength Fish Oil
STEP 2: ADD PRODUCTS FOR YOUR GOALS
- Best Menopause Supplement
- Most Comprehensive – GNC Women’s Menopause Support Vitapak Program
- For Hot Flashes – GNC Women’s Menopause Formula
- Best Prenatal Supplement - Zahler Prenatal + DHA
- Best PMS Supplement – GNC Women’s Hello Harmony
- Best Women’s Fiber Supplement – BelliWelli Daily Fiber + Probiotics
- Best Women’s Weight Loss Supplement – GNC Total Lean GlucaTrim
- Best Women’s Beauty Supplement – ResVitale Collagen Enhance
- Best Protein Powder for Women – Vitauthority Multi Collagen Protein
- Best Pre-Workout for Women – Bloom High Energy Pre-Workout
GNC Women’s Ultra Mega Multivitamin is as souped up as it gets when it comes to multis. Women’s Ultra Mega was the clear winner because of its proven efficacy. GNC put this blend of micronutrients to the test in a clinical study. The results showed it was proven to work better than a basic multivitamin and was proven to boost levels of key nutrients in the blood^.
This high-potency multi features 19 vitamins and minerals at 100% of the daily value or more. I like that it includes iron, an important nutrient for women during child-bearing years. But if iron upsets your stomach, there is also an iron-free version. It also contains a ton of antioxidant ingredients (like lutein, turmeric, and alpha-lipoic acid) and ingredients for beautiful, hydrated skin.
If you’re looking for all the essentials in one place, a Vitapak Program is your answer. These daily packs are not only convenient, but they’re comprehensive. The GNC Women’s Energy & Metabolism Vitapak Program is a customer favorite. If I had to guess why, the first reason is probably ENERGY (who doesn’t need more of it?). Plus – It’s way cheaper than buying each product separately (talk about a good value)!
Each pack provides 4 products designed to boost calorie burning and mental sharpness, including:
- Women’s Active Multivitamin – High-potency with added ingredients for energy & metabolism
- Energy and Metabolism Ignitor – This blend has been clinically shown to boost calorie-burning plus added caffeine for mental alertness
- L-Carnitine – Helps use fatty acids as energy and fuels skeletal muscles
- Essential Fatty Acids – With 942mg of omega-3s for head-to-toe wellness
More and more, we are starting to learn that wellness begins in the gut. That’s why a probiotic is one of the foundational ingredients to build a healthy regimen. The winner for this category is GNC Probiotic Solutions Women’s because it features a customized blend of multiple probiotic strains just for women, including Lactobacillus gasseri.
It also includes cranberry fruit extract for urinary tract support. I like that the potency is guaranteed without the need for refrigeration (because keeping my probiotics in the fridge is just too inconvenient).
Fish oil offers SO many health benefits from head to toe, including support for your brain, eyes, heart, skin, and joints. GNC Triple Strength Fish Oil is a high-quality omega-3 supplement for both women and men alike. It provides 1,000mg of two types of omega-3’s, EPA and DHA, and is 300% more potent than regular fish oil. If you suffer from those unwanted fishy burps, not to worry because each soft gel is enteric coated and designed to control that yucky feeling.
The most comprehensive support for women hitting menopause comes in the form of a Vitapak program. GNC Women’s Menopause Support Vitapak Program addresses those nasty menopause symptoms like hormonal imbalance and hot flashes. It also supports bone health, a common concern as women get older, as well as cardiovascular health.
Each daily pack offers 4 different products at a much better value than buying each separately:
- Women’s Bone Density Multivitamin– High-potency with added ingredients for strong bones such as MPB (Milk Basic Protein)
- Menopause Formula – Featuring black cohosh, traditionally used to address symptoms during menopause, and soy isoflavones, which may have a mild estrogenic effect
- Fish Oil – 300mg of EPA and DHA omega-3s to cover your bases
- Evening Primrose Oil – Provides a healthy type of fat called gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) which may help with hormonal balance
Best For Hot Flashes
If hot flashes are your issue, GNC Women’s Menopause Formula is your answer. It’s scientifically formulated with Libifem fenugreek extract, which has been clinically shown to target hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and sexual health. It also includes theanine, the key amino acid in green tea, which helps provide a sense of calm and relaxation. And it’s rounded out with soy isoflavones, which may have a mild estrogenic effect. These three ingredients are truly a powerhouse for women experiencing menopause symptoms!
Zahler won the best prenatal supplement because it combines two key products into one – a multivitamin plus DHA, both of which are crucial during fetal development. It provides 26 vitamins and nutrients, including forms of nutrients that are more bioactive or have added benefits. For example, it includes 1000mcg of folate as L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate, which is a bioavailable form of folate. It also provides 27mg of Ferrochel iron, which has been shown to have less gastric upset than higher doses of elemental iron [1]. To top it off, it also contains 300mg of DHA, which is important for the fetal development of the eyes and brain.
GNC Women’s Hello Harmony is new to the supplement scene, but let me tell you – it’s a game changer. Designed by female scientists to harmonize with your body’s natural ebb and flow, this formula targets hormones and helps to improve stress management, support mood balance, and nurture smoother skin. It features ingredients like Cognigrape (an extract from grapes), theanine, diindolylmethane (DIM), chaste tree, and Nutroxsun (an ingredient from grapefruit and rosemary extracts). Plus, it’s vegan, non–GMO, and gluten free.
If you’re looking for a gut health powerhouse, look no further than the newest addition to the GNC assortment: BelliWell Daily Fiber + Probiotics. As a dietitian, I like that it combines 4g of fiber (a nutrient most of us are not getting enough of) plus probiotics for overall gut health. Fiber not only helps with occasional constipation, but it can also help you feel full between meals. BelliWelli is specifically targeted for women because it has 2g of added collagen for inner beauty support plus 278mg of electrolytes for a hydration boost.
Best Women’s Weight Loss Supplement
GlucaTrim is all the rage right now. It’s GNC’s newest weight loss pill that lives up to the hype thanks to ingredients backed by clinical research. It helps users drop pounds, lose inches, and support healthy blood sugar levels with proven botanicals. The key weight loss ingredient is Slimvance, which is a blend of moringa, curry, and turmeric that’s been clinically shown to help people lose nearly 12 pounds^. It also features Reducose, a clinically studied white mulberry leaf extract shown to support the optimal balance of blood glucose and insulin after a meal.
READ MORE: Best Weight Loss Supplements | GNC
Since collagen levels in the body start to decline as early as your mid-20s, it may be a good idea to try a collagen supplement to help with the skin’s appearance. Most collagen products are a high dose (10-20 grams) that requires it to be in a powder format…which isn’t the most convenient for some. That’s why I like ResVitale Collagen Enhance, which gives your daily dose of collagen in a pill. It features BioCell Collagen, which has been clinically shown to improve skin elasticity, skin firmness, and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Best Protein Powder for Women
When you hear “protein powder”, usually whey protein comes to mind. But many folks don’t realize collagen is actually a type of protein too (that also happens to offer skin-enhancing benefits). That’s why Vitauthority Multi Collagen Protein wins as the best protein powder for women. Each scoop provides 7g of protein from 5 different types of collagen. It also includes vitamin C to help with collagen synthesis as well as hyaluronic acid for skin hydration. With a rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars, over 3,000 customer reviews speak for itself – people love it.
Bloom hit the scene with its best-selling greens powder, but the brand also launched a High Energy Pre-Workout you have to try. Each scoop offers benefits for energy, performance, and focus so you can hit your workouts with intensity and motivation. It includes performance-enhancing ingredients like citrulline, beta-alanine, and beet root, plus energy-boosting caffeine from green tea leaves. Throw in the beautiful packaging and the refreshing flavors, I promise you’ll love it, ladies.
READ MORE: Best Pre-Workouts of 2024 | GNC
References
- Milman N, Jønsson L, Dyre P, Pedersen PL, Larsen LG. Ferrous bisglycinate 25 mg iron is as effective as ferrous sulfate 50 mg iron in the prophylaxis of iron deficiency and anemia during pregnancy in a randomized trial. J Perinat Med. 2014 Mar;42(2):197-206. doi: 10.1515/jpm-2013-0153. PMID: 24152889.
