Women's Health Recommendations

A selection of supplements covering nutrients relevant to women across different life stages, including several with authorised roles in the body. Folate contributes to maternal tissue growth during pregnancy and to normal blood formation; iron contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue and to normal formation of red blood cells; vitamin D and calcium contribute to the maintenance of normal bones. These are authorised EU health claims.

The range includes folate and folic acid, iron with vitamin C, magnesium, vitamin D3, calcium, B vitamins, boron and inositol. Available as capsules, powders and oil.

18 products

Frequently asked questions

Which nutrients are particularly relevant to women? Popular
Nutritional needs shift across different life stages, and several nutrients carry authorised EU health claims relevant here. Iron contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue and to normal formation of red blood cells; folate contributes to normal blood formation and to maternal tissue growth during pregnancy; calcium and vitamin D contribute to the maintenance of normal bones; and vitamin B6 contributes to the regulation of hormonal activity. These are authorised EU health claims.

Which of these is most relevant depends on your circumstances and stage of life. A varied diet is the foundation, with supplements supporting intake where it may fall short.
Why is iron often relevant for women?
Iron contributes to normal formation of red blood cells and haemoglobin, to normal oxygen transport in the body, and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. These are authorised EU health claims.

Iron requirements are higher for women who are menstruating, and iron is one of the more common nutritional shortfalls, particularly for those on vegetarian or vegan diets. If you are frequently tired without obvious reason, a GP can check your iron levels with a simple blood test before you supplement, as taking iron you do not need is not advisable. This range includes iron combined with vitamin C, which contributes to increased iron absorption.
What is the advice on folic acid and pregnancy?
This is public-health advice rather than a product claim. NHS guidance is that women who could become pregnant, and those in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, should take a 400 microgram folic acid supplement daily, as this is advised to help prevent neural tube defects in the developing baby. Some women are advised a higher dose by their doctor.

Folate contributes to maternal tissue growth during pregnancy and to normal blood formation — these are authorised EU health claims. This range includes both folic acid and folate (as L-methylfolate). If you are pregnant, planning a pregnancy, or unsure which is right for you, follow NHS advice and speak to your GP or midwife.
What's the difference between folate and folic acid?
Both relate to vitamin B9. Folic acid is the synthetic form used in most supplements and in food fortification, and it is the form NHS pregnancy advice refers to. Folate is the form found naturally in food; L-methylfolate is a form the body can use directly.

For most purposes, and specifically for the NHS pregnancy advice, folic acid is the well-established form. Health Leads supplies folic acid at 1000mcg, and folate as L-methylfolate at 400mcg and 1000mcg. If you have been advised to take folic acid for pregnancy, follow the form and dose in the NHS guidance and any advice from your GP.
What roles do calcium and vitamin D play in bone health?
Calcium and vitamin D both contribute to the maintenance of normal bones, and vitamin D also contributes to normal muscle function. These are authorised EU health claims. Vitamin D helps the body absorb and use calcium, which is why the two are often considered together.

Bone health matters throughout life and becomes a more common focus in later years. The body makes vitamin D from sunlight, but in the UK there is not enough between around October and March, and NHS advice is that most people should consider a vitamin D supplement over the autumn and winter. This range includes calcium, vitamin D3, and D3 combined with K2.
What are inositol and boron?
Inositol is a compound found naturally in the body and in foods such as fruit, beans and grains; myo-inositol is the most common form. Boron is a trace mineral found in foods such as fruit, nuts and pulses.

No health claims have been authorised for inositol or boron, so we describe what they are and where they are found rather than making claims for them. If you are considering either for a particular reason, that is best discussed with a doctor or pharmacist, especially if you take medication or have an existing condition.
Does vitamin B6 have a role in hormones?
Vitamin B6 contributes to the regulation of hormonal activity — this is an authorised EU health claim. It is worth being precise about what this means: it is a general statement about B6's role in the body's normal regulation of hormonal activity, not a claim about any specific condition, symptom or stage of life.

B6 also contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism, normal function of the nervous system, and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Health Leads supplies vitamin B6 at 100mg, and within the B complex. For any specific concern relating to hormones, a GP is the right person to advise.

Women's Nutrition Across Different Life Stages

Nutritional needs are not fixed. They shift across a lifetime, and for women some nutrients become more relevant at particular stages — during the menstruating years, around pregnancy, and in later life. This range brings together supplements covering nutrients that have established, authorised roles at these stages, alongside others that are commonly asked about.

Iron is one example: requirements are higher for women who are menstruating, and iron contributes to normal formation of red blood cells and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue — authorised EU health claims. Around pregnancy, folate is central. Folate contributes to maternal tissue growth during pregnancy and to normal blood formation, and NHS advice is that women who could become pregnant should take a 400 microgram folic acid supplement daily, advised to help prevent neural tube defects in the developing baby. In later life, bone health often comes into focus: calcium and vitamin D contribute to the maintenance of normal bones. Vitamin B6 contributes to the regulation of hormonal activity. These are authorised EU health claims.

The range also includes ingredients such as inositol and boron, for which no health claims have been authorised. These are commonly asked about, but where no authorised claim exists we describe what the ingredient is rather than what it does, and questions about taking them for a particular reason are best directed to a doctor or pharmacist.

The range spans folate and folic acid, iron with vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, vitamin D3, B vitamins, omega-3, inositol, boron and a multivitamin, in capsules, powders and oils.

Health at every stage rests far more on a varied, balanced diet and general wellbeing than on any supplement. For anything specific — whether planning a pregnancy, managing a health condition, or a change you are concerned about — your GP or a midwife is the right source of advice, and supplements are not a substitute for it.