The Best Vitamins for Women: A Natural Approach to Energy, Hormones & Radiance
If you’re feeling tired, experiencing mood swings, or noticing dull skin, your body may be lacking essential nutrients. While a healthy diet is essential, today’s modern lifestyle often leaves gaps that food alone can’t fill. In this post, you’ll discover the best vitamins for women to naturally support energy, hormonal balance, and radiant health—so you can feel your best from the inside out.
The supplement and vitamin industry is a big-time money-making business. They generate billions of dollars each year.
Many people who embrace a natural lifestyle rely on supplements to help alleviate symptoms, boost their energy, enhance their immune health, and more.
I’m definitely one of those people. Vitamins and supplements have greatly supported me on my health journey.
However, with that said, many vitamins and supplements aren’t necessary, some don’t even work, and some can actually be harmful.
(This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure statement here.)
I am not a doctor and the statements on this blog have not been evaluated by the FDA. Products mentioned here are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please do not ask me for medical advice. Click here to read my full disclaimer.
The Dark Truth About the Vitamin Industry
The FDA does not regularly verify supplement contents for accuracy or contamination. Due to limited regulation, many fake or misleading supplements end up on the market.
Additionally, most supplements available today are synthetic. This means they are manufactured in a lab using chemical processes rather than being directly sourced from natural items like food.
The issue with synthetic vitamins is that some aren’t absorbed or utilized as effectively as natural ones. They also lack essential cofactors.
Whole food nutrients include enzymes, antioxidants, and flavonoids that help absorption and function—synthetics often lack these.
Why Whole Food Supplements Work with Your Body, Not Against It
I am a huge fan of whole food supplements, and here’s why.
You never find vitamins and minerals in isolation in nature. What I mean by that is there are no whole foods that contain only zinc or only magnesium.
Whole foods contain an abundance of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.
Every vitamin and mineral requires the support of other nutrients—including vitamins, minerals, and enzymes—to be properly metabolized and utilized by the body.
For example, to absorb and use zinc effectively, your body depends on cofactors like vitamin B6, magnesium, vitamin C, copper, and protein.
These nutrients work together to help zinc enter cells, activate enzymes, and carry out vital roles, such as supporting immunity, wound healing, and hormone function.
When you take a synthetic zinc supplement, it can actually deplete copper in the body, and copper and zinc levels must stay in balance.
They share a common absorption pathway, and an excess of one can impair the function of the other.
This is how taking synthetic vitamins can lead to mineral dysregulation and cause adverse health outcomes.
Whole food supplements come from actual food, so they contain all the necessary cofactors to be used and absorbed effectively.
Are Supplements Necessary?
Taking the right supplements can be absolutely life-changing. However, not everyone needs supplements. It all depends on your family history, childhood, diet, lifestyle, and other factors.
Every person is different, and what works for you might not work for someone else.
Still, I believe it’s becoming increasingly difficult to meet our nutritional needs solely through food—especially since modern food has lost much of its original nutrient content.
Many studies suggest that some whole foods may contain fewer nutrients than they did in the past, primarily due to changes in agricultural practices.
Modern farming practices have depleted the soil of vital minerals, resulting in food that’s less nutrient-rich than it was decades ago—even when it’s fresh and organic.
Additionally, many individuals struggle to absorb nutrients from food due to low stomach acid and gut issues.
So I do believe many people can benefit from taking supplements.
A Few More Things
Before I share the best vitamins for women, I’d like to mention a couple of additional points.
First of all, I am not a doctor, and not that it actually matters since doctors receive very little formal education about supplements, vitamins, and nutrition in general—especially during traditional medical school training.
Most U.S. medical schools offer less than 25 hours of nutrition education across four years, and even fewer hours are devoted specifically to vitamins, minerals, or dietary supplements.
Most of what I know about vitamins and supplements I learned while becoming a Root Cause Protocol consultant.
You can click here to learn more about the Root Cause Protocol.
I’m also currently training to become a holistic health practitioner, with an emphasis on supporting the body’s innate healing through holistic methods.
Alongside my training, I bring personal experience with supplementation. Since my Hashimoto’s diagnosis in 2018, targeted supplements have played a significant role in my healing journey.
My philosophy when it comes to supplementation is that there are supplements you take for a reason, some for a season, and some for life. Those exact supplements will vary from person to person, depending on their personal needs.
Also, brands matter a lot!
Not all supplements are created equal. Supplements with high-quality ingredients from reputable companies are going to be much more effective than supplements sold by unknown brands at your local dollar store.
Due to limited FDA oversight, many fake or ineffective supplements have made their way into the market—as I mentioned earlier.
Below, you will discover the best vitamins for women as well as specific brand recommendations.
Best Vitamins for Women
Based on my research, education, and personal experience, the vitamins below are absolutely essential for any woman who wants to look and feel her best.
I’ve also included supplements that aren’t technically vitamins, but instead feature minerals, herbs, and other natural ingredients that support healthy hormones, glowing skin, sustained energy, and more.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is one of those vitamins that I personally will probably take for life.
It aids in energy production and is used in the mitochondria of our cells. It boosts immune function and supports iron absorption.
My favorite thing about vitamin C is that it promotes radiant skin. It stimulates collagen production for firm, youthful skin, fades dark spots and evens out skin tone, and acts as a powerful antioxidant to fight free radical damage.
Vitamin C also supports adrenal function, which can indirectly promote progesterone production, as the adrenal glands play a crucial role in hormone synthesis.
Progesterone is a vital hormone in the female body—not just for fertility, but for overall balance, well-being, and long-term health.
Progesterone keeps estrogen in check, preventing estrogen dominance, supports fertility and pregnancy, calms the nervous system, and much more.
This is my favorite vitamin C supplement. It comes in powder or capsule form, and it is made from fruits and berries.
Oyster Extract
Oysters are an excellent source of naturally occurring zinc, B12, copper, and iodine. Oyster extract supplements are a great way to get the health benefits of oysters without actually having to consume fresh oysters.
I primarily take oyster pills for the naturally occurring zinc. Zinc helps protect the body from oxidative stress. It’s also great for hair, skin, and nails as well as hormone health.
Thanks to its impressive mineral profile, oyster extract helps support healthy thyroid function, mitochondrial energy production, and reduced fatigue.
Additionally, fresh oysters are considered an aphrodisiac, primarily due to their high zinc content, which helps boost the libido.
Unlike synthetic zinc supplements, oyster extract offers a naturally balanced source of minerals, complete with cofactors that aid absorption and utilization.
My favorite oyster supplement is OysterMax. I’ve tried other brands and in my opinion, they are not as effective as OysterMax. The company is based in Ireland, and shipping can take a while, but in my opinion, the wait is worth it.
You can use the code happyheart to receive 10% off your purchase!
Taking oyster pills on a consistent basis has increased my energy levels, improved my strength and endurance during workouts, boosted my libido, and so much more.
Shilajit
Shilajit is a tar that is excreted from different mountains throughout the world, including the Himalayan, Tibetan, and Siberian mountains.
Shilajit is a complete trace mineral source. It contains more than 84 carbon-bonded organic minerals that are easily absorbed by the body.
It is a rich source of fulvic acid, a compound that enhances the delivery of minerals into cells.
Shilajit offers numerous health benefits, including boosting energy, enhancing physical performance, supporting memory, focus, and mental clarity, promoting liver health and cellular repair, and more.
It may also help balance hormones in women by reducing oxidative stress and supporting adrenal health.
You can read this post, Health Benefits Of Shilajit, to learn more about it.
I’ve tried several different brands of shilajit, and the one I keep going back to is Panacea from MitoLife.
Panacea is a pure tablet form of shilajit from the Siberian mountains in Russia. I prefer the tablet form because it is a convenient and easy way to consume shilajit.
You can use the code HAPPYHEART to receive 15% off your purchase!
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is so important. Its main role is to act as an antioxidant and decrease free radicals in the body that can damage cells.
It helps to improve mitochondrial respiration, enhance circulation, protect against lipid peroxidation, and prevent calcification and iron overload, among other benefits.
Vitamin E is essential for fertility, hormone production, and metabolic function. Low vitamin E levels can lead to estrogen dominance and an increase in stress hormones.
I highly recommend this book to learn more about the importance of vitamin E.
This is the vitamin E supplement I use and recommend. You can use the code HAPPYHEART to get 15% off.
PUFA Protect uses natural vitamin E derived from sunflower oil, not soy, and features a mix of tocopherols.
It contains the full range of vitamin E types found in whole foods—alpha, beta, gamma, and delta—for better antioxidant synergy.
Magnesium
Did you know magnesium is required for over 3,400 chemical reactions in the body?
Magnesium is one of the most important minerals when it comes to the human body.
Without enough magnesium, the body begins to break down. Deficiency has been linked to heart disease, diabetes, mood imbalances, memory issues, depression, anxiety—and the list goes on.
I highly recommend the book The Magnesium Miracle to learn more about the importance of magnesium.
However, magnesium supplementation can be somewhat challenging. There are many different forms of magnesium, and not all of them are tolerated or absorbed very well.
In my experience, it’s always best to start with transdermal magnesium before consuming magnesium pills. My favorite forms of transdermal magnesium are below.
- Ancient Minerals Magnesium Lotion
- Ancient Minerals Magnesium Oil Spray
- Ancient Minerals Magnesium Bath Flakes (I use these in foot baths)
You can also check out my homemade magnesium lotion recipe or DIY magnesium spray if you want to save money by making your own topical magnesium.
If you tolerate transdermal magnesium well, then you can try magnesium in pill form. My favorite magnesium supplements are below.
Keep in mind that magnesium malate tends to be more energizing, while magnesium glycinate tends to be more relaxing.
And my absolute favorite form of magnesium is magnesium bicarbonate. Magnesium bicarbonate is a form of magnesium that you take in water.
It is extremely well-tolerated and well-absorbed, and it is my go-to for magnesium.
You can click here to learn how to make it at home.
Or you can click here to purchase it in its ready-to-drink form. You can use the code HAPPYHEART to get 10% off your purchase.
But as I mentioned earlier, magnesium can be a tricky supplement.
It’s extremely important to support your adrenals with optimal amounts of potassium and sodium before beginning magnesium supplementation.
Adrenal cocktails are amazing for adrenal support.
Without sufficient adrenal support, magnesium supplements can trigger anxiety or insomnia.
It’s also important to ensure you’re getting enough B vitamins—especially B6—since vitamin B6 helps facilitate the cellular uptake of magnesium.
You may become deficient in B6 if you supplement with magnesium without also getting enough B vitamins.
Additionally, if you have high glutamate levels in the brain, you may not tolerate magnesium glycinate well, as glycine can enhance glutamate activity.
You can click here to learn more about the symptoms of high glutamate.
B-Vitamins
B vitamins are essential nutrients that support your energy, mood, metabolism, and more. Each B vitamin plays a unique role, but they work best as a team—which is why a B-complex supplement is often the best choice.
B-vitamins boost energy, support the nervous system, promote hormonal balance, improve hair, skin, and nails, and so much more.
Synthetic B vitamins are typically made from petrochemicals or coal tar derivatives. While they may share a similar chemical structure to natural B vitamins, they often lack the cofactors, enzymes, and bioavailability that come with food-based versions.
This is my favorite all-natural, food-based B-vitamin.
The B vitamins are produced using organic vegetables, fruits, and probiotics, mimicking the natural occurrence of vitamins in food.
It includes cofactors like choline, inositol, and PABA, which support nutrient absorption and utilization—exactly as they’d appear in nature.
It contains all eight essential B vitamins in whole-food, fermented, and bioavailable forms. It’s a complete and natural B-complex supplement.
Retinol (Vitamin A)
Retinol is the most active and usable form of vitamin A for the human body, but it can be difficult to get enough through food alone.
True, bioavailable vitamin A (retinol) is found in animal-based foods like beef liver, cod liver oil, egg yolks, and grass-fed dairy. Many people are likely deficient in retinol simply because we no longer eat these nutrient-rich foods as often as we used to.
Foods like sweet potatoes and carrots are often thought to be rich in vitamin A, but that’s not entirely accurate. They contain beta-carotene—a precursor to retinol—which must be converted to retinol in the body.
Unfortunately, this conversion is often inefficient, so you might not be getting as much usable vitamin A as you think.
Why does this matter?
Well, retinol is essential for eye health, thyroid function, skin health, immune function, and more.
Retinol promotes cell turnover and regeneration, helps prevent and reduce acne, wrinkles, and sun damage, supports collagen production for firmer, smoother skin, and more.
It also plays a role in progesterone production and overall hormone signaling.
My favorite whole food source of retinol is cod liver oil.
The only cod liver oil I take and recommend is Rosita’s extra virgin cod liver oil.
Most commercial cod liver oils undergo extensive processing with heat, which destroys the naturally occurring vitamins A and D and damages the fragile omega-3 fatty acids.
To make up for the loss of vitamins and nutrients, most cod liver oil producers will add synthetic vitamins to their cod liver oil.
Rosita is in complete control of the entire process from fish to bottle, giving you the most precious and nutritional cod liver oil on the market.
Beef Liver Extract
Beef liver pills are an amazing, all-natural, whole food source of retinol, B-vitamins, iron, copper, and so much more!
Beef liver is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. It truly is nature’s multivitamin.
Below you’ll find the nutritional profile of one serving size (6 capsules) of one of my favorite beef liver supplements.
Vitamin A – 5099 IU
Retinol – 1385 mcg
Retinol Activity Equivalent – 1391 mcg
Alpha Carotene – 3.1 mcg
Beta Carotene – 65.0 mcg
Beta Cryptoxanthin – 3.6 mcg
Vitamin C – 0.4 mg
Vitamin D – 4.5 IU
Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol) – 0.1 mg
Vitamin K – 0.9 mcg
Thiamin – 0.1 mg Riboflavin – 0.8 mg
Niacin – 3.7 mg
Vitamin B6 – 0.3 mg
Folate – 81.2 mcg
Vitamin B12 – 14 mcg
Pantothenic Acid – 2.0 mg
Choline – 120 mg Calcium – 1.4 mg
Heme Iron – 2.2 mg
Magnesium – 5.0 mg
Phosphorus – 108 mg
Potassium – 87.6 mg
Sodium – 19.3 mg
Zinc – 1.1 mg
Copper – 2.7 mg
Manganese – 0.1 mg
Selenium – 11.1 mcg
I’m not going to spend too much time discussing the benefits of beef liver because I’ve already written two lengthy, in-depth posts about beef liver that you can check out below.
Beef liver can help boost your energy, improve eye health, boost thyroid function, and more.
You can click here to check out my favorite beef liver supplement.
Sodium & Potassium
Sodium and potassium are essential electrolytes that help your body maintain fluid balance, nerve signaling, and overall cellular health. While often misunderstood, both are vital—especially when balanced properly.
You can read the articles below to learn more about sodium and potassium, as well as their specific health benefits.
Sodium and potassium have a synergistic relationship: Sodium pulls water into cells, and potassium pushes it out.
A healthy ratio supports energy, focus, hydration, and cardiovascular health.
My favorite sources of potassium and sodium are not necessarily in pill or supplement form, but rather from adrenal or cortisol cocktails.
A cortisol cocktail, also known as an adrenal cocktail, is a natural drink rich in sodium, potassium, and vitamin C designed to support your adrenal glands and help regulate cortisol levels, especially in times of stress, fatigue, or burnout.
Another good source of potassium and sodium is an electrolyte drink mix.
My favorite is Jigsaw Potassium Cocktail. It isn’t necessarily food-based, but it is a clean, electrolyte-supporting drink mix that contains naturally sourced minerals and natural sweeteners.
Harmony
If you experience painful periods or perimenopause symptoms, this product will transform your life, and that is not an exaggeration.
Although I have never personally dealt with extremely painful periods, I know many women who have, and this product has completely transformed their cycles.
Harmony is a cacao blend specifically designed to help balance and support hormonal health. It’s like a hot chocolate drink. It contains cacao, maca, chasteberry, and shatavari.
It is absolutely amazing for hormone support.
Last year, I started noticing what felt like early perimenopause symptoms— mood swings, low energy, and a slightly irregular cycle, which had never been an issue for me before. After I began drinking Harmony consistently, almost daily, those symptoms completely disappeared.
It’s a bit pricey but well worth the money!
You can click here to buy it!
Colostrum
Colostrum is the first form of milk produced by mammals (including humans and cows) in the first few days after giving birth.
It is rich in antibodies, especially IgG, and contains proteins, vitamins, enzymes, and growth factors.
Bovine colostrum can enhance immune function, promote hair growth, aid in gut healing, support muscle growth and recovery, and more.
It also has anti-aging and skin benefits thanks to its ability to promote tissue repair and collagen production.
I really like Armra colostrum and Cowboy colostrum.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D (it’s actually a hormone, not a vitamin) is essential for immune health, bone and tooth health, hormone function, heart health, and much more.
I do not recommend supplementing with synthetic vitamin D. Synthetic vitamin D supplementation can increase calcification in the body and lead to potassium waste. It also causes ATP loss and iron storage in the kidneys.
Unfortunately, there aren’t any whole-food vitamin D supplements I would recommend other than cod liver oil, which doesn’t contain a significant amount of vitamin D.
The best natural source of vitamin D is the sun.
The sun helps your skin produce vitamin D3 naturally through a UVB-induced conversion of cholesterol—making it one of the most effective and free ways to keep healthy vitamin D levels.
You only need about 10–30 minutes of midday sun exposure on bare skin (arms, face, legs) a few times per week.
I highly recommend reading the articles below to learn more about the sun’s health benefits and how to practice safe sun exposure.
- How to Protect Your Skin from the Sun Without Sunscreen
- The Power of the Sun: Healing Benefits of Sunlight
Final Thoughts
I want to close by reminding you that you can’t out-supplement a poor diet or an unhealthy lifestyle. Supplements alone won’t completely transform your health.
They work synergistically with healthy eating, regular movement, sun exposure, and clean drinking water.
While supplements can be incredibly helpful, more isn’t always better. Over-consuming certain vitamins, especially fat-soluble ones like A and E, can lead to toxicity and unwanted side effects.
Always follow recommended dosages and consult with a healthcare professional if you’re unsure. Even natural supplements can become problematic if taken in excess.
I wrote a post a few years ago about my personal supplement regimen, which includes information about potential negative side effects of supplements, as well as tips for taking them.
If you want to learn more, I suggest checking it out!
