What Vitamins Can Help Women in Their 20s?

Your 20s are weird. You’re bouncing between late-night takeout and early-morning coffee, figuring out how taxes work, and attempting to feel like a full-fledged grown-up. While you’re juggling it all, your body is doing a lot behind the scenes that you might not even notice — that is, until something feels off.

You might not be thinking about vitamins yet, but now is actually the perfect time to start paying attention to what your body needs, especially when it comes to women’s vitamins that are built for your specific stage of life.

Which vitamins are worth taking and what’s just hype? Read on to find out.

Iron

Feeling exhausted even after a full night’s sleep? Struggling to concentrate? It might not just be stress — low iron could be part of it. If you get a period, you’re naturally losing iron every month, and if you don’t eat much meat, things are even trickier.

Iron helps move oxygen through your blood, so when iron levels drop, everything can feel slower. Think brain fog, low energy, and generally confusing vibes.

You can get iron from red meat and poultry, but plant-based options like lentils, chickpeas, tofu, and spinach work too. The catch, however, is that your body doesn’t absorb plant-based iron as easily. To help, pair it with a vitamin C-rich food, like strawberries on top of spinach salad or lemon squeezed over sautéed greens. 

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is one of those things you don’t think about until something feels off, such as your mood or sleep. Technically, your body makes vitamin D from sunlight, but realistically, most people don’t get enough sun exposure. So, how do you get more of it without chasing the sun?

Start with food. Fatty fish like salmon and tuna are great sources of vitamin D, as are eggs, fortified dairy or non-dairy milks, and sun-exposed mushrooms. If fish isn’t your thing, try adding an egg to your breakfast or swapping your usual milk for a fortified one.

B12

Dragging through the afternoon? B12 might be worth a look, especially if you’re vegan, vegetarian, or somewhere in between. Your body needs B12 to make red blood cells and support brain function, and it mostly comes from animal products.

That’s why B12 deficiency can be common in your 20s, particularly if you don’t eat a lot of meat or dairy. Good sources of B12 include eggs, yogurt, and nutritional yeast. Lots of plant milk and cereals are fortified, too.

Calcium

Your bones are quietly doing their thing in your 20s, building up strength and density that you’ll want later. Once you hit your 30s, you start to lose a little bone mass, so now’s the time to get serious about calcium. You don’t need to chug milk to get it, either! 

Leafy greens, tofu, tahini, almonds, and fortified plant milk all pack a decent amount of calcium. If you’re already making smoothies, try adding Greek yogurt or almond milk. Stir-fry? Throw in tofu and greens. You’re probably closer to meeting your needs than you think.

Omega-3s

Omega-3s are healthy fats that support your brain, skin, hormones, and mood — basically, all the things that feel a little off when you’re overwhelmed or underslept. Your body can’t make them on its own, so you’ve got to get them through food or supplements.

Fatty fish like salmon and sardines are top tier, but plant-based options work too if those aren’t your thing. Think chia seeds, flaxseed, walnuts, and algae-based omega-3 supplements.

Try stirring ground flax into oatmeal or smoothies, adding walnuts to a salad, or making overnight chia pudding with almond milk and berries. Little things can go a long way.

Why Food Isn’t Always Enough

Getting your nutrients from real food is ideal. However, between late nights, back-to-back meetings, and the random chaos of adulting, eating a perfectly balanced diet every day doesn’t always happen. 

That’s where women’s vitamins come in. They’re not a replacement for real food, but they can be a smart safety net for when your meals aren’t exactly textbook.

What should you look for? This article has already covered which vitamins matter most in your 20s, but not all supplements are created equal. Look for formulas with clean ingredients, third-party testing, and doses that aren’t over-the-top. Bonus points if they’re easy to take and don’t taste like chalk. 

A Final Word on Vitamins

And there you have it — the vitamins that can actually support your body in your 20s. Everyone’s body is different, so if you’re not sure what you need, talk to a doctor whom you trust. A little guidance now can go a long way toward feeling better in the future.