She Rises

Today’s women are more engaged with their personal health. 52% of global female consumers are moderately or extremely concerned about women’s health issues, while 44% of global female consumers are looking for new solutions to prevent or treat women’s health issues.¹ Each stage of women’s life cycle has specific nutrition needs that help bodies and minds thrive in their current phase and physical experience across menstrual, maternal or menopausal health.

Glanbia Nutritionals is a global nutritional company, grounded in science and nature. With research and development at its core, the purpose is to deliver better nutrition for every step of life’s journey. When it comes to women’s health, there is a need to recognize that every stage in a woman’s life cycle has significantly different nutritional needs. Glanbia Nutritionals offers a range of ingredient solutions for each stage of a woman’s lifecycle. Each of these solutions contribute towards optimizing overall health and wellness, supporting her to rise to her fullest potential.    

Adolescence in Females

Adolescence is a period of exponential physical growth. It is the phase between childhood and adulthood characterized by a growth spurt in which height, weight and mass are gained significantly by both boys and girls. This is the period in which puberty sets in and these physical changes affect the body’s nutritional needs. 

Adolescence in girls is a period that is critical to address both nutritionally and emotionally. The female teenage body is rapidly changing. Not only will she experience her first menstruation, she will also notice the shape of her body changing. With the onset of puberty hormones increasing, skin changes and mood swings also become a common occurrence. At that stage, establishing healthy dietary behaviors is important as it may contribute to long term health. 

Adequate nutrition in teenage girls is important not only to fulfill the needs of the growing body but also to prevent future health problems. Therefore, having a balanced diet that is sufficient in energy (calories) ,protein, essential fatty acids, and micronutrients is critical. 

Key Areas of Focus:

• Healthy growth and development
• Skin health 
• Strong bones
• Enjoyable convenient formats 

Menstruation

Menstruation is defined as the monthly shedding of the lining of the uterus. It is a part of the menstrual cycle which typically lasts from 24-35 days and is commonly divided into 2 phases: the follicular phase (from day 1 of menstrual blending until ovulation) and the luteal phase ( post ovulation). It is important to note that in every menstrual cycle, there are 4 distinct hormonal environments characterized by varying levels of estrogen and progesterone. Apart from their role in reproduction, these hormonal fluctuations influence a range of physiological processes throughout the body which subsequently impact the nutritional status. 

Getting adequate balanced nutrition during menstruation is important not only to replenish the loss of nutrients that occur due to bleeding but also to manage and reduce the pre-menstrual syndrome or PMS.PMS is one of the most widespread disorders affecting women of reproductive age and the effects of it can be both emotional as well as physical. 

Thus, a combination of lifestyle, nutrition and general health consideration appear to be essential strategies in reduction or management of menstrual symptoms. 

Key Areas of Focus:

• Replenishment of lost nutrients during menstruation
• Supporting mood and sleep 
• Boosting immunity 
• Rest and recovery 

Active Day to Day Support

During every stage of a woman’s life, nutrition and regular exercise go hand in hand for optimal health, energy, and wellbeing.  The lifestyle of an active woman often includes multi-tasting between career, children, family, invisible labor and much more. This coupled with a growing awareness and interest in exercise and physical activity highlights the need for addressing specific nutritional needs.  It is now established that there are important gender-based differences that exist between men and women that influence nutrition and dietary supplement recommendations. Hormonal and metabolic differences in women require specific nutritional solutions that can optimize body composition, energy, mental health, and physical health. 

For active women, stimulation muscle protein synthesis is a key factor for improving body composition. Therefore consuming optimal amounts of high quality protein and essential amino acids is critical to minimize muscle soreness and breakdown. Other recommendation for active women include ingredients that can boost workout, maintain energy through the day, boost immunity, and optimize overall health and wellness. 

Key Areas of Focus:

• Increasing energy
• Protein solutions
• Boosting immune health 

Maternal Health

Maternal health spans from preconception to pregnancy as well as the postnatal period. Pregnancy and lactation are associated with major metabolic and physiological changes in the mother which therefore lead to nutritional requirements increasing.  Maternal nutrition is one of the biggest determinants of a pregnancy outcome as it influences length of gestation, placental and fetal growth as well as long term child health and development.   

Health around the time of conception is now a growing interest as there are associations of preconception health being a key determinant of pregnancy success. Important nutrients pre-conception include folic acid, Iodine, choline, iron and calcium which not only help prepare the body for pregnancy but also impact the mother’s wellbeing. 

During pregnancy and lactation the requirement of macronutrients and micronutrients significantly increase to support the growing fetus. Carbohydrate and protein requirements increase to maintain maternal homeostasis while supporting fetal growth and micronutrients and omega-3 fatty acids are essential for many metabolic and cellular activities.

Key Areas of Focus:

• Vitamins and minerals 
• Protein solutions 
• Brain development and immune support 
• Functional enjoyable formats

Menopause Care 

Menopause is defined as the permanent cessation of the menstrual cycle which is followed by the loss of ovarian follicular activity. This menopausal transition most often begins between 45 and 55 years of age. During the phase of menopause, a woman goes through many endocrine changes, including the decrease of circulating levels of ovarian hormones causing physiological alterations. Menopause has been associated with increased prevalence of obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis. As this is a vulnerable period in a woman’s life, emphasis should be given on lifestyle and on nutritional habits. 

Nutritional habits during menopause can impact longevity and quality of life and therefore are critical.  Ageing increases dietary protein and essential amino acid requirements due to muscle atrophy.  Higher protein intake has been associated with lowering the risk of sarcopenia, fractures, and better mobility. Therefore, to maintain lean mass, it is integral to consume high quality protein at adequate levels. Additionally, nutrients supporting bone mineral density, sleep quality and immunity are also essential to optimize overall health and wellness. 

Key Areas of Focus:

• Muscle building and maintenance 
• Boosting immunity
• Better sleep quality 
• New alternative to protein beverages

References: 

1 . Euromonitor international, Transforming Women’s Health: Empowering Women Through the Life Cycle, May 2023

Adolescence in Females:
J Obstet Gynaecol India. 2022 Apr; 72(2): 175–177.
Pediatric Annals, 2013;28(2):107–111
Eur J Nutr. 2022 Jun;61(Suppl 1):1-23

Menstruation:
Nutr Rev. 2023 Jul; 81(7): 869–886.
Front Nutr. 2023; 10: 1079417. 

Active Day to Day Support: 
Sports Med. 2022 Dec;52(Suppl 1):101-117. doi: 10.1007/s40279-022-01755-3. Epub 2022 Sep 29.

Maternal Health:
Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. Planning for Pregnancy. Accessed March 2021
Korsmo, et al. Choline: Exploring the Growing Science on Its Benefits for Moms and Babies. Nutrients. 2019 Aug; 11(8): 1823. 
Mintel. It’s time to refresh the maternal health category. November 2019
Nutrients. 2019 Feb 20;11(2):443. doi: 10.3390/nu11020443.

Menopause Care:
June 2021 Nutrients 13(7):2149 DOI:10.3390/nu13072149