Nutrient Needs Change With Age—What Experts Want You To Know

For decades, women have been fed a dangerous narrative around food: Eat less. Stay small. Be disciplined. 

Thinness was the goal—no matter the cost to our energy, hormones, muscles, or mental health. This restrictive approach to nutrition has left countless women undernourished, exhausted, and disconnected from their body's true needs.

Your 20s are often a whirlwind—school, starting a career, relationships, experimenting with routines. Social commitments, work stress, and financial pressures can make nutrition feel like just another item on an already overwhelming to-do list. 

Building bone health: Calcium, magnesium1, and vitamin D work together to build peak bone mass, which is critical since most women reach their peak in their late 20s. 

Fertility support for the future: Even if pregnancy isn't on your radar yet (or ever), supporting your reproductive system now pays dividends later. Folate, omega-3s, iron, and choline support hormone production and reproductive health.2 

Iron is particularly crucial, as many young women develop iron deficiency anemia3 due to menstrual losses combined with inadequate intake.

Blood sugar balance & energy stability: Balanced meals with protein, fat, and fiber prevent energy crashes and mood swings, especially important for stress resilience. 

“It’s a season to learn what balance feels like and start tuning into blood sugar stability,” emphasizes LeVeque. 

Optimizing gut health: The foundation of lifelong digestive and mental health begins now. "The gut is your second brain. It produces over 90% of your serotonin and plays a role in regulating estrogen and cortisol," explains Naidoo.

The consequences of chronic undereating in your 20s can be far-reaching and may not become apparent for years. Your body is remarkably good at adapting to low energy availability in the short term, but these adaptations come at a cost.

"Chronic underfueling, whether intentional through dieting or unintentional due to stress or poor appetite, can have silent but serious consequences," explains Senemar.

Hormonal disruption represents one of the most serious consequences. "Inadequate calories and nutrient intake can suppress reproductive hormones like estrogen and progesterone, leading to irregular periods, fertility issues, and early signs of perimenopause," she says. When your body perceives that resources are scarce, it prioritizes survival over reproduction, shutting down non-essential functions like ovulation.

Metabolic slowdown is another concerning adaptation. "I often see women hold onto stubborn weight during periods of extreme calorie reduction due to it resulting in a massive slowdown in metabolic health," notes LeVeque. 

The 30s often bring new responsibilities and pressures that can make nutrition feel like a luxury rather than a necessity. Your body is still resilient, but proper nutrition becomes even more important as your hormonal landscape subtly begins to shift.

During this decade, many women experience their first hints of hormonal changes. Periods may become slightly more irregular, energy levels might fluctuate more dramatically, and recovery from stress, whether physical or emotional, may take a bit longer. 

“Moving into our 30s and 40s, protein and micronutrient needs increase, especially with the demands of motherhood, careers, and hormonal shifts,” notes LeVeque.

"Nutrients like folate, iron, omega-3s, and B vitamins become increasingly important. There is also a growing need to support stress resilience with magnesium. Supporting gut health and the microbiome with fermented foods, fiber, and antioxidants can improve nutrient absorption and mood balance," explains Senemar.

Pregnancy & postpartum support: If you're trying to conceive, currently pregnant, or recovering postpartum, your nutritional needs are significantly elevated. And if becoming a mother isn’t part of your plan, there are still plenty of nutritional considerations to keep in mind throughout your 30s for healthy hormones.

Folate, choline, omega-3s, iron, calcium, iodine, and magnesium are essential for healthy development in pregnancy, while omega-3s, vitamin D, iron, and probiotics support mood and recovery postpartum. Complete protein, B12, magnesium, and fiber-rich greens further aid healing and hormone balance.

Protein-centric meal planning: The demands of your 30s require a more strategic approach to protein intake. Lyon emphasizes aiming for 30-40 grams of protein with each meal, plus fiber-rich vegetables and healthy fats. "A protein-centric meal puts protein at the center of the plate, not as an afterthought."

Understanding & managing cravings: The hormonal fluctuations of your 30s can trigger intense food cravings that feel impossible to ignore. Rather than fighting these urges with willpower alone, understanding their root cause can help you respond more effectively. 

"Cravings can be driven by fluctuating estrogen and progesterone, low serotonin, or simply poor blood sugar balance," says Naidoo.

"Rather than fighting cravings, it is important to learn how to decode them. If you're craving chocolate, your body might need magnesium. If you're craving sugar, it may be suggesting a drop in serotonin. Nourish your body consistently with nutrient-dense whole foods and sufficient protein, and cravings often self-regulate."

The 40s represent a crucial decade of preparation and adaptation. Perimenopause can begin as early as your late 30s but typically takes root in your 40s, bringing changes in mood, weight distribution, sleep quality, and cycle regularity. This is your decade of preparation, and your plate plays a vital role in how smoothly you navigate these transitions.

The choices you make now about nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle can significantly influence how you experience perimenopause and enter menopause. Far from being a period of inevitable decline, your 40s can be a time of empowerment as you learn to work with your changing body rather than against it.

"There should be a stronger emphasis on fiber, healthy fats, and phytonutrients to support hormone detoxification, maintain lean muscle, and reduce inflammation. Supplements such as vitamin D3/K2, calcium, and magnesium glycinate often play a larger role in protecting against bone breakdown and maintaining cardiovascular health," explains Senemar.

The biggest misconception about our 40s is that metabolic slowdown is inevitable and irreversible. Lyon challenges this common belief, "What's actually happening is a loss of muscle from years of undertraining and undereating protein. Muscle is your metabolic engine. You don't need to starve yourself—you need to train smarter, eat more protein, and protect your musclespan to feel energized and metabolically strong through midlife."

Metabolic support through strategic protein intake: As muscle mass becomes increasingly precious, increasing leucine-rich proteins such as eggs, legumes, chicken, and tempeh (which signal your muscles to begin the process of muscle protein synthesis) helps offset the natural muscle decline and supports a steadier metabolism. 

“In your 40s, hormone shifts begin, and insulin sensitivity can decrease. This is when protein needs often go up to preserve muscle mass and maintain metabolic health,” says LeVeque. 

Inflammation control for long-term health: Load up on colorful produce, omega-3-rich fish, and polyphenols (think olive oil, berries, dark chocolate) to counteract rising inflammatory markers. 

The gut-hormone connection: As hormone fluctuations intensify in your 40s and 50s, gut health plays a major role in processing and eliminating them. "One key player is the 'estrobolome,' gut bacteria that regulate estrogen metabolism. If the gut is imbalanced—from antibiotics, stress, poor diet, or low fiber—it can lead to estrogen dominance," explains Senemar. 

To support balance, she recommends a high-fiber diet (cruciferous veggies, legumes, flaxseed), fermented foods or probiotics, and stress management, since cortisol disrupts both gut integrity and hormones. 

While each decade deserves nuance, and we see common themes throughout them all (like protein, fiber, blood sugar balance, just to name a few), there are a few additional habits to keep in mind to truly feel your best at each stage.

Don’t forget to hydrate: Water impacts everything from energy and digestion to skin, joints, and mental clarity. Even mild dehydration can cause fatigue, anxiety-like symptoms, or brain fog, yet thirst declines with age, making it easy to miss. Building habits, like starting the day with water or adding electrolytes, helps prevent underhydration and keeps your body performing at its best.

Creatine for muscle, bone, & brain health: Lyon advocates strongly for creatine supplementation throughout mid-life, a perspective Senemar echoes: "Creatine isn't just for athletes; it's actually one of the most useful, research-backed supplements for women in their 40s, 50s, and beyond."

Nutrient density over perfection: Focus on foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and healthy fats without obsessing over perfection. Nutrient-dense eating means prioritizing quality over quantity: think colorful produce, quality protein, healthy fats, and smart carbs. “Consistency is more powerful than perfection. It’s about creating meals that serve your body, not restrict it,” notes LeVeque.

Muscle is more than appearance—it’s a metabolic reservoir that regulates blood sugar, supports hormones, protects joints, strengthens bones, and buffers against age-related decline. “Strength training isn’t just for athletes,” Lyon emphasizes. “It’s for every woman who wants to age powerfully, support her hormones, and live independently.”

But exercise alone isn’t enough—muscles need fuel. Pairing resistance training with protein-forward, nutrient-dense eating creates a powerful strategy for healthspan and musclespan. 

As Lyon notes: “Protect your muscle. At every age, prioritize resistance training and protein. These are the two most powerful levers to increase hormonal resilience, reduce disease risk, and improve quality of life.”