Helaina’s Commercial Science Director, Cassie Evans, RD, PhD and Founder and CEO, Laura Katz discussed the growing momentum behind ingredients designed to better reflect female biology, as well as the science and commercial signals driving this shift in women’s health supplements.
The conversation at Expo West follows the launch of two new supplements featuring effera human lactoferrin, a protein naturally produced in the female body. According to Katz, the debut of these products signals a broader shift in how the industry approaches women’s health.
“For years there has been very little innovation in women’s health products,” she said. “A lot of products have launched with the same ingredients. To really advance women’s health, we have to change what goes into the products we consume.”
Human lactoferrin occurs naturally throughout the body, with Katz noting that replicating the protein for supplements has been a major scientific hurdle, however, it does allow formulations to better reflect female biology.
Looking at the growing link between menstrual health and athletic performance, Dr. Evans said tools like wearables and cycle-tracking apps are helping women better understand how hormonal shifts affect energy, recovery and nutrient needs.
“We’re starting to see that women require different nutrition recommendations and supplementation strategies than men,” Dr. Evans said. “It’s not necessarily a new discovery, but we’re finally bridging the gap and focusing more specifically on women.”
Iron status is one area where that connection becomes clear. Women typically have higher iron requirements than men, with physically active women needing even more in many cases. Research suggests lactoferrin may help support iron metabolism by helping the body better utilize iron and potentially avoiding some of the gastrointestinal discomfort associated with traditional iron supplements.
From a market perspective, Katz said brands and retailers are increasingly looking for ingredients backed by clinical research conducted specifically in women—something that has historically been overlooked.
“Simply taking general ingredients and marketing them toward women is becoming a thing of the past,” Katz said.
Looking ahead, Katz believes human proteins like lactoferrin could become foundational ingredients across women’s health products, from menstrual health and prenatal support to perimenopause and beyond.
“The future of nutrition is human,” she said.
