Opportunities abound for women’s health-oriented innovation

Joanie Spencer, editor-in-chief of Commercial Baking

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Opportunities abound for women’s health-oriented innovation

13 Jun 2025

Maggie Glisan

Maggie Glisan covers consumer trends and emerging markets for the Commercial Baking media group. She spent the bulk of her 15-year career as the senior food editor at Better Homes and Gardens, where she was responsible for producing, writing and editing stories and developing recipes for the monthly magazine and special interest publications. Prior to that she worked as graphic designer and assistant art director in the Food Group at Better Homes and Gardens, where she took on an increasing role in content creation and editorial development.

KANSAS CITY, MO — Crash test dummies, the full-scale model bodies used to test for car safety, have been in use since the ’70s. But up until 2003, those crash tests relied almost exclusively on male-sized dummies. By failing to account for differences in height, weight, muscle distribution and seating posture, women were 17% more likely to die in crashes compared to men. It wasn’t until researchers pushed for the inclusion of female crash test dummies and adjustments to airbag deployment that safety measures began to improve for women.

The automotive industry isn’t alone in overlooking women’s specific physical needs — the food and beverage industry has also been slow to adapt. However, it is beginning to recognize health interests particular to women and responding with new products and marketing strategies tailored to their nutritional needs.

The women’s global health industry is valued at more than $35 billion and growing at a CAGR of 3.2%, per Fortune Business Insights, and it’s one that appears to be evolving as consumers broaden their definitions of health. Hormones, gut health, mood and cognition are just a few areas women are increasingly focusing on for overall wellbeing.

“Throughout history, there’s an overarching theme that women have been thought about interchangeably with men in terms of physiology, and that’s just not accurate,” said Jane Dummer, food consultant and registered dietitian. “There have been inroads in the past two decades or so in terms of research, but we still have a way to go.”

Women make up approximately 50% of the global population. Traditionally, when the food and beverage industry has paid close attention to women’s health issues, it’s focused on needs related to reproductive health, pregnancy, postpartum care and weight loss. A recent surge in funding for women’s health research indicates a shift toward a more comprehensive view of women’s needs and experiences at each stage of life.

“Nutrition plays such a pivotal role in women’s health, influencing everything from fertility and pregnancy outcomes to the management of menopause symptoms and the prevention of age-related diseases,” said Charlotte Martin, a registered dietitian and consultant for the Grain Foods Foundation. “Whole and enriched grains help women meet their daily needs for these essential nutrients. They are vital at every stage of life, yet bread isn’t really marketed as a product to support women’s health, despite the fact that it clearly does. Bakers have a huge opportunity here.”

“Bread isn’t really marketed as a product to support women’s health, despite the fact that it clearly does. Bakers have a huge opportunity here.” — Charlotte Martin | registered dietitian | consultant, Grain Foods Foundation

Market moves

On the coattails of recent pushback against “diet culture,” there has also been a market shift away from a generic or prescriptive idea of health to one that addresses individual motivations. Tastewise, a generative AI platform for the food and beverage industry, highlighted “hyper-personalized nutrition” as one of its most disruptive food and beverage trends in its “2025 Trend Predictions” report, and Innova called “precision wellness” one of its top 10 food and beverage trends for 2025, noting consumers are seeking functional foods tailored to their life stage, lifestyle and health needs.

Female-specific experiences such as menstruation and menopause are also receiving more attention and are more openly discussed than in the past. Each day, approximately 6,000 women in the US enter menopause, and with that transition comes a shift in nutritional needs for balancing hormones and keeping up energy levels, among other things. According to Tastewise, menopause support through food and beverage is the biggest growth category within women’s health.

“The challenge of women’s health is that the taboo surrounding so much of what women experience has impacted not only how products are marketed toward women but also how women have felt discussing these sorts of things,” said Miriam Aniel Oved, head of integrated marketing for Tastewise.

Oved said she sees seed cycling as one area of opportunity for bakers to market their existing products specifically to women. Seed cycling is an ancient practice that involves eating different seeds at specific times to balance estrogen and progesterone. It’s gained popularity recently thanks to niche nutrition social media influencers, but it’s becoming more mainstream as women consume nutritional content that supports what their bodies need at any specific moment.

“If you are already including seeds — sesame, pumpkin, flax, etc. — in your products, be sure to call that out on pack,” Oved said. “Make sure to market to this large number of women consumers who are already looking for that.”

This story has been adapted from the April | Q2 2025 issue of Commercial Baking. Read the full story in the digital edition here.