Getting your daily vitamins and minerals is a necessary part of living a healthy life. Unfortunately, many women don’t get enough of the key nutrients they need — including calcium, iron and vitamin D. Eating a well-balanced diet is the best way to keep deficiencies from developing, but sometimes we need to do more to knock it out of the park. Multivitamin supplements are a great way to ensure your body gets what it needs.
Starting to take a vitamin supplement sounds enough, right? Unfortunately, the saturated market can make finding the best women’s multivitamin difficult. That’s why we picked our top contenders in the multivitamin game. Keep your nutritional needs, budget and personal preferences in mind when shopping for a multivitamin. Every vitamin supplement will offer different nutritional contents at varying prices.
Read more: Best Multivitamins
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Nature Made makes some of the most affordable vitamins available. The Nature Made women’s multivitamin includes 23 nutrients essential for women, including 100% of the recommended daily value of iron. Iron is one of the most common deficiencies in women, especially when pregnant or menstruating.
With Nature Made, you get over the recommended value of vitamin C, D3 and E, as well as minerals zinc, copper and chromium. So if you are not deficient in those areas, you could get too much of them. Consuming too much vitamin D or E can result in toxicity.
Nature Made doesn’t have the additional bells and whistles other options on the list do, like probiotics. It’s a dependable multivitamin that established a name for itself long ago. You also can get Nature Made multivitamins for women at every stage of their life — prenatal, postnatal and over 50. You can trust the quality of Nature Made because all products are third-party tested and USP-verified.
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Taste is one of the most important factors when deciding which gummy multivitamin is best for you. Because of this, many of the gummy vitamins available are packed full of sugar. Olly women’s gummy multivitamins are one of the lowest in sugar, with 2 grams per serving. Don’t worry; that doesn’t affect the flavor. Even without the added sugar, customer reviews sing praise for how they taste. That’s why Olly is the best gummy multivitamin for women.
The serving size is 2 gummies each day and delivers 18 essential nutrients, including must-haves like vitamins A, C, D, E, B, and calcium and iodine. Olly also includes biotin, which targets skin health. These gummies also do not include any artificial ingredients and are gluten-free. Olly’s gummy multivitamins are NSF-certified. The NSF is a third-party testing organization that ensures the quality of supplements.
Before committing to Olly gummy multivitamins, you should consider that they don’t contain iron. If you’re iron deficient, this isn’t the gummy for you. They’re also not suitable for vegetarians or vegans as they contain gelatin.
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FullWell prenatal multivitamins were developed by a fertility nutrition expert and a registered dietitian. This product is tailored to the type, and amount of nutrients women need while pregnant. FullWell states that women trying to conceive or are breastfeeding will also benefit from these multivitamins.
FullWell is the best prenatal multivitamin because of its nutritional content. For proper fetal development and mother’s health, women need folic acid, vitamin D, C, iron, calcium, and B vitamins. FullWell includes many of these key nutrients. Folic acid and folate are often used interchangeably; folate is listed on the label.
There is no docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, in this multivitamin. FullWell says it was excluded due to effectiveness concerns when combined with a multivitamin. You may need an additional DHA supplement if you’re deficient in that area. Another thing to consider with FullWell prenatal vitamins is the price: It does fall on the more expensive side of the market. Additionally, the serving size for a day is eight capsules, which is more than others.
Prenatal vitamins from FullWell are third-party tested for contaminants like heavy metals. Note the name of the third-party organization isn’t available.
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Post-menopausal women don’t need as much iron as younger women but need more calcium and vitamin B6. Thorne is the best multivitamin for women over 50, thanks to its hefty vitamin content and various certifications that promise quality. Included are several key vitamins like biotin, magnesium and calcium. Thorne says the magnesium and calcium included are in a highly absorbable form. Thorne includes the antioxidant lutein, which is essential for eye health. Iron is not included in the vitamin.
Thorne women’s multivitamin does not include any artificial colors or flavors. It’s also gluten, soy and dairy-free. The facilities that produce Thorne multivitamins are third-party certified and NSF Certified for Sport. Additionally, they have an “A” rating from the Therapeutic Goods Association, an Australian Department of Health regulatory agency.
I want to point out that Thorne multivitamins are a little more expensive than other options at $46 for 180 capsules. However, you can subscribe and save 20% on your orders. You have to manage six tablets a day, which is more than some want.
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Made without GMOs, pesticides or harmful chemicals, Garden of Life is the best vegan multivitamin for women. It has 15 vitamins and minerals formulated from whole foods to support your heart health and metabolism. It also promotes healthy skin and nails.
If you’re someone who doesn’t want to manage multiple doses, you’ll be happy to know you only have to take one tablet each day. Additionally, Garden of Life multivitamins are USDA organic-certified, vegan and NSF certified.
It only has 14% of recommended iron, which is pretty low, especially considering many vegetarians have an iron deficiency. If you don’t get the proper iron intake from your diet, you likely will need an additional supplement. Garden of Life will put you over the daily recommended limit for other vitamins such as vitamin B6 or B12. You can have too much of a good thing when it comes to vitamins, so it may not be the best choice unless you’re truly deficient in the elevated areas.
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Care/of is one of the most popular vitamin subscriptions for women. It aims to make taking your vitamins easy by shipping right to your door and only including what you need to take.
The huge draw for Care/of is how personalized the vitamin supplements are. Your daily dose of vitamin supplements is personalized based on your Care/of health questionnaire results. The assessment includes questions about your sex, age and overall health. Your goals and what vitamins you have taken in the past are also taken into account. While the questionnaire doesn’t serve as definitive medical advice, it is cool to have your vitamins so tailored to your needs. That said, it doesn’t tailor the dosages, only the type of supplements.
You’ll receive a month’s supply of your personalized supplements shipped directly to your home. Your refills are shipped automatically until you cancel. There are shipping fees if your order is under $20. In terms of vitamin subscriptions, it is pretty average in price at $5 to $32 a month per product. However, it is more expensive than a traditional multivitamin.
Ingredients used in Care/of packs all meet NSF quality standards, but they aren’t third-party tested outside of that.
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Iron is a crucial nutrient for women, especially when menstruating. Optimum Nutrition Opti-Women multivitamins offer 100% of the recommended amount of iron. It also includes a large amount of vitamin C, which our bodies need to absorb iron. That’s why Optimum Nutrition takes the spot for the best multivitamin with iron.
You also get 23 vitamins and minerals in this supplement, including calcium and folic acid. Unlike other options, antioxidants and antiinflammatories that support bone and immune health are also included. Optimum Nutrition multivitamins are third-party tested, Informed-Sport certified and made in cGMP-registered and Informed Choice facilities. It’s one of the most heavily certified multivitamins on the list.
There are a few things to consider before you start taking Optimum Nutrition multivitamins. The herbal ingredients included can interact with some medications. Some reviews did note a skin rash after taking it. Talk to your doctor to ensure your medications won’t interact.
How we chose the best multivitamins for women
The vitamins and supplements market is not regulated by the FDA, meaning there are fewer quality regulations companies have to follow. Because of this, I relied on third-party certifications to prove the product contains what it says it does. I haven’t tested these products in-house; the choices are based on product research for vitamin and mineral ingredients.
Are women’s multivitamins effective?
Research supporting the necessity of multivitamins for women is limited. Some research suggests taking multivitamins is associated with a lower risk of heart disease and heart attacks. Others don’t support these findings. For the average woman, a multivitamin may not be necessary. And multivitamins are certainly not a shortcut to peak health.
However, they are beneficial for certain groups of women — those with a restrictive diet, pregnant women, older women and those with digestive conditions that compromise vitamin absorption. Our bodies require vitamins and minerals to function, and if you are deficient, supplements can help you ensure your body has what it needs.
Read more: Best Multivitamins for Women 50-Plus
What are the best multivitamins for women?
Throughout our lives, womens’ nutritional needs change in predictable waves of menstruation, pregnancy and menopause. However, there are a lot of nuances involved. Everyone is different and has tailored needs. Because of this, there is no one best multivitamin for every woman.
How do I choose a good multivitamin?
When you’re shopping around for your ideal multivitamin, there are several things you need to keep in mind to ensure you select the best one for your needs.
- Your age and life stage: The nutritional needs of women change throughout the lifecycle. What is suitable for a woman in her twenties may not be the best option for someone pregnant or over 50.
- Your nutrient needs: Not all multivitamins have the same nutrient contents, which means that not all of them will suit your needs. The average woman doesn’t need an extremely high dose of any vitamin or mineral. However, if you are deficient, you can use a multivitamin supplement to fill in the gap.
- Dietary restrictions: The best multivitamins will have minimal additives. However, if you have allergies or dietary restrictions, it’s important to check the label for the ingredients. Organic and vegan supplement options will be certified as such.
- Multivitamin form: Multivitamins are available as a pill, capsules, gummy and powder. This all comes down to what you prefer. Also, think about how many doses you think you could consistently manage in a day. Some options require multiple doses a day.
- Certifications: Since there are no FDA regulations on supplements, third-party certifications are available to fill in the gaps. These certifications ensure the quality and safety of the product.
What’s the difference between men’s and women’s multivitamins?
Men’s and women’s multivitamins are actually different, though not hugely. The nutrient profile of the men’s and women’s markets are typically similar for the essential vitamins and minerals that everyone needs. Men and women have similar basic requirements for Vitamins D, E, B12 and calcium.
However, a few specific vitamins and minerals vary between the two. For instance, men’s multivitamins, especially for specific ages, can focus on promoting urinary and prostate health by including more zinc. Women’s multivitamins can include more iron or folic acid in the case of pregnancy.
Should everyone take a multivitamin?
Those who eat a well-balanced diet typically don’t need a multivitamin. Especially if you don’t have a medical condition that would influence your vitamin intake. Though there are times that women should take multivitamins to ensure their increased needs are met. Namely, during pregnancy, when nutrition needs increase.
Sometimes our diets fail us, and multivitamins can act as a safety net to ensure we get everything we need. If you are taking other medications for those conditions, talk to your doctor before taking a multivitamin to ensure there are no interactions.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
