An Expert’s Guide to Women’s Multivitamins

Nowadays, we know that an inside-out approach to wellness should be top of mind—a practice made easier once you’ve unearthed the best multivitamin for women. Dr. Jennifer Martin-Biggers, HUM’s vice president of scientific affairs and education, puts it like this: Multivitamins are not a substitute for a healthy diet but rather provide the nutrients missing. 

The Best Multivitamins for Women

What are multivitamins and why are they so beneficial?

“Multivitamins are dietary supplements that contain vitamins and minerals in differing quantities and often at levels that are recommended for overall health support and to meet dietary shortfalls,” Martin-Biggers says. “The body absorbs vitamins and minerals from multivitamins similarly to the way it does from food. The nutrients are broken down in the digestive system and then absorbed into the bloodstream, where they are transported to different parts of the body to carry out their functions.” 

According to Mastaneh Sharafi, vice president of scientific and clinical affairs at Ritual, there is a multitude of factors aside from diet that might create these nutrient gaps. “Genetic variations, age, and current life stage” are a few concerns that may lead someone to consider a multivitamin. “Multivitamins offer many of the vitamins and minerals that are essential to your health,” Martin-Biggers says. “For instance, a multivitamin may help contribute to better energy levels, a properly functioning immune system, improved mood, and bone health.”

Who can benefit from multivitamins?

So, should everyone be taking a multivitamin? Sammi Haber Brondo, MS, RD, explains that their usages are highly individualized. “In general, I’d recommend one for pregnant women (who should take a prenatal multivitamin) or anyone who knows from blood work that they’re deficient in certain nutrients.” Otherwise, she says a multivitamin could be beneficial for the following groups of people: “those who live in areas without much sunlight and therefore don’t get much vitamin D, those following a vegan diet, which is often lacking in vitamin B12, and those who don’t eat many fruit or vegetables, and therefore don’t naturally consume as many vitamins and minerals.” Dietician Dr. Megan Rossi notes that because of potential nutrient deficiencies as you age, it can also be beneficial for those 50 and older to take multivitamins too. That said, always consult with a trusted healthcare provider before selecting an appropriate vitamin or supplement. 

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What should you look for in a multivitamin?

Below, Sharafi and Martin-Biggers detail the nutrients they’d consider in a good multivitamin:

• Vitamin D and calcium: “[These] are two important nutrients to look for in a multivitamin, as they are critical for strong bones, your immune system, and skin health,” Martin-Biggers says.
• Omega-3 DHA: “It’s important for supporting brain health, heart health, and vision, yet up to 95% of women aged 18 and up are not getting their recommended daily value of Omega-3s from their diet,” Sharafi says.
• Folate: “Folate supports red blood cell health, normal energy-yielding metabolism, and neurotransmitters in the brain, which is why it’s important to include this in your multivitamin routine,” Sharafi says. “However, up to 1/3 of the population has a genetic polymorphism which makes it more difficult for them to efficiently utilize folic acid.”
• Vitamin E: “This important nutrient helps fight against free radicals, yet many women aged 18 and up don’t get the recommended daily amount of vitamin E through diet alone,” Sharafi says. “When it comes to this nutrient, it’s important to look for a multivitamin with Vitamin E sourced from mixed tocopherols.”
• Zinc: “Zinc is involved in over 300 enzymes and biological activities in the body and plays an important role in our skin’s health,” Martin-Biggers says.
• Vitamin B12: “B12 can often be hard to come by in a plant-based diet,” Sharafi admits. “B12 is important for helping support energy-yielding metabolism and normal cell division.”
• Iron: “Iron is lost during menstruation, so boosting your iron intake with a multivitamin can be beneficial,” Martin-Biggers notes.
• Vitamin K2: “Vitamin K2 can be more difficult to find in typical Western diets than Vitamin K1. Vitamin K2 MK7 form is shown to be absorbed more efficiently than other Vitamin K forms and can help support bone health and vascular health,” Sharafi explains.
• Magnesium: “Magnesium plays a role in various different processes in the body (from bone health to cell division and more). The caveat is that we need a lot of it for it to do its job well, and many of us don’t get enough through diet alone,” Sharafi says.

Ready to find the right women’s multivitamin for you? Read on to discover the best supplements to consider. 

All-Around Pick

Nature Made Multivitamin for Her

Where does Brondo turn to for multivitamins? Oftentimes, it’s Nature Made because “[the capsules] usually contain nutrient amounts that are specific to the population they’re made for.” The Multivitamin for Her is USP Verified, containing 23 key nutrients to provide support to the metabolism, bones, muscles, and immune system—from folic acid to calcium and iron.

The Iron-Enriched

HUM Base Control Women’s Multivitamin With Iron

“HUM Base Control is our women’s multivitamin with iron that provides 22 vitamins and minerals that can help you meet the recommended daily allowance for most nutrients,” Martin-Biggers says. Vitamin A, vitamin B3, calcium, iron, iodine, magnesium, copper, and zinc are just a few of the nutrients housed in each vegan tablet, free of artificial preservatives and sweeteners. 

The Delayed-Release

Ritual Essential for Women Multivitamin 18+

“The patented delayed-release capsule contains high-quality nutrients including omega-3 DHA from microalgae, vitamin D3 from lichen, and methylated folate,” says Sharafi of Ritual’s multivitamin known as an excellent supplement for women 18–50. “It’s USP verified, Non-GMO Project verified and, in a peer-reviewed clinical trial, was shown to increase vitamin D and omega-3 DHA levels in 12 weeks.” This is designed to aid not only hair, skin, and nails, but also red blood cell formation, antioxidant support, bone and brain health.

For Women 50+

One A Day Women’s 50+ Complete Multivitamin

Brondo is a fan of One A Day Women’s multivitamin, which offers a selection of supplements to support whatever concerns you may have. Formulated specifically for women over 50, this supplement looks to promote the overall health of the eyes, bones, heart, joints, and immune system. 

The Prenatal

Thorne Basic Prenatal

Prenatal supplements help fill nutrient gaps to support a healthy pregnancy for both mom and baby. One crucial nutrient is folic acid or folate. “Getting enough folate, a B vitamin, is especially important for women who may become pregnant, since adequate folate can help lower the risk of having a baby with spina bifida or anencephaly,” Rossi says. Through additional nutrients like calcium, vitamin A, choline, manganese, and more, this looks to provide support from pre-conception through nursing. 

The Postnatal

Anya Postnatal Multivitamin + Omega-3

How should you address bodily changes post-pregnancy? Enter Anya’s postnatal supplement. The multivitamin is powered by vegan Omega-3s, vitamin C, vitamin D3, folate, and iron to support the specific needs of a new mom.

The Gummy

Olly Women’s Multivitamin Gummy

Not interested in capsule-form multivitamins? This Olly pick is a tasty gummy vitamin that makes bridging your dietary gaps that much easier. Not to mention it’s enriched with a blend of vitamins A, B, C, D, E, biotin, and folic acid to support mental energy, glowing skin, and strong bones.

The Iron-Free

New Chapter One Daily Every Woman’s Multivitamin 55+

It is often recommended that postmenopausal women avoid iron supplements. Luckily, there are good iron-free multivitamins that leave out the mineral, like this option by New Chapter. The NSF-certified supplement is rich in vitamins, minerals, and superfood botanicals gentle enough to take on an empty stomach.

The Subscription

Care/of The Foundation Multivitamin

Housed in convenient daily packs shipped right to your door, Care/of’s supplements take the guesswork out of your daily vitamin intake. Containing vitamins D3, K2, and B12, this looks to fill nutritional gaps often found in a typical American diet.