Nine out of ten Americans’ diets don’t hit the bare-bones baseline recommendations for key vitamins and minerals, particularly:
Multivitamins can’t make up for bad dietary choices, but they can help close the gap on nutrient deficiencies.
Even Americans who aren’t technically deficient in a particular vitamin or mineral (for example, getting enough vitamin C to prevent scurvy) may not be getting optimal levels for vitality and well-being.
Choosing a Multivitamin
No one multivitamin works for everyone, but in the sea of choices, you’ll easily find one that’s perfect for you.
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Find Natural Ingredients
Check out the fine print!
Look for ingredients like d-alpha tocopherols (versus synthetic dl-alpha) for vitamin E and natural carotenoids under vitamin A, which will be better utilized by the body.
Avoid synthetic flavors, colorings, and preservatives in the “Other Ingredients” list, and avoid adulterated supplements.
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Potency and Quality
Sometimes a lower-potency multivitamin easily outweighs a mega-dose tablet because the lower-potency one offers high-quality forms of each ingredient.
If this doesn’t it your budget, stick to a basic once daily multivitamin.
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High-Quality Forms
Consider paying more for the multivitamin with higher-quality vitamins and minerals, such as:
- co-enzyme B vitamins
- methylcobalamin B12 (instead of cyanocobalamin)
- the selenomethionine form of selenium
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Food-Sourced Vitamins
Consider food-sourced, fermented, and/or organic multivitamins (but expect lower doses of each vitamin). These forms are generally better utilized by the body and cause less digestive upset, but they’re not cheap.
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Easy to Swallow
Glance at the pill size if possible (rattle opaque bottles) to make sure it’s something you can comfortably swallow, opting for smooth edges.
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Breaks Down Well
Capsules break down more easily but don’t hold as much as tablets. Pop a pill in water with a splash of vinegar to get an idea of how well it breaks down.
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Timing and Dosage
Look at the tiny print under “Supplement Facts” to see how many pills you’re expected to take per day to get the doses listed for each vitamin and mineral.
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Multi Daily
The more pills per day, the more optimal those levels should be—especially for bulky ingredients like calcium and magnesium.
(You’re usually better off taking an additional cal-mag supplement regardless of the amount offered by your multi.)
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Once Daily
If you know you’re not likely to take more than one pill per day, stick with a “once daily” vitamin, which will give you more optimal levels of micronutrients like B vitamins, vitamins C and D, and microminerals in one pill.
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For a Sensitive Stomach
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Control Your Dosage
High doses of B vitamins and zinc make some people queasy.
Choose a two-(or more)-a-day multi so you can divide the dose, or choose a food-sourced brand.
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Don't Take on an Empty Stomach
Always take your multivitamin with food, ideally a solid breakfast.
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For Specific Groups
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Men and Older Women
Multis geared toward men and older women usually don’t contain iron and often offer additional ingredients such as lycopene and targeted herb blends (in low doses).
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Pregnant Women
Prenatals target healthy fetal growth with more folate and iron and less vitamin A.
For the most nutrition support or for sensitive stomachs, choose a prenatal with several pills per day. But if you know you’re apt to take only one, go for a once-daily formula.
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Seniors with Meds
Some multivitamins for elders are less likely to interact with meds, but always check with your healthcare practitioner.
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Vegans / Vegetarians
Seek vegan or vegetarian multivitamins if you want to avoid animal ingredients.
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