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Multivitamins for women are specially formulated to meet the needs of a womanโs body, containing essential vitamins, minerals, and herbs helpful for hormone, energy, digestive, or immune support.
But how are you supposed to choose between the hundreds of multivitamins on the market?
Weโve got you covered with the eight best multivitamins to meet the nutrient needs of women at all ages and life stages, from reproductive-aged to pregnant to post-menopausal.
Keep reading to learn more about all eight multivitamins for women we recommend, including dietary supplements specific for women aged 50+, pregnancy, hormonal support and PMS symptoms, hair, skin, and nail health, and vision support.
Top Pick: Garden of Life Mykind Organics Women’s Once Daily Multivitamin
Description
All of the 19 vitamins and minerals in this women-focused supplement utilize Clean Tablet Technology, a patent-pending process that uses only organic, whole food ingredients instead of synthetic nutrients.
For women during pre-conception, pregnancy, and lactation; Stomach-friendly iron; Ginger for morning sickness and digestive comfort; Probiotic immune support for mom and baby
Best for: Women aged 19-50, digestive health, and antioxidant support.
Our overall best pick for a womenโs multivitamin is the Garden of Life Vitamin Code Women’s Multivitamin for its high quantity of vitamins and minerals primarily derived from raw, whole food ingredients or cultivated from healthy bacteria.
For example, the iodine in this supplement is derived from organic sea kelp, and many of the vitamins are cultivated from the probiotic bacteria S. cerevisiae.
In addition to 20 vitamins and minerals, this multivitamin contains 23 fruits and vegetables that add antioxidants and nutrients, including organic beet, broccoli, tart cherry, red cabbage, ginger, and more.
This multivitamin also provides beneficial digestive enzymes and live probiotics to support digestion and an antioxidant and immune support complex consisting of glutathione and coenzyme Q10.
Best Multivitamin With Omega-3 Fats: Ritual Multivitamin for Women
Pros
Contains omega-3 fats
Affordable
Mint-flavored capsule improves taste
Has been clinically studied
Cons
Doesnโt contain all vitamins and minerals that some women might need
Best for: Reproductive-aged women looking for brain and bone health support.
The Ritual Multivitamin for Women is designed to target the nutrients that reproductive-aged women are more likely to be lacking inโiron, magnesium, boron, folate, omega-3 fats, and vitamins B12, D, E, and K2.
The combination of omega-3 fats (in the form of DHA) and methylated vitamin B12 is thought to support brain health and cognition, while vitamins D and K2, boron, and magnesium help maintain bone strength.
They also have the research behind their vitamin, as a peer-reviewed clinical study found that women taking Ritual multivitamins for 12 weeks had a 43% increase in vitamin D and a 41% increase in omega-3 DHA levels compared to those taking a placebo.
Ritualโs Patented Beadlet In Oil Technology keeps the fat-soluble and water-soluble components separate, and the delayed-release design allows the nutrients to reach the small intestine for better absorption.
Lastly, the mint-essenced flavor of the capsules provides a more favorable supplement-taking experienceโno chalkiness or off-putting taste with this multivitamin.
Best Multivitamin for Women Over 50: Garden of Life Vitamin Code 50 & Wiser Women
Pros
Has proper amounts of some nutrients for the needs of women 50 and wiser
The Garden of Life Vitamin Code 50 & Wiser Women is the perfect multivitamin supplement for post-menopausal women, as the need for supplemental iron diminishes after menstruation ends.
Although this supplement requires taking four capsules per day, it may eliminate the need to take probiotics or gut health supplements due to the live bacteria and digestive enzymes present.
However, this multivitamin does not contain calciumโthe mineral is difficult to add because of its large size; plus, there are downsides to supplemental calciumโso women over 50 may need to ensure adequate calcium intake from their diet to support bone health.
Best All-Natural, Organic Multivitamin: Garden of Life Mykind Organics Women’s Once Daily Multivitamin
Rather than using synthetic vitamins and minerals, these 19 nutrients are created using Clean Tablet Technologyโa patent-pending process that derives nutrients from organic foods.
This supplement is currently the only brand of vitamins available that is dual certified, meaning it is both Certified USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified.
The multivitamin also has a blend of 30 powdered fruits and vegetables to add more antioxidants, including organic garlic, parsley, holy basil, guava, cauliflower, kale, and more.
Most of the vitamins and minerals in this supplement are set at just over 100% of the RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance), with 200% or more for vitamins D3 and B12.
However, some of the minerals are in lower doses (iron, magnesium, and calcium) because these minerals are incredibly bulky and would require additional capsules (many women prefer to take just one capsule).
The natural food-based nutrients may be more easily absorbed and bioavailable than synthetic nutrients, making this multivitamin one of the best for reproductive-aged women to get the vitamins and minerals they need.
Best Multivitamin to Support Hormones: Hi-Health Women’s Multi
Pros
Reasonably priced
Contains herbs and compounds for hormone and energy support
May help with menopausal or PMS symptoms
Cons
Three tablets serving size
High amount of vitamin C may cause gastrointestinal upset
Not to be used during pregnancy, lactation, or with hormone-specific cancers
TheHi-Health Women’s Multi is a high-potency multivitamin with 43 vitamins, minerals, herbs, and compounds to support womenโs health.
Ingredients in the โWomenโs Support Complexโ for hormonal health include:
Dong Quai root extract: A root used in traditional Chinese medicine; it is suggested to help with cramps, irregular or infrequent periods, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and menopausal symptomsโhowever, the research is limited.
Black cohosh root extract: A root commonly used to help with hot flashes or menopausal symptoms, it may also help with PMS and menstrual cramps.
Uva Ursi leaf extract: A plant traditionally used by Native Americans, uva ursi may help with bladder health and fight urinary tract infections.
Chaste tree berry extract: Some studies suggest that chaste berry extract might be helpful for symptoms of PMS or breast pain related to the menstrual cycle, but research is not conclusive.
Soy isoflavones: Derived from soybeans, isoflavones are phytoestrogensโplant-based compounds that mimic estrogen activityโand may help with menopausal hot flashes.
As these ingredients have not all been well studied and can affect various aspects of hormonal balance, pregnant or lactating women should not take this supplement.
Itโs also not recommended that women with hormone-sensitive cancers such as breast, uterine, or ovarian cancer should take this supplement, as some of the compounds act similarly to estrogen in the body.
If youโre unsure how these ingredients will interact with your health status, talk with your healthcare provider before starting this supplement.
Best Hair, Skin, and Nail Multivitamin: Solaray Once Daily Woman Multivitamin
Pros
Least expensive
3-month supply
Ingredients to support hair, skin, and nail health
Best for: Women on a budget who want extra support for hair, skin, and nails.
Containing ingredients thought to be supportive for hair, skin, and nail health, the Solaray Once Daily Woman Multivitamin is a great budget option for women with concerns in these areas.
Other than the wide array of vitamins and minerals, this supplementcontains MSM (methylsulfonylmethane), an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compound that plays an important role in collagen synthesis.
It also contains L-cysteine (an amino acid needed to make the antioxidant glutathione), L-methionine (a sulfur-containing amino acid that may help facilitate keratin production in the hair shaft), and high amounts of biotin (vitamin B7), which is thought to support hair and nail growth.
Lastly, the Solaray multivitamin provides some lesser-seen nutrients, like choline, molybdenum, and chromium, as well as digestive enzymes and tomato, carrot, and broccoli powder.
Best Prenatal Multivitamin: Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal Multivitamin
Pros
Contains ginger for morning sickness and digestive comfort
Uses a stomach-friendly iron to reduce nausea or GI upset
Some benefits of this prenatal are that it contains ginger to help alleviate morning sickness and uses a stomach-friendly iron (brown rice chelate) to reduce nausea or digestive upsetโcommon symptoms with supplemental iron.
This prenatal also contains folate in a whole food form rather than folic acid, which is thought to be more bioavailable. Plus, the multivitamin provides digestive enzymes and live probiotics to support both mother’s and babyโs immune systems.
Best Eye Health Multivitamin: Hi-Health Ocucel Multi
Best for: Post-menopausal women needing vision or eye health support.
The Hi-Health Ocucel Multi is not specifically targeted to women, but the ingredient formulation makes it a beneficial supplement for post-menopausal women with vision or eye concerns.
The main vision-supporting compounds in this supplement are lutein and zeaxanthinโantioxidants known as carotenoids that accumulate in the eye’s retina.
Research has found that lutein and zeaxanthin consumption may help with vision by filtrating blue light, providing antioxidant activity, fighting oxidative damage in the eye, and enhancing contrast sensitivity.
This supplement also contains 23 essential nutrients and additional antioxidants, including coenzyme Q10, bilberry fruit extract, the plant flavonol rutin, and citrus bioflavonoids.
However, because it doesnโt contain any iron, it may be best for post-menopausal women.
Multivitamins for Women Buyerโs Guide
While all nutrients are important, women require some vitamins and minerals in greater amounts.
When searching for a multivitamin for women, nutrient levels can depend on what stage of life youโre inโteen, reproductive-aged, pregnant, lactating, menopausal, or post-menopausal.
Adult, non-pregnant women (aged 19โ50) are commonly deficient in several nutrients, including vitamin D, iron, and vitamin B6.
Post-menopausal women tend to be low in vitamin D and calcium, although supplemental calcium is not always recommended.
Plus, older womenโand often younger women, tooโcan have inadequate consumption or levels of magnesium and vitamins C, D, B6, and B12.
Therefore, you should look for supplements with nutrients specific to your current life stage.
Other factors to consider when buying a multivitamin for women include certifications, like organic, non-GMO, vegan, or gluten-free, and if the product is manufactured in facilities that adhere to current good manufacturing practices (cGMPs).
Keep in mind that not everyone needs to take a multivitamin supplementโif you eat a healthy and well-balanced diet, you may only need to supplement with single nutrients (i.e., vitamin D3) or none at all.
While some vitamins and minerals are safe to take if you donโt actually need them (including water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C and B vitamins), others can be harmful if taken in excess (like vitamin A, calcium, and iron).
FAQs About Multivitamins for Women
What Ingredients Are in a Womenโs Multivitamin?
Common ingredients in a womenโs multivitamin include folate, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, iron, vitamin C, magnesium, and niacin.
Should A Woman Take a Multivitamin Every Day?
It depends on the personโsome people donโt eat enough nutrient-rich foods and would benefit from a daily womenโs multivitamin.
If youโre not sure, ask your doctor to check your nutrient levels and see if youโd benefit from a daily multivitamin.
In general, most people would be fine with taking a daily multivitamin.
As an aside, vegans and vegetarians should be mindful of their nutrient needs and would likely need to supplement with vitamin B12; they may also be low in vitamin D, iron, calcium, and zinc.
Do Women’s Multivitamins Actually Work?
It can be difficult to tell if multivitamins are actually working unless you had a deficiency in a certain vitamin or mineral.
While some studies have found that multivitamins can help to protect against certain diseases, others have shown no connection.
Do Women Need to Take a Multivitamin?
It dependsโsome women may need to take a multivitamin while others donโt.
Conditions that increase the need for multivitamins include pregnancy, lactation, vegan or vegetarianism, and poor diet.
Key Takeaways
As many people donโt consume the recommended intake of vitamins and minerals daily, many women take multivitamins for nutritional insurance.
The best multivitamins for women contain life-stage-specific levels of nutrients and have third-party tested certifications to ensure quality.
Not all women need to take a multivitaminโtalk to your doctor if youโre unsure.
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