Ideally, the food we eat should contain all the nutrients we need for our health and wellbeing. That’s not the case for many of us though. Numerous factors ranging from chronic stress and the rush of day-to-day life, to environmental pollution and a diminishing access to nutrient-rich foods means it’s becoming harder to get the nourishment we require from our meals alone. Many people are living a nutrient-deficient life without even knowing it.
Yet, a failure to obtain the right amount of vitamins and minerals does not only mean body processes do not run efficiently but it also predisposes you to long term health problems. Multivitamins can help bridge the nutrient gap by making available the vitamins and minerals you require in the quantities needed for a healthy, wholesome life.
The multivitamin segment is one of the largest in the supplement space with thousands of brands to choose from. Choosing the right one can be difficult. It does not help that on average, multivitamins have a larger number of ingredients compared to other supplement segments. Few people will have the time or money to go through dozens of multivitamins to find the right one. Worse, the FDA does not regulate supplements in the strict way it does conventional drugs — it only oversees adulteration and mislabeling.
The good news? We have done the difficult legwork for you and come up with a shortlist of the best women’s multivitamins. These five multivitamins demonstrate better results compared to their peers. So, let’s get to it.
Best Women’s Multivitamins
Powher Multivitamin
5 of 5 stars
Opti-Women
4.8 of 5 stars
One A Day
4.6 of 5 stars
Women’s One Daily
4.5 of 5 stars
Vitamin Code
4.2 of 5 stars
Made by Ultimate Life, Powher Multivitamin aims to be the supplement you turn to when you want to optimize your body’s nutrient intake and ensure consistently healthy vitamin and mineral levels.
With the input of seasoned registered dieticians, it is formulated with women’s needs in mind and designed to support overall female wellbeing.
Powher Multivitamin is composed of more than 25 extensively researched, widely used and clinically proven ingredients.
It has higher quantities of four crucial nutrients per serving – biotin (vitamin B7), folic acid (vitamin B9), choline and iron – than most other multivitamins in the market. These play a central role in the healthy blood cell production, hair growth and pregnancy development. It also has cholecalciferol (vitamin D3), B-complex vitamins and Coenzyme Q10 all of which bolster exercise performance and post-workout recovery.
Other vitamins and minerals in Powher Multivitamin include beta-carotene (vitamin A), thiamine (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12), ascorbic acid (vitamin C), d-alpha tocopherol succinate (vitamin E), phylloquinone (vitamin K1), calcium, chromium, copper, iodine, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, potassium, selenium and zinc.Key Features
About the Manufacturer
Powher Multivitamin is a product of wellness and health supplement maker, Ultimate Life Limited. A UK-based company established in 2015, it is focused on women’s fitness and fat loss products unlike other leading supplement companies that have a much broader inventory.
Apart from Powher, the only other brand from Ultimate Life is the weight loss supplement Leanbean. Under the Powher brand, the company also makes Powher Cut and Powher Pre-Workout.
Pros and Cons
Why Buy Powher Multivitamin
Powher Multivitamin has several advantages over its peers but what makes it really stand out is the high amounts of vitamin B7, vitamin B9, choline and iron when compared to other multivitamins. These nutrients are vital for production of blood cells, hair growth as well as the health of mother and child during pregnancy.
Powher Multivitamin is also one of only two products in this top five that is purely a ‘vitamin + mineral’ multivitamin and does not contain food and herb ingredients.
A product from Optimum Nutrition, Opti-Women is a vegetarian-friendly multivitamin for women made from more than 35 widely used, extensively researched and clinically tested ingredients.
First introduced to the market more than 20 years ago, it is designed to give the body the nutrients it needs to boost immunity, support cell energy, enhance muscular health, strengthen bones and normalize metabolism.
Whereas Opti-Women has the overarching benefits you would expect from a high quality multivitamin, its main selling point is improving immunity.
That is achieved thanks to the immunity-critical ingredients of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D3, vitamin E and zinc. It also has generous quantities of the crucial micronutrients vitamin B9, calcium and iron.
Other vitamins and minerals in Opti-Women are vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin B7, vitamin B12, vitamin K, copper, iodine, magnesium, molybdenum and selenium. It also incorporates more than 15 food and herb ingredients to support overall wellbeing such as butchers broom, chasteberry, garcinia cambogia, deodorized garlic and grape.
Key Features
About the Manufacturer
It is manufactured by Optimum Nutrition, a prolific sports health products company founded in 1986 and with its headquarters in Illinois. In 2008, it was acquired by Glanbia PLC and is now a subsidiary of the Irish multinational. Optimum Nutrition’s production facility is today based in Middlesbrough, UK though its headquarters remains in the US.
Apart from Opti-women, the company has more than 50 products in its stable including Opti-Men, BCAA 1000, BCAA 5000, Essential Amin.O. Energy, Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein, Gold Standard Pro Gainer, Gold Standard Pre Advanced, Gold Standard Pre-Workout, Micronized Creatine and Serious Mass.
Pros and Cons
Why Buy Opti-Women
With a history of use going back two decades, Opti-Women is a tried and tested product that boasts hundreds of thousands of units sold over the years. It has more than 10,000 reviews on Amazon alone with the overwhelming majority being positive. Opti-Women contains the immunity-critical micronutrients of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D3, vitamin E and zinc.
A product within the One A Day brand of multivitamins, Women’s Complete Multivitamin is formulated from more than 20 extensively researched, clinically tested and widely used ingredients. These aim to address the nutritional deficiencies and health challenges women regularly grapple with.
Women’s Complete Multivitamin supports cardiovascular health, immunity, skin health, muscle function and bone health.
It has a raft of B-complex vitamins such vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin B7, vitamin B9 and vitamin B12 that are an important catalyst for energy metabolism by helping convert food to fuel.
Other ingredients in Women’s Complete Multivitamin include vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, calcium, chromium, copper, inulin, iodine, iron, manganese, selenium and zinc.
Key Features
About the Manufacturer
Women’s Complete Multivitamin is a product within the One A Day brand of multivitamins. One A Day is owned by Bayer Consumer Health, a division of global pharmaceutical behemoth Bayer. One A Day’s stable spans multivitamins for men, women, teens, kids, pregnant women, seniors, immunity support, heart support and energy support.
There are dozens of One A Day products including Men’s Complete Multivitamin, Energy Multivitamin, Postnatal Complete Multivitamin, Women’s Petites, Women’s Menopause Formula, Prenatal Advanced and Proactive 65+ for Men and Women.
Pros and Cons
Why Buy Women’s Complete Multivitamin
Women’s Complete Multivitamin boasts a rich history of formulation that goes as far back as 1940. It has proven especially useful for supporting energy metabolism and bone health. Women’s Complete Multivitamin is one of only two products in this top five that is purely a ‘vitamin + mineral’ multivitamin and does not contain food and herb ingredients. It enjoys over 14,000 reviews on Amazon alone with the overwhelming majority being positive.
Manufactured by MegaFood, Women’s One Daily is a dietary multivitamin and mineral supplement formulated to support health and wellbeing. It helps nourish your body, balance nutrient intake and protect you from illness.
For maximum impact, Women’s One Daily pairs more than 20 distinct mineral and vitamin ingredients with a food and herb blend containing over 15 organic compounds.
It contains iron to replenish the iron lost during menstruation. Women’s One Daily also supports positive response to the body changes accompanying normal hormonal swings. It delivers vitamin C, vitamin D3 and zinc to bolster natural immunity and protect bone health. Women’s One Daily has multiple B-complex vitamins to drive cellular energy and safeguard the health of the nervous system.
Other vitamin and mineral ingredients include vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin B7, vitamin B9, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin D3, vitamin E, vitamin K, boron, chromium, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium and zinc. It has an organic blend as well that comprises cranberry, blueberry, whole orange, ginger, schisandra berry and a dozen more foods and herbs.
Key Features
About the Manufacturer
Women’s One Daily is a product within the MegaFood brand of supplements first rolled out in 1973. MegaFood is a brand of FoodState, a New Hampshire-based supplement company. FoodState is owned by Pharmavite, a US subsidiary of Japanese multinational Otsuka Pharmaceutical. Megafood’s stable spans multivitamins, minerals, men’s health, women’s health, prenatal and postnatal.
There are more than 80 MegaFood products including Blood Builder, Baby & Me 2 Prenatal Multi, Elderberry Immune Support, Women Over 40 One Daily, Women Over 55 One Daily, Men’s One Daily, Kids One Daily, Multi for Men and Balanced B Complex.
Pros and Cons
Why Buy Women’s One Daily
Women’s One Daily offers a compelling value proposition. For starters, it goes beyond the traditional vitamin + mineral composition of multivitamins by incorporating real food ingredients. Also, it contains sufficient quantities of iron to replenish the blood lost during menstruation as this would otherwise steadily chip away at your iron levels. Further, Women’s One Daily supports positive responses to the body changes accompanying normal hormonal swings.
A product from Garden of Life, Vitamin Code Women is one of the best-selling multivitamins in the world. At more than 60 (comprising 23 distinct and about 40 mixed in proprietary blends), it has an exceptionally diverse mix of extensively researched and clinically proven ingredients of any supplement.
As a whole food and vegetarian-friendly multivitamin, Vitamin Code Women supports breast health, cardiovascular health, reproductive health, digestive health as well as skin and nail health.
Specifically, the vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D3, B-complex vitamins, chromium, manganese, molybdenum and selenium are vital for women’s reproductive health. Its probiotics, enzymes and glutathione support natural immunity. The vitamin K2, Coenzyme Q10, boron and vanadium boost cardiovascular health.
Vitamin Code Women’s other vitamin and mineral ingredients include vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin B7, vitamin B9, vitamin B12, vitamin E, vitamin K1, iron, iodine and zinc. Also, Vitamin Code Women has two blends. There is an organic fruit and vegetable blend comprising 24 ingredients such as apple, beet, broccoli, carrot and spinach. The probiotic and enzyme blend is made up of more than a dozen ingredients including lipase, protease, lactase and papain.
Key Features
About the Manufacturer
It is made by Garden of Life, a Florida-based company founded in 2000. Garden of Life is today a subsidiary of Nestlé, one of the largest food companies in the world. There are more than 350 products in the Garden of Life stable including Women’s Once Daily, Vitamin Code Raw D3, Vitamin Code Raw Vitamin C, Vitamin Code Raw B-Complex, Raw Organic Meal, Raw Organic Protein, Raw Organic Fit, Grass Fed Collagen Peptides and Organic Plant-Based Protein.
Pros and Cons
Why Buy Vitamin Code Women
Vitamin Code Women has a diversity of ingredients that few multivitamins can match. It balances vitamins and minerals with a blend of fruits, vegetables, probiotics, enzymes and antioxidants. This vegetarian multivitamin does not just strengthen immunity, cardiovascular function and musculoskeletal health but also enhances digestive, skin and nail health. Vitamin Code Women has more than 11,000 reviews on Amazon alone with the overwhelming majority being positive.
Conclusion
Rigorous exercise, restful sleep and a diet devoid of junk food does not necessarily mean your body is getting everything it needs to fire from all cylinders. You can eat an impressive range of fruit, vegetables, whole grain, good fat and lean meat but still fall short of the crucial vitamins and minerals you require. Little wonder that about a third of Americans adults as well as a quarter of children and teens take multivitamins or supplements.
The five multivitamins we have covered here stand out for their ability to help optimize your nutrient intake thereby giving your body better capacity to fuel metabolism, repair itself and eliminate toxins. They are the best in class for multiple reasons such as their clinically proven ingredients, the quality of production facilities and their focus on women.
Not every person needs to take multivitamins. Some people are fortunate to get all the nutrients they require from their meals. Multivitamins can however be useful in bridging known nutrient deficiencies as well as meeting the demands of particular life stages such as pregnancy, infancy and old age.
Talk to your doctor before using multivitamins more so if you are breastfeeding, pregnant, under 18, diagnosed with a long term illness or on medication. For example, vitamin K can hamper the effectiveness of blood thinners.Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
They are formulated to work for the majority of women. That said, multivitamins are not a substitute for a balanced diet. You still need to eat healthy, exercise and have adequate sleep.
They are manufactured from widely used, extensively researched and clinically proven ingredients. As with any supplement, talk to a healthcare professional before you start use especially if you are pregnant, nursing, under 18 or on medication.
Expect to wait anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks. This however depends on multiple factors such as the multivitamin’s formulation, extent of nutrient deficiency, consistency of use and adherence to healthy habits.
They have no known side effects.
Yes. But before doing so, check the product manufacturer’s instructions and speak to your healthcare professional. Also, pay attention to common ingredients between the multivitamins just to be sure you will not inadvertently drift into the realm of vitamin/mineral toxicity. Still, if you are trying out a particular multivitamin for the first time, it is best to take it on its own at the beginning. That way, you can establish whether it will work for you before you start to mix it with another multivitamin.