Every woman should be taking a daily multivitamin. There's such an emphasis on fancy diets and workouts today. Meanwhile, one of the simplest ways to take care of ourselves gets overlooked. As a female nutritionist, I'm always quick to ask about the vitamins and supplements my clients are taking before moving forward into discussions about anything else. Let's talk about everything you need to know about picking the right women's multivitamin.
Table Summary of My Top Picks
Vitamin | Type | Price | My Take |
|---|---|---|---|
Capsule | $33 | I could tell right away, this multivitamin is made with high-quality ingredients | |
Gummies | $26.99 | Excellent gummy multivitamin that tastes great | |
Gummy Drops | $39 | Another delicious gummy multivitamin from a brand that's been doing it for a very long time. They also offer vitamins for kids, men's and teens (the family) | |
Capsules | $29.95 | Great price point, a lot of research when into creating this multivitamin - overall a great vitamin for women | |
Capsules | $29.99 | 1st Phorm is one of the best supplement brands out there, this women's multivitamin works | |
Capsules | $70 | A really good multivitamin for women, but super expensive | |
Capsules | $29.95 | By far the best vegan multivitamin for women | |
Gummies | $22.95 (code FITHEALTHY gives you additional 20% off) | One of my favorites for sure, the taste of these gummies are amazing and Mary Ruth's has an outstanding family brand | |
Capsules | $33 | These are the best if you want to improve your sexual health | |
10. Femometer | Gummies | $35.59 | A newer women's brand, but these gummies are really good, but are priced on the higher side. |
Essential Vitamins a Woman Should Be Taking
Do you know the essential vitamins and minerals every woman should be taking daily? There are seven core factors to know about when comparing multivitamins. I'll take you through each one!
Calcium
You don't just need calcium when you're growing up! Calcium is essential for maintaining strong bones throughout life. In addition, calcium is essential for healthy heart, nerve, and muscle function. Calcium can help to prevent osteoporosis as women age. This becomes especially important during the post-menopausal phase of life because the estrogen dip that's experienced actually speeds up bone loss. There's also some evidence that calcium may help to reduce risks for certain cancers.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is also essential for bone health. In addition, adequate vitamin D intake has been associated with reduced risks for poor cognitive health, multiple sclerosis (MS), some cancers, and osteoporosis. Common symptoms of low vitamin D include fatigue, poor sleep, bone pain, body aches, depression, hair loss, muscle weakness, and a weakened immune system. According to researchers, approximately 35% of adults in the United States suffer from vitamin D deficiency.
Folate
Also known as vitamin B9, folate (folic acid) plays an important role in red blood cell formation, cell growth, and growth function. Research shows that having adequate folate levels is linked to lower blood pressure, reduced risks of cardiovascular disease, and reduced Alzheimer's risks. Having low folate can lead to muscle weakness, brain fog, mouth ulcers, depression, and vision problems.
Iron
Iron is an important mineral that helps the body produce hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. Iron deficiency is not uncommon among American women. Symptoms include tiredness, weakness, low energy, poor digestion, poor memory, and a weakened immune system.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that protects the cells from free radicals responsible for illness and aging. We know that free radicals may factor into why we develop heart disease, cancer, and other illnesses. In addition to helping us stay younger, vitamin C is a powerhouse for the immune system. Getting enough daily vitamin C is one of the best ways to reduce both the frequency and duration of colds.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 has many benefits for women. It plays an important role in the formation of red bloods, cell metabolism, nerve function, and DNA production. In addition to helping us feel energetic and vibrant, vitamin B12 may also reduce risks for osteoporosis, macular degeneration, and high blood pressure. Vitamin B12 is also a natural mood booster due to its role in synthesizing and metabolizing serotonin.
Magnesium
Magnesium facilitates hundreds of diverse biochemical reactions in the body! We need it for energy production. However, it's one of the most overlooked supplements. Some common symptoms of low magnesium include fatigue, shaking, and pins-and-needles sensations, and muscle spasms.
Should Women Take a Multivitamin Supplement?
Absolutely! It's honestly foolish not to take a daily vitamin if you're a woman of any age. As I'll cover in a minute, you don't have to deal with fancy, complicated formulas to get what you need to optimize your health.
What's Better: Eating Whole Foods or Taking a Multivitamin Supplement?
Who said we had to choose? In an ideal world, you'd eat a rainbow of fruits, vegetables, raw nuts, beans, lean meats, fresh fish, eggs, and whole grains every single day. In reality, you'll be having a good day if you can manage to get meat, grains, vegetables, and fruit one a single plate at least once. I always prioritize food as the best way to get all of the vitamins and minerals the body needs to function. However, I'm also a realist. I know that getting 100% of every vitamin and mineral every day just isn't realistic. Vitamins can help to fill in nutritional gaps left by the average diet. That's why I take a both/and approach instead of an either/or approach to diet and vitamins.
How I Chose the Top Vitamins for Women
Let me show you a peek behind the curtain of how I chose the best multivitamins for women using my own vetting process. As a woman myself, this little experiment was important to me.
I Chose Women's Wellness Brands
In my experience, products made for women are simply the best for women. We have different dietary needs that are shaped by everything from estrogen reactions to body size. That's why I'll generally only entertain women's vitamins when my own clients are women.
I Considered Price
While many fitness influencers have thousands of extra dollars to spend on vitamins and supplements each month, the average woman looking for optimal nutrition doesn't. That's why every vitamin that made my list is within a realistic price range for the average person. Most overpriced vitamins are really only charging you extra for the hype factor.
I Personally Tested All the Vitamins Out
I am only recommending vitamins I've tried! As a nutritionist specializing in women's health, it's important for me to only recommend products that I am familiar with because I've vetted them using my own parameters for excellence. I'm also big on seeing how easily tolerated a product really is when it's taken in real life.
I Ranked Them According to How I Felt After Taking Them
My rankings reflect the improvements in energy levels, digestion, sleep, and overall wellness that I experienced after taking each product. While my impressions were also shaped by the ingredients and production value behind each product, my own experience with a product ultimately had the final say about where it ranked.
What Is the Best Multivitamin for Women? Here Are My Top Picks and Why
I'm finally ready to unveil the women's multivitamins that really rocked my world as a nutritionist. This list of winners surely offers something for every woman looking for real, inexpensive solutions for feeling better.
#1. Ritual Women’s Essential Multivitamin
This terrific vitamin features omega-3 DHA from vegan sources, folate, vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, vitamin K2, vitamin E, boron, and magnesium. I chose Essential Vitamin for Women by Ritual as the best multivitamin for women because it combines cleanness and quality like few vitamins on the market today!
Why I Love It
This USP-certified vitamin is made with traceable ingredients. Ritual formulates these pristine ingredients using delayed-release capsules that dissolve later in the small intestine for optimal nutrient absorption. I love that these high-quality capsules are bottled with the essence of mint for extra freshness! I also love the very reasonable price. In addition, customers get free shipping with every order.
What Could Be Improved
I always appreciate that Ritual focuses on quality. However, I do wish that the formula was slightly more complete because there's one "must-have" element missing for me. There's no vitamin C in this multivitamin.
Opositiv DISCO is such a complete vitamin formula! First, this multivitamin takes care of the basics by offering vitamins A, C, D3, E, B1, B2, B3, B6, and B12. Next, it brings everything home with iodine, zinc, selenium, DHA, folate, and biotin. I think this can be a great "beauty vitamin" for anyone hoping to find a multivitamin that's great for hair, skin, and nails.
Why I Love It
It doesn't get any easier than this tasty gummy multivitamin featuring 15 core vitamins and minerals. OPositiv even goes deep with wellness with this formula by adding adaptogens (ashwagandha and rhodiola) to promote stress relief and improved cognition. I am surprised by how affordable these high-quality vitamins are!
What Could Be Improved
While I love the tropical flavors, I had a little trouble with the consistency of the gummies. It wasn't really a big deal! My only complaint is that you may not find the adaptogens necessary if you're not feeling particularly frazzled by life.
This is a great "basic" vitamin offering vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B9, B12, C, D3, and K. You're also getting magnesium, zinc, and biotin. Most people will enjoy these tasty, low-sugar gummies. While the price is on the lower end for my list, it's about right considering the simplicity of the formula.
Why I Love It
I like that First Day vitamins puts so much quality into a no-frills formula that can work for just about any woman. Made in Germany, these gummies are brought to life with organic, non-GMO fruits and veggies. I also like that they thought to throw in biotin because it's so great for hair, skin, and nails!
What Could Be Improved
I feel like the dosages are a little skimpy with some of the vitamins and nutrients in this formula. Most are below 100% of the daily recommended intake. Of course, that could work to your advantage if you're only looking for a little something to push you to the finish line with daily requirements if you're really focused on eating a "whole" diet.
Featuring 21 key vitamins and minerals in an easy-to-swallow capsule, this multivitamin is made in a GMP-certified facility in the United States. This formula gives you vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, biotin, calcium, iodine, zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, chromium, molybdenum, lycopene, and lutein.
Why I Love It
This is a great full-spectrum wellness formula. I think you'll really like it if you work out hard because it's full of essentials for replenishing the body. I was personally impressed by the brand's decision to add vitamin E and vitamin C for antioxidant power that helps with everything from energy levels to skin vibrancy! It's also easy to see how the ingredients in this formula can work together to provide stress support for boosting mood, focus, and mental clarity. The price is also terrific for a vitamin that "has everything."
What Could Be Improved
I love the completeness of this formula. However, I do wonder if selenium, molybdenum, and some of the other "extras" are really necessary for all women seeking basic multivitamins.
M-Factor Goddess is all about giving the body oxidative protection. Full of micronutrients and key amino acids that protect the immune system, this is a pharmaceutical-grade vitamin designed to help the body to function at its best. There's almost too much packed into this compressive daily vitamin to list here. First, you're getting vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, biotin, calcium, iodine, selenium, copper, manganese, chromium, and molybdenum. There's also a built-in energy boost layered on top of that in the form of the 1st Phorm's Performance Energy Complex that features green tea extract, EGCG, catechins, polyphenols, taurine, L-tyrosine, ginseng, ginkgo biloba, terpenes, and other proven energy boosters.
Why I Love It
In addition to containing all the essential vitamins and minerals you can dream of in a multivitamin, this product also contains precise ratios of vitamins and minerals to support the body's diverse biochemical functions. I think this multivitamin can be incredible for getting out of a slump if you've been struggling with feelings of depletion and low energy.
What Could Be Improved
I do want to note that the serving size for this multivitamin is three capsules. Almost every other brand requires two capsules per day. Luckily, the price is reasonable enough to take the hit. My last complaint is that this product uses artificial dyes for coloring that I find to be unnecessary.
#6. Mindbodygreen
Mindbodygreen's multivitamin offers 14 vitamins, 13 minerals, and six botanical bioactives! The list includes all the essential vitamins, chelated and marine minerals, algal vitamin D3, glutathione, resveratrol, piperine, and carotenoids. It's hard to call this "just" a multivitamin when it leverages so much of the science we know about anti-aging medicine. You're not going to find another vitamin offering plant bioactives derived from marigolds, red tomato, black pepper, and other botanicals!
Why I Love It
This multivitamin combines essential vitamins (A, B6, B12, C, D, E, K, folate, calcium, chelated iron, zinc, copper, manganese, chromium, molybdenum, boron, potassium, iodine, selenium, and bamboo-derived silica) with a cocktail of proven "longevity botanicals" that are known to offer anti-aging, anti-disease properties. In addition, Mindbodygreen gets precise with dosages to increase bioavailability and bioactivity for every ingredient. This USA-made vitamin is a next-level product featuring ingredients that were only known by researchers and anti-aging influencers up until very recently.
What Could Be Improved
While I love everything about this vitamin, it does break my rule for recommending women's vitamins only. This formula is for both men and women. In addition, I can see how the price tag on this vitamin is out of the budget range for many people. However, subscribing knocks $11 off the retail price.
Future Kind Essential for Vegans is an excellent choice for women who live the vegan lifestyle. This USA-made multivitamin packs the nutrition of 42 raw fruits and vegetables into every serving! It covers your needs for vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, biotin, choline, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, chromium, and potassium. However, covering the basics is only the beginning. There's also a robust enzyme complex featuring bromelain, amylase, papain, and lipase. Next, you're getting a long list of wellness extras that includes spirulina algae, green tea, echinacea, kelp, boron, apple pectin, psyllium husk powder, and much more.
Why I Love It
I can't recommend these citrus-scented vitamins enough for anyone who struggles with digestive issues. In fact, you'll love the clean taste and easy "reception" if you often struggle with keeping vitamins down. This is one of the only multivitamins on the market today offering plant-based enzymes that support a healthy digestion, colon health, and optimal nutrient absorption. This vitamin also has built-in probiotic power in the form of 30 million CFUs of Lactobacillus acidophilus.
What Could Be Improved
The serving on this multivitamin is three per day. In addition, it's actually a unisex vitamin that's not exclusively designed for women. However, I can tell you with confidence that the ingredient more than addresses many of the common wellness concerns of women.
Get 20% off with Mary Ruth's Coupon Code FITHEALTHY
Mary Ruth's is a family organic supplement brand. I love bringing it back to the basics with this blend! What you might not gather by looking at the label is that this women's multivitamin actually includes five B vitamins in the forms of B5 (pantothenic acid), B6, B7, (biotin), B9 (folate as methylfolate), and B12 (bioavailable methylcobalamin). In addition, you're getting all the essential bases covered with vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, iodine, and zinc, which is why we chose Mary Ruth's Organic Women's Multivitamin Gummies as one of the best.
Why I Love It
These pectin-based, gelatin-free gummies are delicious! They offer everything to support metabolic function, the immune system, and thyroid health. You're getting everything women need without frills you're not necessarily looking for in your daily multivitamin. This product is a great value when you subscribe!
What Could Be Improved
My only issue with this vitamin is that you'll need to use a secondary supplement if you're having any issues with digestive health, energy levels, or aging concerns simply because it's too simplistic to have any of the "cutting-edge" ingredients of other vitamins.
Get 20% off with Mary Ruth's Coupon Code FITHEALTHY
Giddy Health created an innovative multivitamin features a unique microbead-in-capsule design providing optimal nutrient delivery. In addition to improving absorption, the sustained release of nutrients also improves blood-level maintenance. This is a basic vitamin formula offering vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B6, vitamin B7, vitamin B12, vitamin D3, vitamin E, vitamin K2, magnesium, selenium, zinc, and boron.
Why I Love It
I love being able to recommend a multivitamin for women that gives you the full serving in just one capsule a day! This vitamin goes heavy on the B vitamins because it's formulated specifically to support nerve function, boost cardiovascular health, improve calcium metabolism, keep the immune system robust, and maintain a healthy antioxidant balance.
What Could Be Improved
I wish this formula was just a tiny bit more complete. There's no doubt that all the B vitamins packed in help with everything from tissue health to brain function. However, the formula lacks vitamin C, vitamin A, and a few other essentials that might be important for you.
These tasty, gelatin-free gummies deliver a daily dose of 11 essential nutrients that support overall wellness. You're getting your daily needs for vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin E, and folate covered. This blend also throws in a carbocyclic sugar called inositol that's naturally produced by the body to support healthy hormonal balance.
Why I Love It
These are really tasty, juicy gummies that anyone with a sweet tooth will have no trouble remembering to take. Overall, I love the simplicity and quality of this formula that is designed to deliver the daily percentages needed by the average woman.
What Could Be Improved
This multivitamin is just a little pricey for the level of simplicity you're getting. However, the quality of the vitamin is what makes this different from "drugstore" formulas that are essentially just a few dollars less.
Know This Before Taking a Women’s Multivitamin
I have to put my nutritionist's hat back on for a moment. While I enthusiastically recommend all of the products above, no positive review should be seen as a blanket endorsement. Taking a multivitamin is ultimately a medical decision. First, it's important to know that vitamins can interfere with some medications. Get your new vitamin choice cleared by your doctor before taking it!
In addition, certain ingredients and herbs within multivitamins and supplements can exacerbate health conditions. Again, your doctor is your best resource for helping you to avoid any issues. Finally, I want to remind everyone that more isn't better when it comes to vitamins. You can't "make up for lost time" by taking a handful of vitamins. Only follow the recommended serving size on the label of your multivitamin. "Overdosing" on vitamins can result in everything from gastrointestinal stress to toxicity.
Conclusion
As a nutritionist, my personal experience is that so many of my clients can't believe how different they feel after taking multivitamins. Many were able to discover that the sluggishness they felt was actually the result of a vitamin deficiency. Of course, you always want to focus on getting the majority of your daily nutrient needs met by diet. Consider your multivitamin your "buffer" for days when you can't cover every category perfectly.
Should You Consider a Female-specific Multivitamin?
All women should consider taking a daily female-specific multivitamin. The benefit of a women's formula is that it offers the dosages that are optimal for women's wellness. However, I wouldn't automatically rule out a men's and women's vitamin that offers specific ingredients you're looking for to satisfy your wellness needs. The bottom line is that we all need to go into choosing a daily multivitamin with the mindset that it's a tool to help enhance the efforts we're already making with diet, exercise, and lifestyle.
Recap of My Best Recommendations
#1
4.9/5
Ritual Essential for Women Multivitamin
#2
4.8/5
OPositiv DISCO Women's Multivitamin Gummies
#3
4.8/5
First Day Women's Multivitamin Gummy Drops