Can Teenage Girls Take Multivitamins?

It’s perfectly acceptable for teenage girls to take multivitamins. In fact, your child's pediatrician may very well recommend it at one of their appointments. There are even multivitamin products that are specially designed for teen use. Teens can have different nutritional needs than say, a senior over the age of 65. Males and females have different needs as well. For example, menstruating females often benefit from a supplement that contains iron. Males may be deficient in iron, but it’s less common for them to experience this issue during their lifetime.

Benefits for Teen Girls Using Multivitamins

As a parent, you want to make sure that your teen daughter is getting all of the nutrients that she needs to grow and develop normally. Our bodies don’t have the ability to make nutrients on its own, so we rely on our diet to get what we need. While you may think that your teen girl is consuming a healthy diet, she may still be deficient in a number of things. There are also health conditions that can result in various deficiencies. All of these instances should be addressed.

There are some specific nutrients that a teen girl needs as part of her daily intake. This includes:

Vitamin A

Promotes normal growth, can clear up acne-prone skin and repair tissue in the body.

B Complex Vitamins

Helps with cell production and boosts metabolism. Can increase energy and focus as well.

Calcium

Important for healthy bones, especially when growth is still occurring. Also keeps nerves and muscles functioning properly.

Zinc

Important for immune function. Helps with cell growth and can promote faster healing time from wounds.

Vitamin C

Supports collagen production, which is imperative for healthy bone development. Boosts immune function and promotes strong teeth.

Iron

Assists with red blood cell production. Growth spurts can consume a lot of the body’s iron reserves. Many menstruating young women are iron deficient.

Drawbacks

While adding nutrients into the body is important when deficiencies are present, make sure that you’re careful about going way over the daily recommended limit with your teen. If levels of certain vitamins are too high, this could result in symptoms such as nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea and headaches. Stay away from those really cheap multivitamins that mega dose on all of the nutrients that are included. It's not necessary and really doesn't serve any purpose.

The Best Organic Multivitamins for Teenage Girls

Let’s take a look at some of the best organic multivitamins for teenage girls. These are some really reputable brands that should provide you with a place to start when you’re looking for a supplement for your teen.

#1. Ritual Organic Teenage Multivitamin for Her

Your teen daughter can receive nutritional support from Ritual’s Organic Teenage Multivitamin for Her. Key nutrients are included that the body will use for a variety of functions. Improved immune function comes from zinc, vitamin D3 (sourced from lichen) and vitamin A (bioavailable). Red blood cell formulation will increase thanks to chelated iron and methylated folate. Bone support is achieved from vitamin D3, K2, magnesium and boron. To keep your daughter’s brain health in check, omega-3 DHA sourced from microalgae has been included along with vitamin B12.

Only two capsules are needed each day for optimal nutrition. The capsules have been infused with mint to make them more pleasant to take, and this should address any issues that sometimes occur with a bad aftertaste. The delayed capsule release design will ensure that the capsule breaks down where they should for optimal absorption and less stomach upset.

Pros

• Designed for teen girls 13-17
• Contains essential Omega-3 DHA and chelated Iron
• Enhanced with mint to reduce the risk of a nasty aftertaste
• Contains traceable ingredients for transparency
• Delayed release capsule design

Cons

• Calcium and vitamin C have been left out

#2. First Day Teen’s Daily Kickstart Organic Multivitamin

First Day has created the Teen’s Daily Kickstart Organic Multivitamin from ages 14 to 18. With a unique organic fruit and vegetable blend that comes from 12 different places, your child will get nine essential key nutrients in each dose in addition to antioxidants. This includes vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B9, B12, C, D3, and K2. First Day traveled the world to find the best quality sources for their product.

First Day’s teen vitamin contains less sugar than your average vitamin. They are flavored with natural fruit juice rather than coating them in sugar. Your teen knows that this product is good for them without having to take a product that looks and tastes like a piece of candy. The organic fruit and vegetable blend used for vitamins includes apple, kale, broccoli, carrot, spinach, parsley, beet, blueberry, raspberry, cabbage, strawberry and tomato.

Read my detailed review of First Day Vitamins.

Pros

• Made without the use of artificial sweeteners
• Not coated in sugar (product contains just a fraction of the sugar content that’s in other similar products)
• Made from organic fruits and vegetables
• Does not contain mega doses of any vitamins
• Made with the support of scientific advisors

Cons

• Includes non-organic natural flavors

#3. Future Kind Essential Vegan Multivitamin

While plant-based diets are very healthy and beneficial, most vegans and vegetarians are deficient in a number of vitamins and nutrients. If your teen is part of this demographic, it’s ideal that you find appropriate supplementation for them. Even if your teen daughter isn’t eating a specialized diet, it’s a good idea to ensure they don’t have gaps in their diet anyway, but this product is designed with vegans in mind. Future Kind’s Essential Vegan Multivitamin contains three essential vitamins that are hard to get when your teen is not eating animal products, such as omega-3, vitamin D and B12.

Pros

• Designed for vegans
• No-nausea design eliminates unpleasant stomach upset
• Designed for teens 11 and up
• Can increase energy, focus and boost your mood
• Comes in a glass bottle along with recyclable packaging to reduce your carbon footprint

Cons

• This is a product designed for vegans, so it might not offer everything you want compared to a traditional multivitamin

#4. Mary Ruth’s Liquid Morning Family Multivitamin

If your teen doesn’t love taking multivitamins, you may want to consider Mary Ruth’s Liquid Morning Family Multivitamin. It has a delicious flavor and liquid composition that makes it easy to take each morning with simply a glass of water. It can also be added into a glass of juice or a smoothie. While it’s not specifically designed for teen girls, it contains the essential vitamins that your teen needs in addition to minerals, amino acids and more. Children as young as two years old can safely take it.

Some of the essential vitamins that Mary Ruth’s Liquid Morning Family Multivitamin includes are vitamin C, D3, beta carotene, zinc, B12 and chromium. Aloe vera extract is also included, which can be very beneficial and soothing to your gut. No artificial ingredients or sweeteners are in this product.

Learn more about the Mary Ruth's Organics brand.

Pros

• Perfect for the whole family
• Vegan, non-GMO and dairy free
• Made with whole foods
• Comes in a liquid formulation

Cons

• No iron is included in this multivitamin

#5. OLLY Teen Girl Multi

OLLY Teen Girl Multi contains a specified blend of vitamins A, C, D, E, B complex vitamins, biotin, zinc and calcium. The flavor of these gummies is Berry Melon Besties, which might get your teen daughter excited about taking her recommended dose each morning when she starts her day. All of the included ingredients can promote healthy hair growth, strong nails and bones, clear skin, a boosted immune system and more consistent energy and focus throughout the day.

Pros

• Contains a blend of vitamins, antioxidants and biotin (15 essentials)
• The vitamin profile, flavor name, packaging and design have all been made with the teen girl in mind
• Only contains two grams of sugar in each dose
• Delicious strawberry watermelon flavor
• Comes with a 30-day, money-back guarantee

Cons

• Iron has not been included in this formulation

What to Look for in an Organic Multivitamin for Your Teenage Girl

Are you interested in learning more about what you should be looking for in an organic multivitamin for your teenage daughter? Here are some things to look out for.

Designed for Teenage Girls

There are plenty of multivitamins on the market right now, but not all of them has been formulated with teen girls in mind. This is a demographic that requires very specific vitamins and nutrients while they develop. I recommend looking for teen formulation if you can.

Quality of Ingredients

The quality of the ingredients in a multivitamin is very important. A product can have a perfect nutrient profile included in its composition, but where those ingredients are sourced is really important. The most bioavailable and beneficial ingredients come from whole food sources. A brand should be very clear about where these nutrients are coming from.

Brand Transparency

Don’t shop from a brand that doesn’t provide adequate information about their products. They should clue you in on where their ingredients are sourced, where the product is manufactured. What lab testing is used to confirm safety and purity, etc. If you can’t find the information on the website and customer service isn’t helpful, you should probably move on with your search.

Third Party Lab Tested

Third-party lab testing shows not only that a product is safe and effective, but it also proves that a company believes in what they’re creating. A company that skips over this step may be trying to conceal certain details or save money.

The Bottom Line

We know that there are nutritional needs that a teen girl needs during this period of their lives. Iron is an important nutrient during menstruation, but most females aren’t getting enough of it from their diet alone. Vitamin C is excellent if you want to ensure that your daughter’s immune system is in tip top shape. B complex vitamins offer consistent energy that is need for long days of school activities, sports, etc. Biotin is a nice addition for healthy hair, nails and skin.

I have provided you with a number of multivitamin options for your teen girl, including an option that is beneficial if your daughter is following a vegan lifestyle. I encourage you to take another look at these different products. Hopefully one of them stands out as being the right product for your situation. If not, know that there are many other teen vitamins to consider. Make sure you do your research to ensure that a product includes a well-rounded profile of nutrients and that those nutrients are sourced from reputable places.

Tips for Success from the Nutritionist

Looking for some tips to increase the nutrients that your teen is getting each day aside from the use of multivitamins? Here are some of my tips for success.

Make a Morning Smoothie

Smoothies are such a quick and easy way to increase your nutrient intake each day. Not to mention, they taste great. Start with a banana as the base and toss in all of your teen’s favorite fruits and vegetables. Don’t be afraid to sneak in some of their not so favorites! Add regular milk, almond milk, rice milk or whatever liquid you want. It’s a great addition to a healthy breakfast, and works really well if your daughter is used to skipping breakfast on her way out the door.

“Sneak” Them In

You don't necessarily sneak veggies into your teen’s meals but see if you can come up with creative ways to up their vegetable intake. You can chop up some peppers, carrots or zucchini and add them to a pasta sauce you’re making for dinner. Pack soups full of healthy ingredients. Get creative with the ways you work more vitamins into your meals. The whole family will benefit.