Consider Adding These Expert-Approved Multivitamins for Women to Your Diet

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If you are considering taking a multivitamin and trying to find the best multivitamin for women, there are dozens of factors to consider. First, it’s important to take into account that not every person needs a multivitamin, particularly those who have balanced diets, no known vitamin deficiencies, and are getting their nutrients that way. Second, it’s not necessarily something you should be jumping into without talking to an expert first, even if you’ve done your research.

Dr. Abisola Olulade, a board certified family medicine physician in San Diego, California, tells Woman's Day that those "consuming a healthy balanced diet do not need a supplement at all, so the best supplement at times is no supplement." She explains that "it’s always better to focus on getting nutrients from food."

There are exceptions to this rule, however, which is why consulting your doctor is always a smart choice. Dr. Olulade explains that, for example, lifestyle diets such as veganism and vegetarianism may make it difficult to maintain an adequate vitamin B12 level. There are also vitamins not easily found in food sources, like vitamin D, which makes it a common deficiency in women, especially those with darker skin or those who don’t spend much time in the sun. Iron, folic acid, and calcium are three other supplements that may be helpful depending on your lifestyle, health, and age, and whether or not you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant. But remember, only a doctor can tell you if you have a true deficiency.

If you're still curious about which expert-recommended vitamins are out there, the below suggestions might work for you. Just be sure to speak to your doctor before making any changes.

Multi For Women's Tablets

Recommended by Dr. Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, registered dietitian nutritionist, and certified exercise physiologist, this supplement doesn't contain any artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. It's also yeast- and gluten-free, which makes it a viable option for those suffering from celiac disease or yeast overgrowth. The bottle does come with 300 tablets, though, so if you don't like them it may be a bit of a wasted purchase.

One Daily Every Woman's Multivitamin

This multi is fermented with certified organic, non-GMO whole foods and beneficial probiotics, and gets Dr. Bazilian's endorsement. Plus, every product from this brand is tested for harmful substances such as heavy metals and pesticides.

Now Foods Liquid Multi Vitamin & Mineral

For those with lower tolerance to supplements, Dr. Bazilian suggests trying a liquid vitamin like this one from Now. It has all the quality indicators as the pill form does, but is more versatile since, "a person can microdose or spread it out over time." She adds that you can put small amounts into a "smoothie, or oatmeal, or in your morning beverage, or on a spoon."

Women's Multivitamin and Multimineral Supplement for Age 50+

For women over 50, Dr. Bazilian recommends this multivitamin from Centrum Silver. It's specifically designed to support heart, brain, and eye health, and it also offers Centrum's highest levels of Vitamin D3 to help strengthen bones.

Base Control

HUM's multivitamin is the personal favorite of Brigitte Zeitlin, RD and owner of BZ Nutrition. It contains 22 essential vitamins and minerals, plus an extra dose of iron, which makes it especially beneficial for pre-menopausal women.

Women’s One Multivitamin

This is a food-based multivitamin that has Dr. Bazilian's stamp of approval. You can feel really good about the certified organic blend of superfoods hiding inside, which includes spirulina, acai, pomegranate, blueberry, broccoli, kale, and beet.

Eve Women's Multivitamin Softgels

For a multivitamin that checks all the boxes, Dr. Bazilian highly recommends NOW Eve. She explains it offers all the best quality indicators, including third party testing like GMP and UL certification, plus it's geared toward women and budget-friendly.

Multivitamin Elite

Dr. Brynna Connor, MD, Healthcare Ambassador at NorthWestPharmacy.com tells Woman's Day that she personally uses Thorne multivitamins since, "they are of high quality with less filler and superb ingredients." She does recommend "a very individualized approach" since it involves "precision medicine" that will be most effective when targeted correctly.

Whole Food Multivitamin Plus

As Lisa DeFazio, MS, RD, tells Woman's Day,"this vegan multivitamin contains the essentials, as well as a digestive enzyme/probiotic blend." It uses raw, non-GMO, and gluten-free ingredients, and it also "includes turmeric, which is a natural anti-inflammatory."

Essential Multivitamin for Women

Ritual is a vitamin subscription service, which means it'll automatically show up on your doorstep each month. On top of how convenient it is, DeFazio appreciates Ritual's commitment to high quality and transparency. "The designed-for-women formula is vegan, allergen-free, and free of the synthetic fillers that are found in so many vitamins on the market," she says.

One Daily Multivitamin for Women

This multivitamin has nearly 10,000 positive reviews on Amazon, and is also recommended by Dr. Bazilian. It's made from a blend of organic fruits and vegetables containing vitamins A, C, D3, E, B12, calcium, and folate (which is a more absorbable version of folic acid).

Multivitamin for Women

Made from certified organic whole foods, you won't find any artificial flavorings, preservatives, or sweeteners in this supplement. It also packs a lot of nutrients into one little pill, which is another reason why Dr. Bazilian recommends it.

The Perfect Women's Multivitamin Gummy

The Olly multivitamin delivers a daily dose of 18 essential nutrients, which includes the B vitamins, antioxidants, vitamin D, and calcium. This gummy vitamin also features a blend of vitamins A, C, and E, as well as biotin and folic acid to support energy and bone health, DeFazio explains. "To get your daily dose, all you have to do is put one into your mouth and chew, making it an easy choice for adults and kids alike who dislike swallowing large pills," she says.

Women's Multivitamin Supplement

This multivitamin is manufactured with natural ingredients, so it's formulated with no hormones or preservatives. It has over 28,000 5-star ratings on Amazon, and is rated highly in categories such as ease of swallowing, ingredient quality, absorbency, and taste.

What to look for in multivitamins for women

✔️ Third-party certifications: If you’ve made changes to your diet and are still seeking vitamin supplements, it’s important to know that supplements are regulated by the FDA as food and not drugs. This makes consulting with your doctor even more essential, since they can help recommend the safest options. If you’re ready to start some initial research on your own, Dr. Wendy Bazilian tells Woman’s Day there are several third-party certifications you should look out for. These include:

• UL (Underwriters Laboratories)

• QAI (Quality Assurance International)

• USP (United States Pharmacopeia)

• GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice)

Dr. Bazilian says that while not all of these certifications are necessary, the more a supplement has, the better. She explains that GMP is the most imperative, since it has “a number of steps to ensure that the sourcing and ingredients are processed in the best standards.” This covers everything in the manufacturing process “from ingredient sourcing, formulation, even labeling and packaging.”

Though certified nutritionist Serena Poon also says she doesn't recommend a generic multivitamin to her clients unless they are addressing a specific need, there are some factors that she believes are important to look out for if they are interested in a multivitamin. This includes being made in factories that are audited by third parties, such as those with the NSF GMP certification; made by a team of licensed medical professionals, nutritionists and/or scientists; made by a company that operates with integrity.

✔️ Made with high-quality ingredients: Poon also suggests looking for multivitamins that are made without GMOs and common allergens (like soy and dairy), made without fillers, amd with bioavailability in mind.

✔️ Low dosage: Other tips Dr. Bazilian recommends for choosing a multivitamin include opting for the lowest dosage that provides benefits and looking for supplements that you can actually tolerate, as well as finding budget-friendly brands, in order to ensure your daily routine is sustainable.

FAQ

• How do you know if you're getting enough nutrients? "Most of the baseline nutrients the body needs can be found in a balanced diet that is full of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and high-quality proteins," Poon explains, echoing other experts.

• When should you take a multivitamin? In addition to those who have a condition that affects their nutrient absorption, Poon says pregnant women and elderly people are both groups who should consider taking a multivitamin.

• How do you know if you have a nutrient deficiency? The only way to know for sure if you have a vitamin deficiency is to speak to your health care practitioner, as Poon explains. "Speak with your health care practitioner about testing your vitamin levels and then work with them to choose a solution that will fill specific nutritional gaps," Poon says. "They can also help you navigate custom blends of vitamins designed to enhance certain components of health."

• What's the best multivitamin for me? Again, experts agree that the only way to truly know which vitamin is best for you and your overall health is to speak to your doctor first. "Always check with your health care practitioner before starting any supplement program," Poon says.

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