Thanks to a greater awareness around the benefits of supplements, the search for the best multivitamins for women is often top of most people’s wellness agendas. “A multivitamin is a supplement that combines essential vitamins and minerals needed for the body to function well on a daily basis. You often see the B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E and minerals such as zinc and selenium included,” explains Maz Packham, nutritional therapist. “There are lots of different options available, from powders to capsules and liquids. My top tip when choosing a multivitamin would be to look at the ingredients list to check the nutrients included are in a meaningful dose that will be of some benefit.”
Featured in this article
While a multivitamin should never be used as a replacement for a healthy, balanced diet, there can be many reasons why you might need one. As well as busy schedules and finding the time to plan and eat nutritious meals being a factor, the quality of soil in today’s modern world is sometimes lacking, meaning produce isn’t as nutrient-dense as it might once have been. Given these factors, it makes sense that we all might need to supplement our diet from time to time.
To make your search easier, we’ve spoken to several experts and compiled a tried-and-tested, fully exhaustive list of some of the best multivitamins for women out there. Consider it your daily dose of good health.
How we chose the best multivitamins
We’ve selected a tight edit of the best multivitamins based on our experts’ recommendations, choosing only products with ingredients that have a clinical basis for supplementation. As well as this, we’ve tried and tested the slew of supplements on the market to sift the good from the ineffective, and the easy-to-take options from the downright inconvenient. Ready to find the right women’s multivitamin for you? Read on to discover the best supplements to consider.
Lyma
Lyma Supplement
If you’re after a one-and-done multivitamin, Lyma’s supplement should be at the top of your list. An expert blend of 10 pioneering ingredients is in each capsule, including patented forms of prebiotics, vitamins and adaptogens developed for peak bioavailability. Alongside ashwagandha, vitamins D, K2, keratin and essential fatty acids, you get super nootropic Cognizin® in every dose – a potent version of choline with neuroprotective benefits. Though it may be pricey, it’s a sound investment for full-body health, with robust clinical trials supporting its longevity claims.
Vogue-approved review:
“Beyond the fact that Lyma’s copper vessel is an aesthete’s dream (and keeps your pills sterile thanks to its antibacterial properties), the supplements inside are incredibly effective. One evening, I took the recommended daily dose of four capsules to see if it would help with the flu symptoms I was having. I was pleasantly surprised when I woke up with clear sinuses the next day. Not only does its anti-inflammatory ingredient line-up offer excellent immune defence, but long-term, the supplement addresses all areas of health. It gets its vibrant colour from turmeric compounds and lycopene, plus it contains plenty of other powerful antioxidants to protect the body from stress. Covering all bases from brain function and immunity to skin and nail health, it’s a convenient swap for those with a cupboard full of unused supplements.” – Tracy Achonwa, beauty & wellness writer
“The patented delayed-release capsule contains high-quality nutrients, including omega-3 DHA from microalgae, vitamin D3 from lichen, and methylated folate, says Sharafi of Ritual’s multivitamin known as an excellent supplement for women 18–50. “It’s USP verified, Non-GMO Project verified and, in a peer-reviewed clinical trial, was shown to increase vitamin D and omega-3 DHA levels in 12 weeks.” This is designed to aid not only hair, skin, and nails, but also red blood cell formation, antioxidant support, bone and brain health.
The future of vitamins is here, and it’s 3D printed. Nourished makes gummy vitamins tailored to you, using patented technology to print the precise blend of nutrients you lack. Take a quick quiz on your diet, health and lifestyle to reveal stacks recommended specifically for you, like this PCOS blend of inositol, vitamin D3 and zinc designed to counter symptoms of the syndrome. It’s hassle-free too, with subscriptions delivered to your door before you run out of your supply.
With 40 essential vitamins, minerals, powerful plants and herbs all packed into the clever formula, you get a full spectrum of targeted phytonutrients and polyphenols to supercharge your health, improve energy levels and boost cellular health. “This has a focus on mitochondrial support and cellular energy with nutrients such as the B vitamins, alpha lipoic acid and COQ10 which is really designed to support your energy levels,” says Packham, who loves its targeted approach to formulation.
Formulate with all the essential vitamins and minerals you need for optimal health, this is a particularly great option if you’re looking to improve feelings of fatigue as well as ensure you get deeper, better sleep. This also features iron, iodine and a full vitamin B complex which is essential if you want to feel sharper and more focused during the day.
Iron is a key mineral in several major metabolic processes: oxygen transport, energy production and hormone regulation, among them. For menstruating women (especially those with a heavy flow), topping up lost iron is essential, not least because it assuages lethargy and reduces anaemia risk. JS Health’s supplement takes iron and pairs it with energy-boosting Vitamin B12, protecting against deficiency with a formula designed for maximum bioavailability. What’s more, the smooth pills are pleasant to take – they go down easily and don’t leave a bitter aftertaste.
Free from all synthetic additives – including the fillers, artificial flavours and bulking agents commonly used in supplements – this pick from Purolabs provides 34 essential nutrients with no hidden nasties. To support healthy skin, strong bones and good metabolism there is a blend of vitamins A-E, iodine, zinc and calcium in each one-a-day capsule, as well as a wide spectrum of nutrients for optimal immunity and wellbeing overall. Derived from high-quality, plant-based ingredients, it’s also a great choice for vegans, with a suits-all formula that does not contain allergens like gluten or soya.
If you’ve found your energy waning with each passing year, look to Wellwoman’s supplement for revitalising support. Incorporating key ingredients for the nutrient deficiencies that arise with age, these tablets include copper, iron and vitamin B2 to maintain normal energy release. Also in the mix are vitamins C and E to protect eye health, plus vitamins B6, B12 and pantothenic acid to support healthy brain function.
Bursting with good greens (chorella, kale and spirulina to name a few), this sellout supplement is a great choice for women looking to up both their vitamin and veg intake. Its draw lies in the pineapple-packed formula, which transforms the oft-unpalatable greens powder into a tipple you’ll look forward to taking. On the nutrients front, it boasts a broad spectrum of vitamins recommended for women – including vitamins B through E, folic acid, biotin and chromium. Plus, supercharged with probiotics and digestive enzymes, it also does your gut health a world of good.
Prenatal supplements help fill nutrient gaps to support a healthy pregnancy for both mum and baby. One crucial nutrient is folic acid or folate. “Getting enough folate, a B vitamin, is especially important for women who may become pregnant, since adequate folate can help lower the risk of having a baby with spina bifida or anencephaly,” Rossi says. Through additional nutrients like calcium, vitamin A, choline, manganese, and more, this looks to provide support from pre-conception through nursing.
Made with the specific nutritional needs of Arab, Asian and Afro-Caribbean women in mind, SOW’s multivitamin seeks to balance deficiencies people of colour are most susceptible to. For starters, it supports with vitamin D – whose natural synthesis is inhibited by melanin in darker skin – then calls on a choice blend of antioxidants, coenzymes and botanicals to provide protection and immune defence. B vitamins, folate, magnesium and spirulina all feature in this daily complex, designed in response to the disparate risk faced by ethnic minorities during the global pandemic.
Science-led skincare is Dr. Barbara Sturm’s forte, so it should come as no surprise that her supplements support skin health. Including zinc, vitamin C and powerful antioxidant plant compounds such as purslane, this multivitamin has been expertly blended to repair and protect skin from the inside out.
Brondo is a fan of One A Day Women’s multivitamin, which offers a selection of supplements to support whatever concerns you may have. Formulated specifically for women over 50, this supplement looks to promote the overall health of the eyes, bones, heart, joints, and immune system.
How should you address bodily changes post-pregnancy? Enter Wild Nutrition’s postnatal supplement. The multivitamin is powered by methylated folate and iodine to support the specific needs of a new mother, plus plenty of minerals needed throughout pregnancy for the healthy growth and development of babies. Food-derived, these vitamins are unique in that you can take the recommended dose with or without a meal, providing energy, hormonal and cognitive support with three daily capsules.
If you’re not someone who enjoys taking ingestible supplements every day, kind patches are a great alternative. The sticky patches are fortified with a blend of 25 vitamins, antioxidants and minerals which are absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream steadily over an eight-hour period. As well as vitamins A, C, and E that promote healthy vision and skin health and support immune function, there is vitamin D3 and K2 for bone health and B Vitamins for energy and nerve function.
- Vogue-approved review:
“This way of supplementation has been a game-changer for me since I discovered it. Even though my intentions are good, I struggle to take pills long enough to feel the benefits. Since using these, I have stuck to my once daily patch, which I apply after my morning shower and remove before bed. As well as having an impact on my energy levels, I love how discreet and easy to use they are. Genius.” – Georgia Day, beauty contributor
Just one capsule a day replaces the need for any additional supplementation of antioxidant complex, B-complex, CoQ10, vitamin D3, vitamin K2 amongst other things, while Packham notes that it also delivers 400mcg of methylfolate (the active, bioavailable form of folate) in just one capsule “It’s a meaningful dose that supports methylation, brain health, and cellular energy,” she adds.
This brand prides itself on understanding the specifics of women’s health inside out, which makes this daily multivitamin an excellent place to start if you’re looking to support everything from hormonal balance to sleep, skin and immunity. The powder formula means it’s easy to add to a glass of water or your daily smoothie.
FAQs
What should you look for in a multivitamin?
Below, Sharafi and Martin-Biggers detail the nutrients they consider essential in a good multivitamin:
- Vitamin D and calcium: “[These] are two important nutrients to look for in a multivitamin, as they are critical for strong bones, your immune system, and skin health,” Martin-Biggers says.
- Omega-3 DHA: “It’s important for supporting brain health, heart health, and vision, yet up to 95 per cent of women aged 18 and up are not getting their recommended daily value of Omega-3s from their diet,” Sharafi says.
- Folate: “Folate supports red blood cell health, normal energy-yielding metabolism, and neurotransmitters in the brain, which is why it’s important to include this in your multivitamin routine,” Sharafi says. “However, up to a third of the population has a genetic polymorphism which makes it more difficult for them to efficiently utilise folic acid.”
- Vitamin E: “This important nutrient helps fight against free radicals, yet many women aged 18 and up don’t get the recommended daily amount of vitamin E through diet alone,” Sharafi says. “When it comes to this nutrient, it’s important to look for a multivitamin with vitamin E sourced from mixed tocopherols.”
- Zinc: “Zinc is involved in over 300 enzymes and biological activities in the body and plays an important role in our skin’s health,” Martin-Biggers says.
- Vitamin B12: “B12 can often be hard to come by in a plant-based diet,” Sharafi admits. “B12 is important for helping support energy-yielding metabolism and normal cell division.”
- Iron: “Iron is lost during menstruation, so boosting your iron intake with a multivitamin can be beneficial,” Martin-Biggers notes.
- Vitamin K2: “Vitamin K2 can be more difficult to find in typical Western diets than vitamin K1. Vitamin K2 MK7 form is shown to be absorbed more efficiently than other vitamin K forms and can help support bone health and vascular health,” Sharafi explains.
- Magnesium: “Magnesium plays a role in various processes in the body (from bone health to cell division and more). The caveat is that we need a lot of it for it to do its job well, and many of us don’t get enough through diet alone,” Sharafi says.
What are multivitamins and why are they so beneficial?
“Multivitamins are dietary supplements that contain vitamins and minerals in differing quantities and often at levels that are recommended for overall health support and to meet dietary shortfalls,” Martin-Biggers says. “The body absorbs vitamins and minerals from multivitamins similarly to the way it does from food. The nutrients are broken down in the digestive system and then absorbed into the bloodstream, where they are transported to different parts of the body to carry out their functions.” According to Mastaneh Sharafi, PhD, RD, vice president of scientific and clinical affairs at Ritual, there are a multitude of factors aside from diet that might create these nutrient gaps. “Genetic variations, age, and current life stage” are a few concerns that may lead someone to consider a multivitamin. “Multivitamins offer many of the vitamins and minerals that are essential to your health,” Martin-Biggers says. “For instance, a multivitamin may help contribute to better energy levels, a properly functioning immune system, improved mood and bone health.”
Why are multivitamins a good idea?
“Over the last few years, multivitamins have undergone a transformation,” says Packham. “Once known for containing minimal amounts of nutrients, advancements in science and formulations have led to a wave of comprehensive, high-potency multivitamins with clinically relevant doses of key nutrients that can truly make a difference to how you feel. We are also seeing targeted multivitamins which offer the opportunity to support your everyday vitamin and mineral status while also targeting specific concerns like mitochondrial support and cellular energy, as well as healthy hair, skin and nails. These advancements in formulations are putting multivitamins in the spotlight and back into people’s wellness routines.”
Who can benefit from multivitamins?
So, should everyone be taking a multivitamin? Sammi Haber Brondo, MS, RD, explains that their usages are highly individualised. “In general, I’d recommend one for pregnant women (who should take a prenatal multivitamin) or anyone who knows from blood work that they’re deficient in certain nutrients.” Otherwise, she says a multivitamin could be beneficial for the following groups of people: “those who live in areas without much sunlight and therefore don’t get much vitamin D, those following a vegan diet, which is often lacking in vitamin B12, and those who don’t eat many fruit or vegetables, and therefore don’t naturally consume as many vitamins and minerals.” Dietician Dr Megan Rossi notes that because of potential nutrient deficiencies as you age, it can also be beneficial for those 50 and older to take multivitamins too. That said, always consult with a trusted healthcare provider before selecting an appropriate vitamin or supplement.
Why you can trust us
We take our supplementation very seriously here at British Vogue. A stroll around the office and you will see each desk decorated with an army of deficiency-fighting formulas that our editorial team are road-testing. You can trust our expert-led reviews because every multivitamin included in this edit is in the regular rotation of our army of testers. If we love it, it’s included here. If we don’t, we simply would not feature.
How we chose the best multivitamins
Our hunt to find the best multivitamins was an extended testing process that is still ongoing. It’s a crowded market, and we narrowed down the ones worth knowing about based on the ingredient list – ensuring there is only the necessary elements, the quantities of the essential nutrients to ensure they meet the daily value, third party testing and taste, which is of course important as if it’s easy to slip into your routine, you are more likely to be consistent with consumption.