The 14 Best Multivitamins for Women, According to the Experts

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(Image credit: Jane Cameron/Stocksy)

Chances are you've been taking multivitamins for as long as you can remember. And there's a good reason for it: Taking a high-quality multiple vitamin and mineral supplement is essentially nutritional insurance, says Michael Murray, ND, chief scientific advisor for iHerb. Translation: You don't necessarily depend on multivitamins to give you all the nutrients you need—you depend on them to fill any gaps. Supplements are, well, supplemental to the real food you're eating.

"We should aim to get the majority of our vitamins and minerals by eating a varied, healthy balanced diet with minimal processed foods and an abundance of fresh colorful vegetables," says Harry Clements, a rep for Vitaminology, a search engine to help you find the right multivitamin. "However, we rarely get 100% of the recommended daily intake of essential nutrients from our diet alone." This can be due to many factors, such as food processing, health conditions that affect digestion and absorption, mineral depletion of soil, medications that interfere with absorption, and even mental and physical stress, he explains.

But how do you know what gaps we may have, and what supplements will best fill them? Your age and sex can both affect the types of nutrients you need, says Clements. Overarchingly, women may benefit from supplementing with the following nutrients:

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Vitamin D: This is a very common deficiency, especially in the winter due to lack of sunlight, says Erin Stokes, ND, medical director for MegaFood. But it's an important one since it supports both bone health and immune health, she explains.

Magnesium and Calcium: These two minerals are essential for bone support and work together with vitamin D to support bone health, says Clements.

Iron: ​​This is the most common nutrient deficiency in women, says Murray. "Anemia, lack of red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body, is the end stage of this deficiency but low energy, depression, and cold hands and feet often appear as the first symptoms," he explains.

Folate: This vitamin helps our bodies make healthy red blood cells, says Stokes. It's also vital for the healthy development of a baby, which is why Stokes recommends this for anyone of childbearing age, even if they don't intend to get pregnant.

But of course, ingredient labels are notoriously lengthy and hard to read. So to help you hone in on the best multivitamin for you, we're giving you a leg up on the research.

In general, make sure your multivitamin contains at least 100% of the RDA of the above nutrients, depending on what stage of life you're at. (Folate, for example, is much more important during your menstruating years.)

You may also want to look for an organic supplement since these are generally food-based and are more easily absorbed and used by the body, says Clements. What's more, many supplements contain genetically modified ingredients (GMO), so finding non-GMO products is also a nice bonus. Another nice-to-have is a vitamin manufactured by a certified B corp, which is a marker of a very high-quality and trustworthy brand, says Stokes.

Even still, finding the right vitamin can feel like a real chore. So why not skip ahead to these expert-approved picks? All you have to do is hit "add to cart." (Oh, and be sure to take your supplements each day.)

Next, The 7 Best Vitamins That Will Boost Your Metabolism

This article was originally published at an earlier date and has been updated.

Disclaimer

This article is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to be used in the place of advice of your physician or other medical professionals. You should always consult with your doctor or healthcare provider first with any health-related questions.

Freelance Contributor

Brigitt Earley is a freelance writer and editor based in New Jersey. She currently works for a variety of women's lifestyle publications including Oprahmag.com, Good Housekeeping, Apartment Therapy, and more. Most of her content is focused on helping women find all the best products—from beauty and wellness to home décor and beyond—but she routinely pens stories about health and wellness, relationships, parenting, and work. Her previous experience includes more than eight years at Real Simple. In fact, this is where she began her career as an editorial assistant, working her way up to her most recent full-time editorial staffing position as the deputy editor of its website. Before beginning her professional career, she graduated from Loyola University in Maryland with a bachelor's degree in business administration then The Medill School of Journalism with a master's in magazine journalism. She also snuck in a stint at the French Culinary Institute in New York City. When she's not typing away, you can find her cooking something new, starting some renovation or organization project at home, and playing with her two young sons. Sometimes, she can even sneak in a run or—even better!—a barre class.