The 8 Best Multivitamins for Women, According to Experts

More To Consider

There is no “one size fits all” for each woman’s nutritional needs. These multivitamins didn't make our top picks for various reasons, but they're still good choices—and, based on our conversations with testers, they're still quite popular. Here is what you should know.  

• Olly Women’s Multi: Olly Women’s Multi is a popular choice for women. This is a good source of vitamins A, C, D, E, and B vitamins. However, it does not contain many of the other vitamins and minerals in higher amounts as in some of our other picks. We like that it is relatively low in added sugar (with two grams per serving of two gummies), has strong third-party testing, and we really enjoy the taste. 
• Mary Ruth’s Liquid Morning Multivitamin: If you prefer liquid over pills, Mary Ruth’s is a good option. The label gives serving sizes for different age groups to meet different needs, meaning you can buy one product and share it with your family. This product is Clean Label Project Certified, but not everybody loves the taste. 
• Centrum Silver Women 50+ Multivitamin Tablets: This is another popular multivitamin choice for women over the age of 50, and we appreciate the good variety of vitamins and minerals it has. However, the pill size is quite large, and we noted it has a chalky aftertaste.

Is a Women's Multivitamin Beneficial?

Studies evaluating the efficacy of multivitamins are limited, largely because many contributing factors to health outcomes, such as diet and other lifestyle factors, are difficult to control for in studies. However, research has shown that multivitamins can be effective at reducing vitamin and mineral deficiency in certain people.

The following people may benefit from a women's multivitamin:

• Those on a restrictive diet: If you follow a diet that limits certain food groups, you may benefit from a multivitamin. For example, vegan and vegetarian diets tend to be low in calcium, vitamin D, B12, zinc, iron, and iodine.
• Those who are trying to conceive: The CDC recommends that anyone who might become pregnant take 400 micrograms of folic acid each day to prevent neural birth defects in the baby.
• Those that are pregnant: Pregnancy is a time of increased nutrient needs. According to USDA data, many pregnant and lactating people are not meeting recommendations for certain food groups and specific nutrients. So it is generally recommended to take a daily prenatal vitamin. The CDC and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend taking a daily prenatal vitamin with 400 micrograms of folic acid during pregnancy.
• Older adults: As we age, it can become more difficult to absorb certain nutrients, such as B12 and vitamin D. Additionally, those over the age of 70 require more calcium and vitamin D to support bone health. While you can get these nutrients from food, in some cases, supplementation may be warranted.
• People with poor absorption: Some medical conditions can decrease one's ability to absorb nutrients, so supplementation may be indicated. These include digestive conditions, conditions that cause vomiting or diarrhea, surgeries that alter the digestive tract (including bariatric surgery), alcoholism, and certain medications.

How We Select Supplements

Our team works hard to be transparent about why we recommend certain supplements; you can read more about our dietary supplement methodology here. 

We support supplements that are evidence-based and rooted in science. We value certain product attributes that we find to be associated with the highest quality products.

It's important to note that the FDA does not review dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they go to market. Our team of experts has created a detailed, science-backed methodology to choose the supplements we recommend.

Additionally, we asked over 60 people for their feedback on their level of satisfaction with different aspects of multivitamins for women, including taste, texture, ingredient transparency, convenience, and value.

While we hope this serves as a guide, we recommend consulting with your healthcare provider before taking any supplements. 

What To Look For in a Women's Multivitamin

Third-Party Testing

Supplements that are third-party tested are sent to a lab where they are tested for purity and potency to ensure they contain what they say they contain and do not contain any potential contaminants. Trusted third-party certifications include ConsumerLab.com, NSF, USP, and Informed Choice. However, these certifications can be difficult to obtain and expensive for manufacturers, so many companies choose not to get their products tested. If you are selecting a supplement that does not have third-party testing, we recommend choosing a trusted brand that does rigorous internal testing.

The Types of Multivitamins

Consider the physical form of a vitamin, meaning capsule, gummy, or chewable, when choosing a multivitamin. Note that gummies often include lower doses of each nutrient, typically don’t contain iron, and often contain added sugars. However, they are also tastier and easier to eat and to remember to take. Consider which form you will tolerate best and can easily incorporate into your daily routine. For example, some of them come in very large capsules or pills that are difficult to swallow, which may make it less likely for you to take them.

Ingredients & Potential Interactions

It is essential to carefully read a supplement's ingredient list and nutrition facts panel to determine which ingredients are included and how much of each ingredient is included relative to its recommended daily value. Please bring the supplement label to a healthcare provider to review the different ingredients contained in the supplement and any potential interactions between these ingredients and other supplements and medications you are taking.

There is no regulated definition of what a women's multivitamin is and what it must contain. Therefore, different women's multivitamins contain different combinations and doses of nutrients, which should be reviewed with a healthcare provider before beginning that supplement.

Medication Interactions: Women's multivitamins contain a variety of vitamins and minerals, some of which may interact with other medications or supplements. For example, vitamin K, which is found in most multivitamins, interacts with Coumadin (warfarin), a blood thinner. If you take a blood thinner, work with your doctor or registered dietitian to determine if a multivitamin is safe for you—and if so, at what dose. If you take other medications or supplements, be sure to review potential interactions with your healthcare provider.

Additional Ingredients: Many multivitamins also contain herbs, enzymes, and probiotics. Because the research on efficacy and safety varies significantly for each additional ingredient, it’s best to review the potential benefits of additional supplements with a healthcare provider. Be extra cautious with herbal ingredients, as they may also interact with certain medications you may be taking.

How Much To Take

There is no specific regulatory definition or standard of what nutrients a woman's multivitamin must contain and at what levels. Therefore, no RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) guidelines have been established for multivitamins. However, there are RDAs and ULs (Tolerable Upper Intake Level) for the individual vitamins and minerals they contain, as outlined by the National Institutes of Health.

You may notice that some supplements have vitamin and mineral contents that exceed the RDAs, but it's important to remember that many factors influence nutrient bioavailability, meaning your body's ability to absorb and utilize the nutrient. So, your body might not actually be absorbing the amount listed on the bottle. For that reason, supplement companies often add more than the RDA.

It’s important to ensure that no nutrients in your multivitamin exceed the upper limit established by the National Institute of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Adelaide Hearst McClintock, MD, of Women's Health Care Center at UWMC-Roosevelt, says, "Be mindful that there can be 'too much of a good thing' when it comes to supplements. Taking much more than the recommended doses can lead to toxicities and is not recommended."

Taking your multivitamin with a meal may also enhance the absorption of some vitamins. For example, fat-soluble vitamins—A, D, E, and K—are best absorbed with a meal incorporating dietary fat. A healthy person can filter out excess consumption of water-soluble vitamins (B and C), but fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) can be stored in your body. Be sure not to exceed the UL (Tolerable Upper Intake Level) for vitamins and minerals, particularly with supplemental fat-soluble vitamins.

Note that if you take individual supplements in addition to a multivitamin, you are at higher risk of exceeding the Upper Tolerable Intake Levels (UL), which can lead to adverse health outcomes.

You can help ensure that you are not exceeding micronutrient upper limits by running your multivitamin pick by a healthcare provider before you start taking it, sticking to reputable multivitamins that do not have unnecessary additives, and getting annual blood work to make sure your micronutrient levels are within the normal range. It's important to note that you should not rely on a multivitamin for disease prevention or use it as a substitute for a balanced diet and other healthful lifestyle choices.

Our Experts

The following experts helped guide our recommended picks and gave insight into what women should consider for taking a multivitamin.

• Adelaide Hearst McClintock, MD of Women's Health Care Center at UWMC-Roosevelt.
• Shushy Rita Setrakian, MS, RD, a Registered Dietitian and one of our nutrition and supplement commerce editors. Shushy is passionate about converting nutrition science into meaningful dietary recommendations, and she sifted through all the feedback we got about multivitamins.

Why Trust Verywell Health

Eliza Savage, MS, RD, CDN, RYT is the Commerce Editorial Director for Verywell Fit and Shape.com. She is a registered dietitian and a published author. She is also a registered yoga teacher and fitness enthusiast who has completed 2 full marathons and more than 25 half marathons.

Anne Cook Carroll, MS, RD, CDN is a Registered Dietitian who works with patients to meet their health goals and educates them on the appropriate usage of supplements to optimize their nutritional status and overall health. She is also one of our nutrition commerce update editors.