Last year, a private client of mine gave me the opportunity to look more closely at the best multivitamins.
She wanted to know if she should be taking a multivitamin, and if she should be giving one to her children. Of course, she also wanted to know which brands make the best multivitamins.
I shared my opinion with the Gimme readership back then, and now am pleased to be able to update you guys. What follows is even more research on multivitamins, and a brand new recommendation for the best multivitamin.Β
RELATED: Best Prenatal Vitamins
Should You Take a Multivitamin?
Here’s the bottom line on multivitamins, in my opinion:
For adults, there is no harm in taking a multivitamin, although possibly not a huge benefit, either. I wouldnβt, however, recommend giving a multivitamin to young children. You’ll read more about why below.
I do recommend that both children and adults take a vitamin D supplement. You should also consider a fish oil supplement if you or your children don’t eat fish.
If you eat several servings of fish a week, you probably don’t need a fish oil supplement.
The Case for (and Against) Multivitamins
Science clearly shows that vitamins and minerals are important to overall health. Studies have also shown, repeatedly, that the best way to get nutrients is from our food.
There is some evidence to suggest that the quality of modern soil and agricultural practices are insufficient to produce food as rich in nutrients as the stuff that our ancient ancestors enjoyed. This makes sense.
Still, most researchers argue that isolating vitamins into pill form vastly reduces or even eliminates the benefits.
The theory that multivitamins and supplements can βfill gapsβ in our dietary intake of vitamins and minerals also makes sense. And yet repeated studies have beenΒ unable to find any actual health benefits when compared to placebo or non-use.
Despite this lack of clear benefit, many doctors recommend the use of a daily multivitamin. (Of course, if your physician is trying to sell you a bottle of supplements, take her recommendation with a grain of salt.)
The Best Way to Get Your Vitamins
The best way to hit all nutritional checkpoints is by eating a diverse range of vibrantly-colored fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.
This is hard to accomplish for a picky child, of course. Many nutrients are lost during the processing of the food most Americans eat.
I havenβt come across strong evidence that taking vitamins has any major downsides for adults, but there are a few worrisome studies I’ve found:
- Smokers who take beta carotene have increased risks of lung cancer.Β
- Folic acid may increase prostate cancer risk.
- Adults who take large doses of B vitamins for many years may have increased incidence of hip fracture.
Overdosing on Vitamins
You can take toxic doses of vitaminsβin particular preformed vitaminΒ A, E, and K. Look for supplements with no more than 100% of your daily value for these.Β
Excessive doses of vitamin C have also been shown to increase the risk of kidney stones. Most of us get plenty of vitamin C in our diets, so it’s not one that you need much of in a supplement.
What are the Best Multivitamins for Adults?
If you are trying to get nutrients from a pill, it makes sense to get a food-based pill. The less we try to break down vitamins/minerals to the sum of their parts, the more bio-available all the nutrients will be.
I think the best multivitamin for women is by Ritual Essential for Women.
Here’s why:
- Ritual’s multivitamin contains half of the number of ingredients of most multivitamins, so you’re not getting unnecessary or excessive amounts of nutrients. For instance, this multi doesn’t include calcium, because Β most women get plenty from their diets and it can impede the absorption of iron.
- This multi contains a vegan form of vitamin D3, which is much more easily absorbed than D2.
- Ritual uses folate rather than synthetic folic acid.Β
- This brand is the most transparent of those we reviewed, and has the best third-party testing.
- Ritual’s multivitamin has an enteric coating to improve absorption of nutrients.
- It contains omega-3 oil (a vegan form) in the same pill with the other nutrients.
You can shop Ritual here.
Should Kids Take a Multivitamin?
Considering how many kids take multivitamins, I was surprised to uncover almost no research on the benefits and risks of this daily habit.
Also, multivitamin brands are not all the same. Each contains a different cocktail of vitamins, and the quantities of each vitamin varies by brand.
When studies are done on βmultivitamins,β they donβt seem to take these differences into consideration. Therefore, we really donβt know which combinations of vitamins and minerals carry which benefits or potential risks.
Hereβs what studies haveΒ shown, though:
- An association between multivitamins before the age of 6 months and increased risk of asthma among black children.
- The same study showed increased levels of food allergies among formula-fed infants who were given multivitamins before the age of 6 months, and increased levels of food allergies amongst 3-year-olds exposed to multivitamins (whether they had been breast- or formula-fed).
- Another recent study found that the nutrients most lacking from the diets of children ages 2 to 8β-namely, calcium and vitamin Dβ-remained lacking despite multivitamin use. Researchers attribute this to the fact that childrenβs multis are heavy in the βwrongβ nutrients–B vitamins and vitamin C, for instance, both of which kids get from food. Moreover, multivitamin use led to excessive levels of certain nutrients, like iron, zinc, and copper in this study. The effects of this are unknown.
What Are the Best Multivitamins for Kids?
Overall, I think the potential for a downside outweighs the potential benefit of multivitamins for kids under about the age of about 7.
After that, a high-quality multivitamin might be beneficial and probably isn’t harmful. Dr. Mercola’s children’s multivitamin seems to be a good choice.
Two Pills You & Your Kids Probably Should Be Taking
My research left me lukewarm about multivitamins, but I did come away convinced that we all should be taking a couple of supplements:
- Vitamin D. Higher levels of vitamin D are protective against a variety of diseases. Vitamin D also enables calcium absorption, making it critical for growing children. Unfortunately, itβs hard to get sufficient vitamin D from diet alone (which is why I recommend time outside without sunscreen). Supplementing 400 IU a day for babies andΒ childrenΒ and 4,000 for adults makes sense, especially because vitamin D carries a low risk for toxicity.
Note that you want to look for D3 and not D2. D2 is not the kind that occurs naturally from sun exposure and can even be toxic at high doses.
I like Carlson as a brand for vitamin D supplements for babies. As for kids (and me!), we take these ones by Rainbow Light.
Carlson is my favorite brand of vitamin D drops for babies.
- Omega-3s. These fatty acids are crucial for good brain and heart function, and are found in fatty fish like salmon and sardines, breastmilk, and some nuts and seeds. If you and your kids eat fish regularly (even relatively small amounts), you are probably covered. If not, you may want to consider a DHA supplement.
Nordic Naturals Babyβs DHA is a good one, as are the Nordic Naturals supplements for adults. (Note that the orange-flavored βFishiesβ by Nordic Naturals have low levels of omega-3s and are basically candy.)
The only other supplement you might consider is one with B12 if you are a vegan.
What supplements and vitamins do you like? Please share in the comments below.
Stay sane,
My kids love these vitamin D gummies. Just make sure to brush teeth after eating!
From: $12.49 / monthBuy Now
P.S. If you’re pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, you may want to read our guide to the Best Prenatal Vitamins.
Carlin says
My doctor always recommends thorne supplements. In fact, every naturopathic doctor that Iβve ever been to recommends their brand of supplements. I do give my children a half dose of a vitamin (pure encapsulations), because I want them to get the methylcobalamin and methyl folate that they might not be getting enough of from food. I used to be a big believer that my kids were getting everything from food, but nowadays there is no guarantee of that because of quality issues. I canβt speak to lab stats, but overall my daughter says she notices a difference in her energy. We also do calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D.
Keri Luce says
Hi! Great all around info….but have you ever considered the fact that fish actually get their omegas from consuming ALGAE and that getting Omegas from plant based sources is so much better for the health of humans and the planet! Flax meal, Chia etc and plant based Omega supplements like Juice Plus+ which contains algae, sea buckthorn oil, pomegranate seed oil, raspberry seed oil, tomato seed oil…
Fish oil is contaminated with heavy metals, even arsenic and various studies have shown fish oils go RANCID on shelves….plant based Omegas are WAY safer and MORE environmentally friendly and cause so much less devastation to our Oceans from the impact the fish oil industry!
Making simple small simple changes like this really adds up <3.
It is NOT any consumers fault that they only think you can get omegas from fish- this deceptive marketing has been engrained in our culture from these huge corporations at the expense of our oceans and our own well being, even some doctors don't understand the negative implications of highly unregulated fish oil- if they only knew to suggest the plant source in the first place!
PLANTS ARE POWERFUL!
Kerry says
What are your thoughts on Juice Plus products? I give my kids the gummies and I take them in pill form.
Rebeka says
I’m also interested on your thoughts about Juice Plus+ products.
Melissa says
I would be interested to know your thoughts on Juice Plus as well.
Keri Luce says
Hi Melissa!
Wow I just posted my above comment on this page and scrolled down and saw these recent posts on Juice Plus, what an amazing coincidence! I have been in fitness & healthcare for 9 years- I fully stand behind their products!
Please read my brief post on why it is so important to get your Omegas from plant sources NOT FISH OIL!!!
I would love to share even more eye opening info with you on all of their products!
You can message me on my instagram handle @_bodybykeri_ or you can email me at bodybykeri.@gmail.com.
My Juice Plus+ website is keriluce.juiceplus.com
Peace & Wellness to you!
Keri Luce
Keri says
Juice Plus+ is absolutely AMAZING! Check out my website keriluce.juiceplus.com and send me a message for more information!
Keri Luce says
Hi Rebeka!
Wow I just posted my above comment on this page and scrolled down and saw these recent posts on Juice Plus, what an amazing coincidence! I have been in fitness & healthcare for 9 years- I fully stand behind their products!
Please read my brief post on why it is so important to get your Omegas from plant sources NOT FISH OIL!!!
I would love to share even more eye opening info with you on all of their products!
You can message me on my instagram handle @_bodybykeri_ or you can email me at bodybykeri.@gmail.com.
My Juice Plus+ website is keriluce.juiceplus.com
Peace & Wellness to you!
Keri Luce
Keri Luce says
Hi Kerry!
Wow I just posted my comment on this page and scrolled down and saw these recent posts on Juice Plus, what an amazing coincidence! Please read my brief post above on why it is so important to get your Omegas from plant sources NOT FISH OIL!!!
I would LOVE to share more information with you.
My instagram handle is @_bodybykeri_ or you can email me at bodybykeri.@gmail.com My Juice Plus+ website is keriluce.juiceplus.com The Omegas blend is the most important Juice Plus+ product in my mind. Would love to share even more eye opening info with you!
Peace & Wellness to you!
Keri Luce
Keri Luce says
Hi Rebeka!
Wow I just posted my above comment on this page and scrolled down and saw these recent posts on Juice Plus, what an amazing coincidence! I have been in fitness & healthcare for 9 years- I fully stand behind their products!
Please read my brief post on why it is so important to get your Omegas from plant sources NOT FISH OIL!!!
I would love to share even more eye opening info with you on all of their products!
You can message me on my instagram handle @_bodybykeri_ or you can email me at bodybykeri.@gmail.com.
My Juice Plus+ website is keriluce.juiceplus.com
Peace & Wellness to you!
Keri Luce
Kim Lavelle says
Two questions:
1) You mention everyone needing a Vitamin D supplement. I live in California and make it a point of being outside (without sunscreen) for at least 5 minutes daily with my 11 month old. On rainy days (where we won’t be standing outside!) I do take a large quantity of Vitamin D so that he’s getting it through the breast milk. Do you think everyone needs a Vitamin D supplement daily if they are in a sunny environment? I was told I was okay to not take anything if we were in the sun daily.
2) I can not eat dairy and while I know there are dark leafy greens that provide calcium, I’m concerned that I don’t get a sufficient amount of these in my diet. While working to increase my consumption of them, I also thought it safest to ingest calcium supplementation either in a multi or separately. Would you recommend calcium in this instance?
Maia James says
Keeping in mind that I’m not a doctor:
1) I’d get your vitamin D levels tested and see if you’re deficient. It may be that your sun exposure is plenty!
2) I personally feel you can get enough calcium from a healthy vegan diet–you didn’t mention if you eat meat?
Alison Lakoff says
Hi,
Thanks for all your research on this and everything else! I give my children this in juice b/c of the following from his site: “Fish and fish oil are unfavorable sources of DHA and EPA because most fatty fish contain harmful pollutants. Dr. Fuhrmanβs DHA+EPA Purity is derived from lab-grown algae and contains no contaminants.”
Please let me know if you see anything wrong with this brand. Thanks!
https://www.drfuhrman.com/shop/products/52/dhaepa-purity
Rachel Thompson says
Iβm really surprised you donβt recommend a probiotic? Thatβs top on my list. In fact my pediatrician recommends Reuteri probiotic – 1/4 tsp 2x a day which I put in her milk. For myself, Iβm a huge fan of Klaire Labs
Maia James says
yes, love Klaire labs!
π
Rebeka says
I know you said you are lukewarm in regards to kids multivitamins. But, have you heard of First Day Vitamins for kids? https://hifirstday.com. If so, what are your thoughts?
Ann Taylor says
I would be interested in your thoughts on this multi as well.
Maia James says
Hi there! I had never heard of this brand, so thanks for putting it on my radar. I see no red flags! I’ll keep digging, but looks like Good Stuff:)
Cindy says
Hi Maia,
I have started taking Sport Formula 99 because my sister was taking it and her hair, nails and health had improved so much that I could see the difference. She also would get sick a lot but that also stopped. She told me she was taking this and I bought some. Ive been on it for a couple of months now. Could you please check it out and see what you think?
Kevin Halverson says
I prefer my Natural Factors Vitamins from Village Vitamin Store. They come straight to my house, they’re all natural and non GMO. I think they have really helped to boost my energy and they aren’t hard on my stomach.
Diana says
Wow, great article. Thank you so much! I am using Garden of life gummies (https://www.gardenoflife.com/content/product/mykind-organics-kids-multi-gummies/). Any thoughts on them? My boys are 4 and 7 and I give them 3 daily (4 is recommended). Thank you Diana
Melissa says
I would love to know what you think of NaturesPlus Animal Parade vitamins for kids. I’m not really sure what the difference is between the Animal Parade Gold and the regular Animal Parade.
Bertha says
Hi Maia, I am also interested in what you think about First Day Multi for kids as well as Hiya Multi for kids, Mary Ruth’s Kids Multi and Llama Naturals Kids Multi. They praise to be better because they use organic ingredients, no sugar, additives, or preservatives but I would like to know if the type of vitamins in them, where they are derived from, and the daily amount they are getting from the vitamin is safe. There are so many parents trying to find the safest and best multi for their kids and with so many things to factor in it’s hard, especially with all the options out there now.
– Garden of life
-Rainbow light
-Dr. Mercola
-Mary Ruth’s
-First Day
-Hiya
-Llama Natural (organic & plant based)
-MegaFood
-Thorne
-Natures Plus
To name a few that many of us have come across looking for a healthier kids multi. Hope you get to read this and give more help and insight on choosing a great brand. Thank you.