The 8 Best Multivitamins Multi-Powered for Women in 2022

Let’s be real — despite plenty of Insta wellness gurus suggesting that a healthy, balanced diet is easy to achieve, that’s not always the case for everyone. Especially when it comes to the complexities of women’s needs.

Dietary imbalances and nutritional deficiencies are rife. And if your body’s deprived of the vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients it needs to maintain optimal tissue and organ function, your health can be negatively affected.

Enter the multivitamin. These blended formulas can help fill any nutritional gaps and ensure your body has precisely what it needs to keep you well. And they’re particularly important during pregnancy and for women with certain health conditions.

But which multivitamin should you choose? Let’s have a look.

How to choose the right multivitamin for you

The ideal multivitamin for you depends on your age, lifestyle, and general health. Think: a pregnant person requires different nutrients than a not-pregnant vegan person.

But there are still some important things to look for in general, including:

Nutrients

• If you fall into a certain category (for example, if you’re vegan, pregnant, nursing, or menopausal) there are certain nutrients you’ll want to look for in your multi:
• Vegan/vegetarian. Look for a multi with vitamin B12, vitamin D, iodine, and zinc — as one 2020 study shows that vegans may not get enough of these nutrients.
• Pregnant. Experts say that a good prenatal should include iron (if your iron levels are low), folic acid, iodine, zinc, vitamin D, and omega-3 fats (preferably DHA) to support you *and* your growing bb.
• Nursing. If you’re nursing, a prenatal or postnatal vitamin will usually cover your bases. Still, research shows that you’ll want to check that it contains vitamin D, folic acid, omega-3 DHA, and choline.
• Menopause. Getting enough calcium, vitamin D, vitamin C, selenium, and beta-carotene from food or supplements may benefit bone health during menopause.

Certifications

Before you throw away your hard-earned cash on any ol’ multivitamin, understand that nutritional supplements, including vitamins, are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). So, your best bet is to choose a third-party tested product to ensure your vitamins are safe and effective. Independent labs to look out for include Consumer Lab, Lab Door, NSF, and USP.

If you can’t find those kinds of certifications, look for vitamins made in facilities that are compliant with Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMPs). CGMPs are standards set forth by the FDA designed to ensure that supplements are packaged and labeled appropriately. CGMPs *don’t* involve testing the contents of supplements, though.

Form

Capsules, gummies, chewables, powders, and liquids. You’ve got options, hunny.

Think about the form of vitamin you prefer. If the idea of trying to swallow a big old capsule fills you with dread, maybe a powder, chewable, or liquid would fit better into your daily routine and make it more likely you’ll actually take it.

Or if the idea of chewables and liquids gives you flashbacks to your Flintstone’s vitamins and childrens’ Motrin days, stick with capsules or gummies.

Appropriate daily values

Look for a multivitamin with at least 100 percent of the daily value (DV) for most ingredients.

You prob won’t find this with calcium because the pill would be too large to swallow. Likewise, magnesium and potassium levels are often low in multivitamins to avoid interactions with any medications.

On the flip side, some ingredients might have a super high percentage — like an 800 to 1000 percent DV. This is common with vitamins that your body might not absorb 100 percent of, like vitamin B12.

Balance of ingredients

You’ll need an appropriate balance of nutrients for your age, sex, and nutritional and reproductive status. For example, older peeps need more calcium and vitamin D, whereas premenopausal and pregnant peeps need more iron.

Many brands make multivitamins that account for these needs. Look for products labeled with your age range and sex — and if you’re pregnant or nursing, look for prenatal/postnatal formulas.

Price

There’s a multivitamin for every price point, so you DON’T have to bust your budget for a multi. However, in general, the less expensive vitamins may use inexpensive nutrient forms that aren’t as well absorbed by the body as those used in higher-end supplements.

For example, magnesium oxide is used in many inexpensive multivitamins and magnesium supplements, but it may not be as effective as magnesium picolinate.

Dietary restrictions

You’ll also want to check that your multi meshes well with your dietary preferences and restrictions — some things you may want to check for specifically are:

• organic
• non-GMO
• gluten-free
• vegan
• allergen-free
• kosher
• sugar-free
• dye-free

Pricing guide