To ensure that you’re getting the proper fuel to support an active, healthy lifestyle you might want to consider adding a multivitamin – one that is specifically formulated to meet a woman’s needs – to your diet. Know that multivitamins shouldn’t take the place of whole foods and a healthy diet. Fresh produce, lean protein, and fortified grains are chock full of natural enzymes and nutrients that you won’t find in man-made vitamins. But, vitamin supplements can fill in any nutritional gaps you don’t get in your diet. For instance, adult women between the ages of 19 and 50 need 18 milligrams (mg) of iron each day, while men only need about 8 mg, according to dietary guidelines from the National Institute of Medicine. If your diet doesn’t contain iron-rich foods like red meat, fortified grains, or beans, a multivitamin may be a good way to get the recommended daily intake. Once you’ve decided to add a multivitamin to your diet, you will need to settle on the right brand. According to Keri Gans, RDN, author of The Small Change Diet, women should look for nationally recognized brands or store brands from a trusted retailers. There are hundreds of multivitamin options on the market, so it’s up to consumers to do their research and look for third-party seals or certification when in doubt. There are several third-party certifiers, such as NSF International and USP, that painstakingly review dietary supplements for quality and consistency. Worth noting: Even though multivitamins are important for women at any age, if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant you may need to replace a multivitamin with prenatal vitamins. Prenatal formulas contain higher doses of vitamins and minerals like choline and folic acid that are important for a growing fetus, and may prevent birth defects or abnormalities. “The American Medical Association recently recommended that choline be included in all prenatal multivitamins, further illustrating its importance in women of childbearing age,” Gans says. Although it doesn’t matter what time of day you take your multivitamin, it does matter what you take with your multi. Gans recommends taking your multi with a food that has some healthy fat since it helps your body absorb fat soluble vitamins (A, E, D, K) properly. Examples of foods that contain healthy fat would include dairy, eggs, fish, nuts, and avocado. These are our top six picks for the best multivitamins for women.
Nature Made Women’s Multivitamin
Centrum Women’s Multivitamin
One A Day Women’s Multivitamin
NOW EVE Women’s Multivitamin
Rainbow Light Women’s One Multivitamin
GNC Women’s Ultra Mega One Daily
Available from GNC starting at $10 (60 caplets)
