Want to know which multivitamins are the most popular? Check out these bestselling products with a blend of vitamins and minerals to support your daily wellness. This naturopath guide covers multivitamins and how to choose the right one for you. You'll find a multivitamin to suit every stage of life.
- Bestselling multivitamin: BePure One
- Best women’s multivitamin: Xtend-Life Total Balance Women's
- Best multivitamin for pregnancy: BePure Mum's One
- Best vitamin gummies for adults: Radiance Multivitamin Gummies for Adults
- Best men’s multivitamin: Blackmores Multivitamins for Men
- Best vegan multivitamin: Solgar VM-2000 Multinutrient
- Best family multivitamin: Clinicians Multivitamin & Mineral Boost
- Best tasting multivitamin for kids: Radiance Multi-Vitamins for Kids
- Best wholefood multivitamin: Vital All-In-One Greens
- Frequently asked questions
- 7 reasons to take a multivitamin
Let’s have a look at some of our best vitamin supplements
Bestselling multivitamin: BePure One – Daily Multivitamin
This is our bestselling multivitamin, and for good reason. BePure have created a comprehensive multivitamin that has a huge array of vitamins, minerals, and plant extracts.
It’s convenient as you’re getting it all in one go. Not only are you getting the basics covered, but your body will also receive extra herbal and wholefood ingredients.
- Activated folate and B12 – easier for the body to use
- Herbal and wholefood extracts to support the liver and longevity
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Best women's multivitamin: Xtend-Life Total Balance Women's Premium
For comprehensive women's support, Xtend-Life has formulated this multivitamin with a focus on quality ingredients. With over 100 nutrients - this formula is impressive. It offers a generous dose of Magnesium – in fact, an extraordinary amount for a multivitamin.
With bioavailable forms that are easy for your body to use. B vitamins support daily energy, while plant extracts like Chasteberry and Dong Quai support female hormones. Andextra antioxidants for skin glow, brain health and soft aging support.
Start with a full dose for a month and then cut down to half the daily dose for maintenance.
- Supports female hormonal balance
- Features the most absorbable forms of nutrients
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Best multivitamin for pregnancy: BePure Mum's One
Whether you’re preparing for pregnancy or looking to support the healthy growth and development of your baby, this prenatal supplement keeps you covered as your nutrient requirements change - ensuring adequate intake of folic acid and iodine, which is crucial for bub.
Mum’s One has folic acid in the form of 5-MTHF, which is the active and more easily absorbed form of folate. This prenatal supplement has natural beta-carotene for your Vitamin A needs. It also has easily absorbable forms of B12 and D3 to support you during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
- Most absorbable forms of folate and Vitamin B12
- Non-constipating form of iron
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Best vitamin gummies for adults: Radiance Multi Vitamin Gummies For Adults
After a multi that’s both delicious – and helps fill nutritional gaps? These berry treats are the most popular gummy multivitamins here at HealthPost.
You’re covered with essential nutrients such as Vitamin C, Vitamin D and Zinc – the immune health trifecta, as well as B Complex vitamins, choline and inositol for brain function and physical energy.
They have plenty of positive reviews for tasting great. They’re a sweet treat without the sugar – and are perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth in a healthy way.
- Covers daily essentials for immune, mental clarity and physical energy
- Plenty of positive reviews for being ‘yummy’
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Best men's multivitamin: Blackmores Multivitamins For Men Sustained Release Technology
Men need different levels of vitamins and minerals. For example, they need extra zinc and less iron.
Blackmores has formulated this men's multivitamin with this in mind. It has sustained release technology for up to 8 hours of support. They also include lycopene for prostate health. Suitable for men of all ages, the one-a-day dose offers convenience too.
- Easy, one-a-day dose
- Extra zinc for male hormones and lycopene for prostate health
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Best vegan multivitamin: Solgar Formula VM-2000 Multinutrient
This high potency multivitamin is a winner if you follow a vegan diet. It’s rich in B12, Zinc and Vitamin D which can be typically low in plant-based diets.
VM-2000 contains B vitamins to support energy, mental clarity and focus. With added phytonutrients and bioflavonoids, not only for vegans but for anyone with a super busy life.
- Vegan, broad-spectrum formula
- With B12 and B vitamins
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Best family multivitamin: Clinicians MultiVitamin & Mineral Boost
Are you looking for a one-size-fits-all product? Clinicians MultiVitamin & Mineral Boost comes with variable dose options for the whole family, 12 months and over. Mix with water, juice, a smoothie – or simply sprinkle on food. This powder is packed full of essential nutrients – ideal for filling any nutritional gaps.
- Suitable for the whole family
- Comprehensive source of vitamins and minerals
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Best tasting multivitamin for kids: Radiance Kids Gummies Multi Vitamin
Formulated with flavours that appeal to kids' tastebuds, getting your littlies to take them will be a breeze. They’re naturally sweetened, berry flavoured and 99% sugar-free too. What’s more, they contain Vitamin D and Zinc to support healthy bones and immune function, as well as choline and inositol for brain health, and B vitamins for energy and a good mood. Suitable from ages 2 years plus.
Radiance does a great job of formulating great tasting gummies that also deliver on nutrients. That’s why you’ll notice they feature twice on this list - Radiance is the most popular brand of gummy vitamins.
- Tasty, bear shaped gummy
- Scientifically formulated to support growing children
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Best wholefood multivitamin: Vital All-In-One
You can add this bestselling wholefood supplement to a smoothie or try it as a refreshing drink. The pineapple flavour makes it easy to take.
The list of ingredients is impressive – check them out:
- Fruit and veggies
- Nutrient dense greens
- Vitamins and minerals
- Herbs
- Pre and probiotics
- Omega 3, 6 and 9 essential fatty acids
- Fibre
- Pea protein
As you can see, it really is an “All in One”, it’s a customer favourite and super popular with the HealthPost team too. It also helps support healthy liver function and contains a list of wholefood ingredients that are nutrient dense.
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Frequently asked questions
Question: Why were multivitamins created?
Answer:
Multivitamins were invented in 1943 as a response to some noted
nutritional deficiencies that men serving in World War 2 were experiencing. This prompted the start of what we know today as the ‘recommended daily intake’, or RDI for the vitamins and minerals required by our bodies every day to function at their best. It wasn’t long before the multivitamin started turning up in our households.
Question: Is it good to take a multivitamin every day?
Answer:
At each stage of our lives,
we require different quantities of vitamins and minerals to thrive, therefore it’s always a good first step to ensure you are consuming a varied diet – full of colourful vegetables, fruit and wholefoods.
But keep in mind there are lots of factors that can influence nutrient absorption and your daily needs. Gut and microbiome health, how much exercise you do, your age, and the use of certain medications can all have an impact.
Also, the nutrient content of your fresh produce; soil quality, the time between being picked and eaten, storage, and preparation can all play a part.
Taking a multivitamin can provide an extra layer of support for you, but it is important to choose a multivitamin that has been formulated for your body’s needs and stage of life.
Question: What are the common nutrient deficiencies in the New Zealand population?
Answer:
Iodine & selenium deficiency.
New Zealand soil is lacking in two key minerals: Iodine and Selenium. This means that fresh produce sometimes doesn’t contain enough of these essential minerals to keep us healthy.
The low iodine intake became a bit of a problem in the early 1900’s – when there was a noted increase in health concerns relating to iodine deficiency, affecting the thyroid gland and the developing brain.
In 1924, the government decided to add iodine to our table salt – which saw this deficiency all but disappear until recently. With the rise of non-iodised salt in the kitchen, and many large companies choosing to use non-iodised salt in their food manufacturing, ensuring you are getting enough iodine has become even more important.
Although selenium is low in our soils, we have avoided deficiencies by relying on mostly imported grains for our bread and using selenium in our primary farming industries – which carries on down the food chain to us.
As well as being an essential mineral, selenium plays a very important role in the body’s defences against oxidative stress and free radicals – the natural process that causes us to age. Selenium is one of those minerals that needs to be carefully monitored in your supplements – as you can over-do it. Fortunately, there are maximum doses set for supplements sold in NZ to protect people from taking doses that are too high.
Question: What about folate deficiency during pregnancy?
Answer:
The B-Vitamin folate is very important before and during pregnancy to
support the healthy development of the baby’s central nervous system – this includes the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.
It is recommended that all those who are trying to conceive start taking folate or folic acid either on its own, or as a multivitamin at least three months before pregnancy. Your best option is to speak to your Lead Maternity Carer so that you’re getting the correct dose.
Question: what about Iron and B12 deficiency with a vegetarian or vegan diet?
Answer:
Our main sources of iron and B12 are from animal sources, this means that when you are following a vegetarian or vegan diet, special care needs to be taken to ensure that they’re both included from other food sources, or by taking a supplement. If you’re not sure whether you’re consuming enough through your diet, be sure to get your levels tested to find out.
7 reasons to take a multivitamin
What does a multivitamin do? Here's 7 reasons to take a multivitamin, that you may like to consider:
- To support your energy and sleep
- To support healthy liver detoxification
- During pregnancy and breastfeeding to support your changing nutritional needs and bub's development
- To support growing children
- To support a healthy vegetarian or vegan diet
- For healthy skin, hair and nails
- During times of stress and added pressure at home or at work. Check out our article: B complex vitamins made simple: adrenal and stress support
Multivitamins do tend to major on the vitamins, and minor on some minerals – as it is tricky to include everything in one convenient daily pill. Depending on which multivitamin you choose, you may also want to look into a separate mineral supplement if you have increased requirements for magnesium, zinc, calcium, or iron.
When should I take my multivitamin?
Multivitamins are best taken alongside food for optimal absorption. The best time to take your multivitamin is when you’re most likely to remember it – for many this is first thing in the morning, with breakfast. Some people like to keep their bottle at their workstation to take with lunch.
Avoid drinking coffee or black tea for around on hour either side of your supplements, as the tannins and caffeine can impact on absorption. Ideally, multivitamins are designed to take daily – however they will still be very supportive if you miss a day or two.
Helpful tip: To make it easy to remember, leave them out where you can see them, or pop a reminder on your phone.
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