Picking out a multivitamin can be a difficult task, especially considering the plethora of options you face in the vitamin aisle. You may wonder just what nutrients your body needs to maintain optimal health. Women have different dietary needs than men, particularly during childbearing years. Fortunately, supplement companies have developed formulas purportedly designed for a woman's health. Talk to your doctor about your current diet, and ask what nutrients you might be lacking. Once you know what your body needs, selecting the right multivitamin might be easier.
One A Day Women's Multivitamin
A more familiar brand, One A Day for women compiles 18 mg of iron, 400 micrograms of folic acid, and 1000 IU of vitamin D; all nutrients recommended for pre-menopausal women, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center's website, UMM.edu. The vitamin also has B12, zinc, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, and E. You only need to take one a day, which makes supplementing easier. However, if you are looking for a natural, vegetarian option, this multi may not be right for you. The One A Day website states it contains fish as well as food dyes yellow #6 and blue #2.
Rainbow Light Just Once
Rainbow Light has a vegetarian, food-based formula for women that encapsulates its nutrients in a single dose. The company uses sustainable packaging that is 100 percent recycled and recyclable. This particular formula contains vitamins A, C, E, D, K, and a B-complex, as well as iron, folic acid, zinc, selenium, and other essential nutrients. The digestive enzyme complex can help increase absorption of nutrients, a key feature that many other multivitamins lack. The multi also contains inositol, PABA, kelp, and small amounts of gingko and eleuthero root.
Rainbow Light Women's Answer
This Rainbow Light product offers an iron-free alternative for active, pre-menopausal women. It contains many of the same nutrients as the Just Once product; however, it also packs additional herbs and more calcium. The company added Hawthorn, Cordonopsis, Lycium berry, and other herbs that may be helpful for regulating women's menstrual health. The company website states that this product is safe to use with birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy, HRT.
Garden of Life
The Garden of Life brand produces Living Multi Optimal Women's Formula. The company website states that the multivitamin contains food-based B vitamins, vitamins C, D, and E, calcium, folic acid, and iron. The caplets also include red clover and other ingredients meant to support the nutritional needs of women. This supplement also has a digestive blend, although it differs slightly from the Rainbow Light brand. Garden of Life puts digestive enzymes like amylase in, but also includes prebiotics and probiotics, which are helpful bacteria for your digestive tract. If you prefer one a day type of products, this formula may not be right for you. The company recommends as a serving size six caplets per day, depending on your dietary needs.
Irwin Naturals
Irwin Naturals Women's Living Green multivitamin is, according to the company's website, derived from whole, living plants. The formula is contained in a soft-gel, which eliminates the need for fillers or binding ingredients. Soft-gels also allow companies to add in oils, like Omega-3 essential fatty acids. This particular formula contains fish, flaxseed, and evening primrose oils. The Women's Living Green formula still contains antioxidants like vitamins C, E, and D, as well as folic acid, B vitamins, and zinc. It does not contain iron, and it actually has a lower calcium content than some other multis; it contains 50 mg per serving, which is 5 percent of the recommended daily value. It is jam-packed with other herbs for memory, energy, and immune support, and also contains a digestive blend for better absorption. This product is not a one a day formula, either. However, it only recommends three capsules per day, rather than six.
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