Best Multivitamins

One-A-Day Men's Health Formula (Around $6.50 for 60 tablets)

Best multivitamin for men. Experts say that men should look for a multivitamin with no more than 9 milligrams of iron; less is even better. Iron overload can cause health problems in men, including joint pain, heart palpitations and impotence. One-A-Day Men's Formula contains no iron, plus it has 150% of the recommended Daily Value (DV) of selenium and vitamin E, both of which may help prevent prostate problems. A 12-year study is currently under way to determine whether high amounts of selenium and vitamin E prevent prostate cancer. Until proof is in, the modestly higher amounts in One-A-Day Men's may offer prostate benefits while still being a safe level for consumption.


Centrum from A to Zinc (Around $6.50 for 50 tablets)

Best multivitamin for premenopausal women. In contrast to men, premenopausal women lose iron during menstruation. Experts recommend that women in this age group take a multivitamin with 18 milligrams of iron, like Centrum from A to Zinc. This Centrum formula also contains 400 micrograms of folic acid, which is essential for preventing neural tube defects (like spina bifida) in babies. The neural tube develops before most women know they're pregnant, so experts recommend taking folic acid even before conception. Experts also advise women to look for a multivitamin that contains at least some vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene, since too much vitamin A in the form of retinol palmitate or acetate can cause birth defects. This Centrum formula contains 3,500 International Units (IU) of vitamin A, of which 29% is beta-carotene.


Equate Complete (Around $5 for 130)

Alternative store brand multivitamins. Although reviews say you should avoid vitamins from discount and dollar stores, experts say that reputable store brands often perform just as well as name-brand vitamins in testing. Equate Complete has the same ingredients as Centrum from A to Zinc, but at a fraction of the price. It contains the same 3,500 IU of vitamin A with 29% in the form of beta-carotene, 400 micrograms of folic acid, and 18 milligrams of iron.


Stuart Prenatal (Around $30 for 100 tablets)

Best prenatal multivitamin. Pregnant and lactating women have unique needs in a multivitamin, including increased folic acid and a higher percentage of vitamin A in the safer form of beta-carotene to prevent birth defects. Stuart Prenatal has 800 micrograms of folic acid and 100% of its vitamin A (4,000 IU) in the form of beta-carotene, along with 100% DV or more of other essential vitamins and minerals.


One-A-Day 50 Plus (Around $5.50 for 50 tablets)

Best multivitamin for men and women over 50. People over 50 may have a decreased ability to absorb vitamin B12 from food, so experts advise this age group to look for 25 micrograms of B12 in their multivitamin, like One-A-Day 50 Plus. This multivitamin also has 20 micrograms of vitamin K, which can help prevent hip fractures. However, vitamin K can interfere with blood-thinning medications like Coumadin, so people taking such medications should consult their doctor before taking a multivitamin with vitamin K. Iron overload can also be a concern in people over 50, but this multivitamin contains no iron.


Flintstones Children's Complete Chewable Vitamins (Around $9 for 60 tablets)

Best children's multivitamin. Children can sometimes be fussy eaters, and are notorious for not wanting to swallow pills. Flintstones Complete Chewable Vitamins are fruit flavored and contain child-appropriate amounts of essential vitamins and minerals. Flintstones Complete also passed Consumer Lab's stringent testing of multivitamins.