Multivitamin Guide (2026): Do You Actually Need One?
By Erin Rose Updated October 8, 2026 Sources
Most healthy adults don’t need a multivitamin. In the big trials it did not prevent heart disease or early death. It can fill a gap for some people, such as many people over 50 and vegans.
We earn a commission if you buy through our links. It never changes a score or a pick. How we make money
Our pick has iron. FDA requires this warning on iron products: “WARNING: Accidental overdose of iron-containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6. Keep this product out of reach of children. In case of accidental overdose, call a doctor or poison control center immediately.”
Start here
The most popular multivitamin brands
No company publishes multivitamin sales by brand, so no one can say for sure which sells the most. The big drugstore brands are Nature Made, Centrum and One A Day. Of the brands in the table below, our pick is Nature Made Multi Complete with Iron: the top score of the 6 multivitamins we priced, at $0.11 a day.
| Brand and product | Testing list | Buy |
|---|---|---|
| Nature Made · our pickNature Made Multi Complete with Iron | USP Verified | Check price |
| CentrumCentrum Silver Adults 50+ | NSF/ANSI 173 | Check price |
| CentrumCentrum Adults Under 50 | Not on a testing list | Check price |
| One A DayOne A Day Men's Complete Multivitamin | Not on a testing list | Check price |
| RitualRitual Essential for Women 18+ Multivitamin | USP Verified | Check price |
| ThorneThorne Basic Nutrients 2/Day | NSF Certified for Sport, NSF/ANSI 173 | Check price |
| NATURELONATURELO One Daily Multivitamin for Women | NSF/ANSI 173 | Check price |
Who needs a multivitamin
You may want one if you are over 50 or eat a vegan diet. If you are healthy and eat a varied diet, you don’t need one. NIH says no US health agency or medical group promotes taking one every day.
| You are | What helps |
|---|---|
| Over 50 | B12 from a supplement or fortified food. Many people absorb less from food with age. Vitamin B12 |
| Vegan | A reliable B12 source, and a vitamin D check. DHA from algae is a separate pill. |
| After weight-loss surgery | Follow your surgery team’s plan. |
| Healthy, varied diet | Most don’t need one. The big trials found no disease prevention. |
What a multivitamin can and cannot do
A multivitamin fills gaps in your diet. In well-fed adults, it has not been shown to prevent disease. Here is each common reason to take one, graded by the best human trials.
-
NIH advisesB12 after 50, or on a vegan diet
Many older adults absorb less B12 from food, and plant foods have almost none. NIH advises a supplement or fortified food. Vitamin B12
-
NoPreventing heart attack or stroke
Neither big trial found fewer heart attacks, strokes or heart deaths (Sesso 2012; Sesso 2022). The numbers
-
NoLiving longer
Neither big trial found fewer deaths. In a study of 390,124 healthy adults, daily users did not live longer (Loftfield 2024). The numbers
-
WeakMemory in older adults
Three COSMOS studies found a small benefit on memory tests (Vyas 2024); the 11-year trial in men found none (Grodstein 2013). Companies paid part of COSMOS; see who paid for the trials, below. The numbers
| Outcome and study | Risk | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Heart attack, stroke, heart deathPHS-II · 14,641 men, 11 years | 1.01 | 0.91 to 1.10 |
| Any heart or blood-vessel event (also counts artery procedures and unstable angina)COSMOS · 21,442 women 65+ and men 60+, 3.6 years | 0.98 | 0.86 to 1.12 |
| Death from any causePHS-II | 0.94 | 0.88 to 1.02 |
| COSMOS | 0.93 | 0.81 to 1.08 |
| 390,124 adults, up to 27 years (observational; first half of follow-up) | 1.04 | 1.02 to 1.07 |
Who paid for the trials. Both big trials used Centrum Silver. In PHS-II, the pills came from Centrum’s maker (then Wyeth, now owned by Pfizer) and from BASF, a vitamin maker that also gave a research grant; DSM gave packaging. In COSMOS, Mars Edge, part of Mars Inc., gave a grant for running costs and study pills, and Pfizer gave some pills. Both trials also had NIH grants. Both papers say the companies had no role in the design or analysis and did not review or approve the paper. Company ties don’t make a result wrong, but you should know they are there.
The US Preventive Services Task Force found “not enough evidence” to say whether a multivitamin prevents heart disease or cancer (USPSTF 2022). That is not a recommendation against taking one.
Don’t expect to feel it work. The trials checked results after 1 to 11 years, using tests and diagnoses. The earliest check was a memory test after 1 year in COSMOS-Web, which found a small gain (Yeung 2023). If you take one to fix a real gap, like low B12, your doctor can recheck your level after a few months.
Men’s vs women’s formulas: it’s mostly iron
The main difference is iron: women 19 to 50 need more than anyone else, and most others get enough from food (iron by age). Extra iron can build up, and about 4 in 1,000 white Americans have the inherited condition that causes it (NIH). If you are a man or a woman 51 or older, choose an iron-free formula unless a doctor tells you otherwise.
If you smoke, avoid large amounts of beta-carotene or vitamin A; NIH says this may apply if you used to smoke, too. In two big trials in smokers (one also gave vitamin A), beta-carotene pills were linked to more lung cancer (ATBC 1994; Omenn 1996).
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Nature Made Multi Complete with Iron | 18 mg |
| Centrum Adults Under 50 | 18 mg |
| NATURELO One Daily Multivitamin for Women | 9 mg |
| Ritual Essential for Women 18+ Multivitamin | 8 mg |
What to check on the label
Check five things: iron, vitamin A, folic acid, niacin and vitamin K. The RDA is the daily amount most people need. The upper limit is the most NIH says is safe to take each day.
- Iron. Only if you are a woman 19 to 50, unless a doctor tells you otherwise (iron by age).
- Vitamin A. Keep retinol-form vitamin A under NIH’s adult limit of 10,000 IU (3,000 mcg) a day, from food and pills together. It matters most if you could become pregnant. Beta-carotene doesn’t count (details).
- Folic acid. Keep the total from pills and fortified foods under 1,000 mcg a day.
- Niacin. Stay under NIH’s limit of 35 mg from pills and fortified food. One multivitamin we score is over it on its own. Upper limits
- Vitamin K. If you take a blood thinner, ask your doctor before any multivitamin with vitamin K.
Which multivitamin to buy
Buy one on a public testing list, with iron only if you need it. Only 13 of the 19 multivitamins we read are on one. Our pick is Nature Made Multi Complete with Iron, at the top of the page. If it doesn’t suit you:
- Buy NATURELO One Daily Multivitamin for Men (60 capsules) on Amazon
- Buy Thorne Basic Nutrients 2/Day on Amazon
See all 6 we score, with each score, cost and testing list, and which multivitamins are third-party tested.
When you don’t need a multivitamin
You can skip it in these cases.
- You are healthy, eat a varied diet, and are in none of the groups above.
- You already take a prenatal or another multivitamin. Don’t take two, and count both toward the limits above.
- Your surgery team or doctor gave you a plan. Follow theirs instead.
If you could become pregnant: the US Preventive Services Task Force advises 400 to 800 mcg of folic acid a day (USPSTF 2023). A regular multivitamin is not a prenatal, and iron needs rise to 27 mg a day in pregnancy (NIH). The trials behind the folic acid advice used folic acid; NATURELO and Ritual use methylfolate instead. Ask your doctor which to take.
Questions
Do I need a multivitamin?
Most healthy adults who eat a varied diet don’t. In the big trials a multivitamin did not prevent heart disease or early death. Some people may want one, such as many people over 50 and vegans. If you take medicine or could become pregnant, ask your doctor first. Who needs one.
Do multivitamins actually do anything?
A multivitamin fills gaps in your diet. In well-fed adults, the big trials found no fewer heart attacks, strokes or deaths (Sesso 2012; Sesso 2022). Three COSMOS studies found a small benefit on memory tests in older adults; the 11-year trial in men found none. The evidence, graded.
What should I look for in a multivitamin?
Iron only if you need it. Vitamin A as retinol under 10,000 IU a day. Nothing over NIH’s upper limits. A listing on a public testing list such as USP Verified or NSF/ANSI 173. Some brands, including NATURELO and Ritual, use methylfolate instead of folic acid; that is a form choice, not a proven upgrade. What to check.
What is the best multivitamin?
Our pick is Nature Made Multi Complete with Iron. One tablet gives the adult RDA of vitamin D, B12 and folate, plus 18 mg of iron, for $0.11 a day at list price. Men who don’t need iron: NATURELO One Daily Multivitamin for Men. All 6 we score.
How much does a good multivitamin cost per day?
Of the 6 multivitamins we priced at each brand’s list price, one day’s serving costs $0.11 to $1.33. The cheapest, Nature Made Multi Complete with Iron, also has our top score. Amazon’s price can differ.
How long does a multivitamin take to work?
Don’t expect to feel it work. The trials checked results after 1 to 11 years. The earliest check, a memory test after 1 year in COSMOS-Web, found a small gain (Yeung 2023). If you take one to fix a real gap, like low B12, your doctor can recheck your level after a few months.
I take a multivitamin for energy or general wellness — how long before I notice something?
No trial we cite measured energy or how people feel. In healthy adults, the big trials found no fewer deaths or heart attacks after 3.6 to 11 years. There is no sourced point at which you should expect to notice a change.
Does a multivitamin correct a specific deficiency, like low vitamin D or B12?
A multivitamin gives about the daily amount, not a treatment dose. Our pick has 25 mcg (1,000 IU) of vitamin D. If a blood test shows a low level, ask your doctor what to take and when to recheck.
How we checked this
Labels. We read one day’s serving of 19 multivitamins in NIH’s Dietary Supplement Label Database and scored the 6 whose brand posts a list price. The rest have no brand price to compare. Scores updated October 1, 2026. Every score.
Prices. Each brand’s own list price for one pack. Amazon’s price can differ. One day’s serving costs this much for each one we price.
Testing lists. We searched five testing programs’ own lists. When we checked USP’s Verified list on September 22, 2026, it listed “Nature Made Multivitamin with Iron Tablets”, the product on the Nature Made store page we price. Its NIH label calls the same product Nature Made Multi Complete with Iron, so we match the two by name and store page.
Related guides: Best vitamin D · Vitamin D dosage · Best magnesium · Magnesium dosage · Omega-3 · Creatine
Sources
- Sesso HD, et al. Multivitamins in the prevention of cardiovascular disease in men: the Physicians’ Health Study II. JAMA. 2012. PubMed 23117775
- Sesso HD, et al. Multivitamins in the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease: COSMOS. Am J Clin Nutr. 2022. PubMed 35294969. Yeung LK, et al. (COSMOS-Web memory). Am J Clin Nutr. 2023. PubMed 37244291
- Loftfield E, et al. Multivitamin use and mortality risk in 3 prospective US cohorts. JAMA Netw Open. 2024. PubMed 38922615
- Vyas CM, et al. (COSMOS-Clinic and pooled memory analysis). Am J Clin Nutr. 2024. PubMed 38244989. Grodstein F, et al. (PHS-II memory). Ann Intern Med. 2013. PubMed 24490265
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Vitamin, mineral, and multivitamin supplementation to prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer. JAMA. 2022. PubMed 35727271
- Hemochromatosis (4.4 per 1,000 white Americans): NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Iron fact sheet, citing Bacon BR, et al. AASLD practice guideline. Hepatology. 2011. PubMed 21452290. ATBC Study Group. N Engl J Med. 1994. PubMed 8127329. Omenn GS, et al. (CARET). 1996. PubMed 8602180
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Folic acid supplementation to prevent neural tube defects. JAMA. 2023. PubMed 37526713. Iron warning: FDA, 21 CFR 101.17(e).
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Multivitamin/mineral, iron (including 27 mg in pregnancy) and niacin fact sheets. Labels: NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Testing: NSF/ANSI 173, NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Choice, Informed Sport and USP.