How to pick a banging-good multivitamin (Hint – life stage, gender & goals all matter)

How to choose a multivitamin – 5 health needs, covered

Whether you’re choosing your first multivitamin or looking to switch things up, the choice on the shelves (online and in-store) is pretty overwhelming. It helps to have a go-to for supplements, and for me – a busy mum of two and thinking (eek!) about baby number three – it’s Nutri Advanced. 

For the why, hop to our library of articles and posts put together in collaboration with their expert team – folate vs folic acid 101, magnesium deep-dive, early pregnancy supplement goals and second/third trimester nutrient superstars. They’re backed up by you guys, too – a five star excellent rating and over 7,000 reviews on Trustpilot is no small thing! 

Today, we’re covering: 

• What to look for 
• How to choose a multivitamin 
• Superstar nutrients, numbers (think bang-for-your-buck potency) and formulas

There’s a focus for key life stages and needs, including:

1. Baseline women’s support
2. Male whole-body health
3. Fertility and prenatal requirements
4. Perimenopause
5. Women aged 50+

Pick and choose from the expert info, depending on where you’re at.

How to choose a multivitamin (forget the A-Z)

When it comes to picking something new, I like to catch up with Rachel Bartholomew, Nutritionist at Nutri Advanced, for expert pointers on what I should be seeing on the side of a product, pre-purchase, and what sets the bar.

Rachel explains, “The range stands out because instead of the usual A-Z formulas – which may have everything included, but at low levels – Nutri Advanced opt to go for significant amounts of key nutrients for each need.

For my clients and people shopping for a multi, this means that their one-a-day packs a powerful punch and actually makes a difference. 

There’s no need to take a separate B vitamin as the levels in a Nutri Advanced multi are just like what you’d see in a B complex – B12 and folic acid are there in methylated forms and B6 in its active form. There’s 1,000 iu vitamin D with vitamin K2 for bone health support, 250mg vitamin C and 20mg zinc as standard. 

Plus, there are options to go for a formula that’s free from iodine, copper and iron, for anyone looking for a multi without those things.” 

Keep reading for Rachel’s run-through of a few key life phases, goals and other health needs and priorities, to help you choose the best multivitamin for you, and your tribe.

Baseline women’s multivitamin

We’re really talking about women and teenagers up to age 50, here. A busy lifestyle and daily shifts in nutrient requirements call for a high-strength, comprehensive formula, to help keep all bases covered. Alongside the usual A-Z (vitamin A to zinc, usually!) the stand-outs I look for (and get excited about) in an everyday multivitamin, are:

• iron – bisglycinate is the most bioavailable, easily-tolerated form, and crucial to factor in if you’re having periods. 

Alongside your multi, boost iron intake with good quality meat and animal products (beef, liver, sardines and eggs are a few decent ones to focus on), and plant-based sources like spinach, lentils and spirulina, if you’re looking for extra points! Dark chocolate is also a fab source. 

• boron – a less well-known superstar micronutrient, boron is crucial for bone health – a big concern for women as we work through the various life stages. Diet-wise, get your boron from eating as many whole foods as possible – beans and nuts are great. 
• iodine – there’s more awareness of iodine, I think, but my clients are never quite sure how and why they need to factor it in. I like to see it in a baseline women’s multivitamin, not least because it’s such an important support for thyroid and skin health. 

Get iodine in the diet with a sea vegetable focus – kelp, nori and wakame are all brilliant – and try sprinkling across a salad or soup. You could also go for iodized salt, and cod, yoghurt and milk are other good sources. 

These are real standouts for me and all present with impressive potency in the Multi Essentials for Women. Plus, it comes packed with broccoli extract for a hormonal health support, and pomegranate for rich antioxidant support.

Male whole-body health

Obviously men go through a number of life stages, too. Pick and choose between an everyday, baseline option and one for men aged 50+ – both should feature potent levels of highly-absorbable ingredients. 

For baseline male whole-body health support, I like a multivitamin to include active B vitamins, selenium, taurine, zinc and vitamins C and K2, and give bonus points for: 

• additional zinc – men really do require a good store of zinc, thanks to its crucial role in immune function, healthy cell growth, cognitive function, reporductive health and normal testosterone levels. 

Diet-wise do look to fill up on animal sources like oysters and darker meats like lamb or beef, plus plant sources – pumpkin and hemp seeds are superstars, and so are chickpeas and lentils. 

• additional selenium – one big plus here for men is sperm production and reproductive health. The Nutri Advanced formula contains 55 mcg selenium, which is fantastic. Diet-wise, we all know about Brazil nuts as nature’s best source, but salmon, tuna, turkey and mushrooms are also good. 
• lycopene and plant sterols – both provide support for healthy prostate function, again I’m always happy to see these included. Alongside a supplement, you can get lycopene into your diet with tomatoes, and a few other fruits like watermelon, grapefruit, guava and papaya.
• iron-free options – this is a good example of why one size doesn’t fit all, when it comes to how to choose a multivitamin. Men usually have reduced iron requirements compared to women, and a higher risk of overload. So if in doubt, go for an iron-free formula and get your iron from your diet (see above for a few examples!) 

You can get all of these in just one daily tablet with the Multi Essentials for Men.

Fertility & prenatal requirements

While fertility and pregnancy are two very different areas of our health, we do need to be ‘eating for pregnancy’ when trying to conceive a baby. This means maintaining fantastic micronutrient levels and a good, whole foods-focused diet, while you’re trying to get pregnant, and into your baby’s development. 

Picking a supplement for fertility will depend on where you’re at with your health and dietary intake, but I start many clients on the Multi Essentials for Pregnancy, plus a high-strength fish oil for omega-3 support, when we’re looking to support fertility function. 

I get particularly excited about:

• the highly-absorbable one-a-day formula in this multi
• a really good amount of zinc at 25mg (essential for reproductive health and foetal development)
• the active form of folic acid – folate
• vitamin A included as beta-carotene, which is a crucial player and safe to take in this form, during pregnancy, and while trying for a baby

For deeper fertility support I’d recommend setting up a 10-minute free session with one of our qualified nutrition team. We can chat through where you’re at and any specific requirements you have, while preparing for pregnancy. 

If you’re pregnant and looking for the best multivitamin to fit your new requirements, again for me it’s the Multi Essentials for Pregnancy, plus a high-strength fish oil. 

The multi gives you an impressive amount of vitamin D (one less thing to worry about), and I like a prenatal multi to feature:

• methylated folic acid (meaning it’s easier for your body to use), as folate
• a decent level of zinc (25mg is fab), which is important for foetal development 
• vitamin A as beta-carotene 
• iodine for pregnancy and breastfeeding support – your body just needs more of it
• iron in the bisglycinate form, which is gentler on sensitive stomachs 

If you’re trying for a baby, pregnant or in the postnatal period, my go-to multi is Multi Essentials for Pregnancy. Do get a free 10-minute call in with one of the Nutri Advanced Nutrition Team to chat through the best multi vitamin and daily supplement routine for you.

Perimenopause

For women who are in perimenopause – the transitional period which comes before menopause – all sorts of concerns and symptoms can feature. From hot flushes to declining energy levels, bone mass issues and more, the key is a great foundational nutrient base – from your multivitamin – plus layering in additional support from a targeted perimenopause formula. 

So, I recommend the majority of the women I work with – often those aged 40-50 – to get started or carry on with the Multi Essentials for Women (catch up on why I love this one under the Baseline women’s multivitamin above – think boron for bones, broccoli extract for hormonal health, iodine for skin health, and more). 

On top, I like to add in MegaMag® PeriMeno Plus, for focused nutrition that’s really designed to support the perimenopausal stage. 

The star players here are magnesium bisglycinate and a powerful herbal blend, which aren’t often included at effective levels in a multivitamin. Look for support which features: 

• high-strength magnesium bisglycinate, for reduced fatigue
• active B vitamins to support hormone balance and mood
• botanicals proven to support cognitive function, stress and hot flushes, like shatavari, red clover and sage 

Both of these fantastic formulas are paired up as a bundle here, making things a bit simpler when you’re ordering.

Women aged 50+

If you’re still experiencing menopausal symptoms, the MegaMag® PeriMeno Plus covered above is a great tool as you see in age 50 and beyond – that magnesium bisglycinate and herbal formula really packs an effective punch for pesky stress and flush symptoms and energy dips, if they come up. 

From there, I’d go for a targeted multivitamin which features: 

• an iron-free formula (women aged 50+ will have reduced iron needs, so we’re looking to avoid overload) 
• additional curcumin for healthy joints and inflammation support – 50mg is brilliant. Diet-wise you’d be pushed to get the optimal amount every day (turmeric is our richest source)
• calcium for bone health support – the Nutri Advanced option comes from marine algae. In your diet, focus on sardines, good quality dairy products like kefir, milk and yoghurt, plus lots of leafy greens 
• botanicals ashwagandha for energy and stress response support and the lesser-known bacopa to support mind and memory 

The Multi Essentials for Women 50+ Multivitamin is also packed into two smaller tablets than the formulas covered above, making it easy to swallow.

Wrapping it up

How to choose a multivitamin really depends on the phase of life you’re in, the milestones you’re working with, your health goals in the short and long term and any particular symptoms you’re trying to get on top of. 

Nutri Advanced are my personal go-to, because they have so many bases covered, wherever I’m at, with high potency formulas that target the specifics, helping me ride high with whole-body health top of the agenda. Whether you’re picking a multi for you, your partner or your mum, start here. 

Whether you’re picking a multi for you, your partner or your mum, start here, with 20% off any Nutri Advanced product using code TRB20.