The Best Multivitamin for Over-50 Adults: Top 13 Multivitamins for Men and Women
As we age, our bodies naturally change and mature, and so do our nutrient needs. This article has the top 13 options for the best multivitamin for over-50 adults, those designed for men specifically, those attuned to women, and a few unisex dietary supplements with special features for the health requirements and concerns of mature adults.
Nutrients and Food for Over 50
Our bodies change with every year, and certainly every decade. Children can eat anything and seemingly never run out of youthful energy, but after the age of 25 absorption rates start to change, cell creation begins to slow, metabolisms wind down (including those lesser-known silent metabolic processes like autophagy), and suddenly our essential nutrient needs have shifted.
Most people don't notice this shift in their 20s, but as we move into our 30s and 40s, we begin to notice that some injuries just don't heal as quickly as they used to, and little aches and pains start to become chronic and long-lasting.
As we grow older, conditions related to unhealthy diet and lifestyle choices start to manifest, and by 50 it's more important than ever to take control of diet and fitness when conditions like heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and obesity can still be reversed or avoided and there's still plenty of time to go from sedentary to stacked with the right motivation and nutritional support.
Doctors and experts are always trying to dispel myths about aging, especially to patients who think that getting older means it's too late to make changes, that the damage has already been done. That's just not true: we're never too old to improve, to feel better, move better, and eat better.
There's also so much misinformation out there, it's easy to go down the wrong diet path. For instance, some people think that once their metabolism has slowed they should eat less. But men and women over 50 often need more nutrition coming in to make up for lower rates of absorption than they had in their youths.
As we age, our bodies have a harder time absorbing zinc, iron, vitamin B12, and calcium, which is part of the reason why older people experience higher rates of bone loss and muscle weakness. As we age, we also don't spend as much time outside in the sun, moving, playing, or walking. The sunshine vitamin, vitamin D, is needed for calcium absorption. But vitamin D deficiency is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in the United States according to the National Institutes of Health, affecting up to an estimated 42% of adults.
Your doctor can tell you if you're missing key nutrients in your bloodwork, and may recommend taking fish oil for omega-3 fatty acids or vitamin D3 and calcium supplements to make up for some of these deficiencies. Instead of getting these essential vitamins piecemeal however, many find it more convenient to take a once-daily multivitamin, which is why we've compiled the best vitamins available to promote strong bones and healthy longevity.
Best Multivitamin for Men Over 50: Top 5 Picks
Here are formulas developed for men's prostate health, blood pressure support, and body vitality.
1. Rainbow Light Men’s One
This comprehensive men's multivitamin has strong mineral content with zinc and selenium, along with an extensive vitamin profile (vitamins A, B, C, D3, and E), all derived from real food and plant extracts like beets, kale, dandelion, and spinach. With no artificial ingredients and developed to support sexual and cardiovascular health, this multi's high price point may be worth it to those in search of a much-needed energy boost. The price is especially worth it if it helps you avoid heart disease, the leading cause of death for men and women worldwide.
2. One A Day Men's 50+ Health Advantage
If cost is a real concern, this One A Day option may be preferred. With a formulation designed for men, this supplement has the recommended daily value of vitamin D for healthy bone support and vitamin B6 for heart health. With just one tablet per day (as the name suggests), men can cover a wide swath of their nutritional needs with a simple, affordable multivitamin.
3. Garden of Life's Vitamin Code 50 & Wiser Men
For vegetarian men, Garden of Life has designed a multivitamin with nutrients derived from whole foods that has been third-party tested to guarantee its effectiveness. With gummy vitamin options and formulas for men aged 40 and 55+ in years, here's a non-GMO raw foods option for all men, including those in need of a dairy- and gluten-free multivitamin, or those interested in adding probiotics to their daily multivitamin along with the standard vitamin E, zinc, and selenium included for prostate support.
4. Centrum Silver Men Multivitamin
Gluten-free and non-GMO, this multivitamin is designed with mature men in mind. With folic acid, vitamin B12, and vitamin D, it supports brain function and eye health along with heart and blood cell strength. Some consumers have found the pills too large to swallow and notice stomach upset when taken on an empty stomach. (Skip to the end section on unisex multivitamins for a powdered vitamin option if swallowing pills or capsules of any kind is an issue.)
5. Vimerson Health's Men’s Daily Multivitamin Supplement
Another affordable option, Vimerson's daily multivitamin has vitamin A and lutein to help combat age-related eyesight decline and night blindness, plus B vitamins and spirulina for benefits that include healthy weight management and cholesterol and blood sugar control. And it's made without sugar, dairy, or soy. The recommended dose of this supplement is two capsules with breakfast each morning.
Best Multivitamin for Women Over 50: Top 5 Picks
Here are the top selections for women's multivitamins, designed for bone strength and hormonal support for menopause on top of the usual dietary needs common among all older adults.
1. One A Day Women’s 50+ Healthy Advantage
As popular among women as men, the One A Day formula includes vitamin B6 for increased energy and an extra boost of calcium for women's bone health. Women suffer from osteoporosis at higher rates than men, especially those women who've been pregnant. One A Day also offers a specific formula for menopause for those whose symptoms are lengthy through the perimenopause stage and the full transition to post-menopausal health.
2. Nature’s Way Alive! Women’s 50+ Premium Gummy Multivitamin
This gummy multivitamin option is great for those who can't (or just plain don't want to) swallow large capsules or pills. With whole food-derived nutrients, these gummies amazingly contain no gelatin, artificial preservatives or flavors, but they do have sweeteners from tapioca syrup and cane sugar to make them better-tasting than the average vitamin. Plus, they're full of vitamin D, lutein, high-potency vitamin B12, and more.
3. New Chapter's Every Woman’s One Daily 55+
While some women find swallowing large pills difficult or uncomfortable, others find dropping all their vitamins onto a sensitive stomach at once to be untenable. That is where New Chapter's gentle formula shines. It's a multivitamin easy enough to take on an empty stomach and ideal for those with gastrointestinal issues or inflammatory conditions of the digestive tract. With plenty of vitamin C for immune system strength and B vitamins for energy, this organic formula will ease you comfortably to better health.
4. Garden of Life's Vitamin Code 50 & Wiser Women
Focused on breast health and free of fillers and binders, this Garden of Life formula is gluten free, dairy free, soy free, and vegan, and comes in capsules that can be opened and mixed with other substances if swallowing capsules is undesirable. Intended to be taken twice a day (two capsules at a time for a total of four doses), the live enzymes and probiotics in this formula may be the exact right daily multivitamin for you.
5. Centrum Silver Women
Affordable and comprehensive, this gluten-free, non-GMO multivitamin has a smooth coating for better ease in swallowing, and contains B vitamins for heart and brain health, vitamin D for bone health, and lutein and vitamins A and E for eye health.
Best Unisex Multivitamins for Healthy Aging
Here are multivitamin products designed more generally for mature adults, but with special features that may sell either men or women on their formulas.
1. Rainbow Light 50+ Mini-Tablet
One of the best features of this small, easy-to-swallow multivitamin designed for men and women is that it doesn't contain vitamin K, which causes issues with many blood-thinning medications. There's also no iodine, which can cause problems for those with thyroid conditions, and no PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid), which can interfere with antibiotics. When it comes to avoiding harmful side effects, it's the nutrients which aren't in your multivitamin that matter.
2. Seeking Health's Optimal Multivitamin Powder
Troubles with swallowing disappear with a multivitamin designed and delivered in powdered form. With the same vitamin C, E, and D that's found in all the others on our list, this mix also comes with choline and boron, but without copper for those who may have elevated copper levels.
3. Kirkland Signature's Adult 50+ Mature Multi
Designed to support healthy aging and with good amounts of vitamin D and vitamin B12, this incredibly affordable and popular option, with calcium for bone and teeth strength, can be found at Costco and Amazon online.
A+ Aging for 50+ Adults
Your body changes as you age, as do your essential nutrition requirements. Choose your multivitamin depending on your personal health concerns and nutrient needs. We hope you find the one that suits you and your lifestyle perfectly on this list!
In addition to a multivitamin, adults over 50 should also take an essential amino acid supplement designed to help prevent the natural decline of muscle and heart function that begins at around age 40. We recommend Amino Co Life, proven to enhance physical function and muscle strength, improve blood lipid profiles, and support cardiovascular health.