The Best Vegan Multivitamins; A Dietitian’s Go-Tos

As a vegan dietitian, I often get asked about the best vegan multivitamins to take; especially in Europe, where I’m currently based. 

Supplements should be used as an addition to a well-balanced diet, rather than a replacement for it. That said, even the most well-balanced plant-based eater can benefit from supplementing a few nutrients on a regular basis. 

In this article, I’ll explain which supplements are worth considering taking and why.

I’ll also round up a few of my current favorite vegan multivitamins and individual supplements to help help you pick the best ones for your needs. 

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Table of contents

• Do vegans need a multivitamin?
• Why individual supplements may be better than vegan multivitamins
• What nutrients should vegans supplement?
• My favorite individual vegan supplements for plant-based families
• Are all multivitamins for vegans equally good?
• What is the best vegan multivitamin for adults, kids, and pregnancy?
• How to pick the best vegan multivitamins
• Are whole food vitamins better for you?

Do vegans need a multivitamin?

As a vegan, or mostly plant-based eater, you may benefit from supplementing your diet with a few key nutrients.

Why vegan supplements may be a good idea

Generally speaking, vegan diets tends to be naturally low in a few nutrients. These include vitamin B12, vitamin D, long-chain omega-3 fats and iodine (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7).

A vegan diet can also easily fall short in iron, calcium, choline, zinc, folate, and selenium, if not well-planned (8, 9, 10, 11, 12). 

Getting these nutrients from food is more advantageous than getting them from supplements.

That’s because whole foods contain a mix of nutrients and beneficial compounds that work together in ways in which isolated vitamins and minerals cannot.

For example, a whole food that’s rich in iron often tends to also be naturally rich in fiber, B-vitamins, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and zinc. Taking an iron supplement may provide you with the same amount of iron as one serving of beans. However, it will lack all the other nutrients beans will offer.

Nonetheless, supplements can be a helpful source of nutrients that are difficult to get enough of through diet alone.

Why individual supplements may be better than vegan multivitamins

Multivitamins may feel like an easy alternative to taking several pills each day. However, there are several reasons why individual supplements may be more beneficial.

• Nutrients sometimes compete for absorption. For instance, high calcium levels in a multivitamin can reduce iron absorption. This can be problematic, especially if your iron levels are low. 
• Many multivitamins provide superdoses of nutrients. Overly high intakes of certain nutrients can have negative health effects or reduce your body’s ability to absorb other nutrients (13).
• Levels may be too low for some nutrients. For instance, 25-100 micrograms of vitamin B12 is likely needed to meet your needs when taken in one daily dose. This is a fraction of what most vegan multivitamins contain.
• False sense of security. Multivitamins are often used as a back-up for a nutrient-poor diet choices. But they lack many of the nutrients and beneficial plant compounds found in foods, and can’t fully compensate for a bad diet.

For these reasons, you may want to consider only supplementing the nutrients you truly need rather than relying on a multivitamin to fill the gaps in your diet. 

In sum Vegan diets are naturally low in certain nutrients. Multivitamins can help fill some of the gaps. However, they also come with certain downsides, which is why individual supplements may be preferable. 

What nutrients should vegans supplement?

Which nutrients to supplement will depend on various factors. For instance, your age, life-stage, and the quality of your diet. Generally speaking, vegan diets can benefit from the following supplements:

• Vitamin B12: A vitamin essential for the nervous system. Your body also uses it to make DNA, keep you energized and even to boost your mood and memory (14, 15, 16).  
• Vitamin D: A vitamin that very few foods contain, whether vegan or not. Vitamin D contributes to improved mood, memory, immune function, muscle recovery and bone health (17, 18, 19, 20, 21).
• Long-chain omega-3s: Especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Your body can make these from alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) found in some plant foods, but only in small amounts.
• Iodine: Essential for the good functioning of your thyroid gland, which impacts your metabolism. Getting too little iodine can cause low energy levels, dry skin, memory loss, depression, weight gain, and tingling in your hands and feet (22).

In some specific cases, iron, calcium, choline, folate, selenium or zinc supplements may also be beneficial.

For instance, pregnant women may benefit from additional choline. Similarly, vegan children, especially if they’re picky eaters, may benefit from additional iron, amongst other nutrients.

In many cases, you may be able to get enough of some of these nutrients through some simple diet modifications alone. So it’s best to speak to a registered dietitian knowledgeable about plant-based diets before starting a new supplementation regimen.

If you have difficulty finding a qualified nutrition professional in your part of the world, feel free to contact me so we can set up an appointment remotely. 

In sum Some specific vegan supplements may help you meet your daily nutrient needs and are worth discussing with a registered dietitian specializing in plant-based diets. 

My favorite individual vegan supplements for plant-based families

Below are my current go-to supplements if you wish to supplement these nutrients individually.

I’ve included both pill and liquid forms of all vitamins in order to make this list the most family-friendly possible.

Best vegan vitamin B12 supplements

• Solgar vitamin B12 tablets : €18.65 per year.
• Viridian liquid B12: €24.95 per year.
• Gloryfeel vitamin B12 drops: €20 per year.

Best vegan vitamin D:

• Viridian vitamin D drops: €0.10 per dose.
• Nordic naturals plant-based vitamin D3 liquid: €0.37 per dose.
• Vitashine vitamin D3 spray: €0.40 per dose.
• Garden of Life Organics vegan D3 spray: €0.20 per dose.

Best vegan omega-3:

• Ekopura vegan omega-3 capsules: €0.22 per dose.
• Artic blue DHA (small capsules): €0.28 per dose.
• Testa DHA omega-3 capsules: €0.33 per dose.
• Arctic blue algae oil: €0.55 per dose.

Best vegan iodine:

• Biotics liquid iodine: €0.02 per dose.
• Viridian kelp capsules: €0.15 per dose.

In sum These are my go-to plant-based supplements for vegan families that wish to supplement nutrients individually. 

Are all multivitamins for vegans equally good?

There are plenty of vegan multivitamins on the market. However, they do vary in quality.

For instance, many don’t actually contain what’s listed on the label. What’s more, some can become contaminated with unwanted compounds such as lead. 

Independent laboratory reviews — such as those found on Consumerlab — are a good way to check the quality of the supplement you consider buying before purchasing them.

In sum There are many vegan multivitamins on the market, however, they vary in quality. Independent laboratory reviews are a great way to evaluate the quality of your supplements before purchasing them.

What is the best vegan multivitamin?

I used to prefer taking individual supplements over multivitamins.

That’s because individual supplements make it easier to take the exact dosage you need of each individual nutrient you need, while forgoing the nutrients you don’t need.

That said, multivitamins are often cheaper than individual supplements. Taking a multivitamin rather than single supplements can also help reduce the amount of pills you need to take each day.

Over the last few years, I’ve discovered a few multivitamins that would offer me the right combination and amounts of supplements I’d otherwise take individually. And that, without containing all sorts of other nutrients I don’t necessarily need.

Therefore, I’ve since come around to the idea of multivitamins. Here are my current favorites.

Best vegan multivitamins for adults

• VEG 1 multivitamin tablets: this is my current go-to. Designed by the Vegan Society and contains only the nutrients worth supplementing, with very few of the others you’d normally get enough of from a well-planned vegan diet. At around €0.10 per dose, it’s one of the cheapest around.
• Laveen vega multi: this one contains a much wider array of nutrients, including 7 mg of iron per capsule. May be good for those who find it very difficult to eat a well-rounded diet. However, at €0.33, it’s also 3 times more expensive than the VEG1 option.

Best vegan multivitamins for kids

• VEG 1 baby and toddler: this liquid multivitamin designed by the Vegan Society. Costs around €0.09 per dose and is intended for children aged from 6 months to 4 years. The liquid format makes it especially well suited for babies.
• VEG 1 multivitamin tablets: same vegan multivitamin intended for adults. Children 3-12 years can consume 1/2 tablet per day for a cost of about €0.05 per dose. Great option for families who prefer to use the same supplement for the whole family.
• Optimax multi kids vegan tablets: this one is recommended for children 3 years and above. It contains a wider range for vitamins and minerals, which makes it particularly suited for more picky eaters. Retails for around €0.12 per dose.

Best vegan multivitamins for pregnancy

• Laveen mama multi: contains all the right amounts of vitamins I’d normally want to take, plus 400 mg of folate and 13 mg of iron per capsule. Retails for around €0.63 per dose.
• Yummy gums mummy: the gummy texture and flavor of this supplement worked well with my pregnancy nausea. This supplement contains no iron, so it’s perfect if you don’t need extra iron, or wish to supplement iron separately. Costs €0.83 per dose.

In sum There multivitamins above are my go-to for vegan adults, kids and vegan pregnancies.

How to pick the best vegan multivitamins

Since it’s impossible for me to review all multivitamins available on the market, I thought I’d also share with you a few criteria’s to keep in mind when evaluating the quality of a vegan multivitamin (or any other vegan supplement).

1. Check the label. Make sure it includes the nutrients that are more difficult to get on a vegan diet. For more information on the vitamins and minerals I’m referring to as well as the daily recommended amounts needed, check out my vegan supplements article.
2. Avoid iron, unless truly needed. If your iron levels haven’t been diagnosed as low, pick a multivitamin that doesn’t include any iron to avoid any negative health effects from getting too much iron.
3. Avoid superdoses. Pick a multivitamin that provides only up to the daily reference intake (DRI) of each nutrient listed on the label. Many multivitamins exceed these daily recommendations, which can lead to negative health effects.
4. Double-check whether your multivitamin has been independently tested. ConsumerLab is a good place to get independent reviews and testing reports for various vegan multivitamin and vegan supplement brands.
5. Minimize additives and fillers. Try to pick a multivitamin that has as little additives and fillers as possible. This will help reduce the size of your multivitamin while helping you avoid ingesting unnecessary compounds. 

In sum The guidelines above should help you pick the vegan multivitamin best suited to your needs. 

Are whole food vitamins better for you?

Some vegan advocates recommend you make sure that your supplements are derived from whole foods rather than made synthetically in a lab. 

Some go as far as to suggest that synthetic nutrients are dangerous. However, things are not always as they seem.

What is a whole food-based vitamin?

Whole food supplements are vitamins and minerals derived from dehydrated and concentrated whole foods rather than artificially made in a lab.

Vegan supplements made from whole foods are often referred to as plant-based supplements. 

You can tell a supplement is made from whole foods by looking at its label. It may have a 100% natural stamp and will list food sources rather than synthetic vitamins and minerals on its label. 

For instance, broccoli powder — a whole food form of vitamin C — rather than ascorbic acid, which is the synthetic form. 

Counterintuitively, many “whole food” supplements actually contain a mix of food-derived and synthetically-produced nutrients.  

Are plant-based supplements better than synthetic ones?

Plant-based supplements are sourced from whole foods. Because of this, they may contain beneficial plant compounds not found in synthetic supplements.

Moreover, your body can have a more difficult time absorbing synthetic supplements. You may also react to synthetic supplements differently than you would to plant-based ones (23, 24). 

For instance, the natural form of vitamin E appears to be absorbed twice as efficiently as synthetic vitamin E (25).  

That said, nutrient levels in whole food supplements may be less consistent than in synthetically-produced ones. That’s because nutrient levels in whole foods tend to vary based on when and how they were grown as well as how they are transported or stored.

Keep in mind that most of the vitamins in your diet should come from what you eat, not the supplements you take. 

So in the grand scheme of things, the small benefits that you may gain from plant-based supplements are unlikely to offset their much larger price tag.

In sum Whole food supplements may offer a slight advantage over synthetically produced ones. However, these small differences may not justify the often much steeper price tag.

To sum it up 

Vegan multivitamins offer a convenient way to fill some of the nutrient gaps in your diet.

The tips above are meant to help you pick the vegan multivitamin best suited to your needs. However, keep in mind that most of your nutrients should come from a well-planned, nutrient-dense diet, rather than in pill form. 

Now that you know my thoughts on multivitamins, I’m curious to know yours.

Do you take one, and if so, is it based on whole foods? Do you take any supplements in addition to it? I love to read your comments so let’s get chatting below!