Popping a daily multivitamin is a popular way to ensure your dietary needs are being met. These supplements are taken to address potential nutrient gaps in the diet, support overall health, and prevent or correct nutrient deficiencies, and many people like the extra peace of mind that comes from taking them.
Since there are certain nutrients that vegans should pay particular attention to, it makes sense that many are looking for the best multivitamin for a vegan diet. But do all vegans need to take a multivitamin? Which nutrients do vegans actually need in a multivitamin?
In this post, I’ll provide some context about multivitamins and veganism and provide my top choice for the best vegan multivitamin, plus a runner-up. I’ll also discuss other popular brands that I reviewed and explain why they didn’t quite make the cut.
This is not a sponsored post.
Are multivitamins necessary?
When you hear the term “multivitamin”, most people think of supplements with a laundry list of almost every vitamin and mineral that humans need. They usually contain a combination of B vitamins, vitamins A, D, E, K, and C, and minerals like iron, zinc, calcium, selenium, magnesium, molybdenum, and more, often at levels meeting 100% or more of your daily needs.
Multivitamins certainly have their place, but they’re most helpful for people who struggle to eat a consistently well-balanced diet or to absorb the nutrients from their food. This could be due to things like:
- Limited space for food storage
- Frequent travel
- Difficulty preparing food
- Gastrointestinal conditions that limit nutrient absorption
- Medications that interfere with nutrient absorption
- Aging-related issues with nutrient absorption
In the case of multivitamins, more isn’t always better. For many water-soluble nutrients, like B-vitamins, any extra that you get above and beyond your daily needs is removed from the body through urination. This is where we get the joke about people taking multivitamins having “expensive pee”. Other nutrients can build up in the body to toxic levels and cause health problems when overconsumed.
For healthy people who have control over their food choices, a well-balanced diet typically provides enough nutrients to support good health. In general, supplementation is most helpful when you’re deficient in a certain nutrient or consistently struggle to get enough of certain nutrients in your diet.
Let’s discuss all of this in the context of vegan diets.
Do vegans need multivitamins?
Each individual’s need for a supplement will depend on factors like:
- How much of a nutrient you get from your regular diet
- Your intake of fortified foods
- Whether you’re deficient in a certain nutrient
- Whether you have any health issues impacting your ability to absorb certain nutrients
Vegans are no more likely to need typical multivitamins than the general population. In fact, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics1 advises that well-planned vegan diets can meet the nutritional requirements of adults, infants, children, athletes, pregnant women, older adults, and more.
That said, there are certain nutrients to which vegans need to pay special attention. These can be challenging to get enough of if you aren’t intentional with your food choices. I’ll discuss the most important ones below.
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Micronutrients to look for in a vegan multivitamin
The big 3
There are three key nutrients that I recommend vegans look for in a multivitamin. These can all be taken as individual supplements for a tailored approach, which I recommend in most cases. But if you want a multivitamin, I would look for one that has all three.
- Vitamin B12: Plant-based foods don’t naturally contain vitamin B12. Vegans need to get enough from supplements and/or fortified foods like nutritional yeast and some brands of non-dairy milk.
- Vitamin D: Vitamin D supplementation can be helpful for vegans who are deficient, who live in geographical areas without much sunlight, who don’t consume fortified non-dairy milk, or who always wear sunscreen when outdoors. Look for vitamin D2, which is always vegan-friendly, or vitamin D3 specifically labeled as being derived from lichen. Most vitamin D3 is made from lanolin (a derivative of sheep’s wool) and isn’t vegan.
- DHA and EPA Omega-3s: Vegans can easily get enough ALA omega-3 fatty acids from whole foods like flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts, but the other two forms of omega-3s, DHA and EPA, are only found in seafood and algae. All three types have important and different health benefits, so I recommend looking for a supplement with both DHA and EPA, not just one or the other. Our bodies can convert some ALA to DHA and EPA, but only a small percentage of the total ALA we eat. Some vegans eat extra ALA to make up for this, while others prefer to take an algae-based DHA and EPA supplement.
Other potentially helpful nutrients
A few other nutrients can be low on a vegan diet if it isn’t balanced. It’s possible to get enough of these from food, but supplements can help fill in nutritional gaps that can occur when life gets in the way of eating as healthfully as you’d like.
- Selenium: There are many vegan sources of selenium, such as Brazil nuts, whole grains, sunflower seeds, mushrooms, and tofu, to name a few. If you don’t eat or don’t like many of these foods, a multivitamin with selenium may be helpful. It’s important not to overdo it, however, as excess selenium intake is linked to hair loss.
- Iodine: One of the best vegan sources of iodine is iodized salt. Vegans can get enough iodine by using iodized salt when cooking, but vegans who eat out frequently or who prefer using sea salt or Himalayan salt may not be getting enough iodine. Seaweed is also rich in iodine, but it can be quite variable depending on the type and isn’t a reliable source.
- Iron: Contrary to popular belief, vegans aren’t more likely to develop an iron deficiency than omnivores. That said, iron deficiency is a relatively common condition in general, especially with menstruation, so vegans with a deficiency may benefit from a combination of supplementation and iron-rich vegan foods.
- Zinc: Similarly, many plant-based foods have zinc. Hemp hearts, beans, nuts, seeds, tofu, and whole grains are some of the best sources. If you struggle to include these foods in your regular diet, a multivitamin with a small amount of zinc could be helpful.
- Calcium: This is another mineral that vegans can get enough of from a combination of calcium-rich plants and fortified foods like non-dairy milk. It’s best to meet your calcium needs from these foods, but a small to moderate supplement boost could be helpful if you consistently struggle to get enough.
- Choline: Frank choline deficiencies in Western countries are rare. There are many plant-based sources of choline (soy milk, edamame, and kidney beans, to name a few), and the body produces some of its own choline as well. Choline supplementation isn’t necessary for most vegans eating a well-planned diet, but it could be beneficial for pregnant or breastfeeding women as these individuals have higher choline needs.
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The best multivitamin for a vegan diet: Future Kind Essential Vegan Multivitamin
I chose the Future Kind Essential Vegan Multivitamin as the best multivitamin for a vegan diet thanks to its impressive formulation of the “Big 3” nutrients we discussed earlier: vitamin B12, vitamin D, and DHA/EPA omega-3 fats.
It contains 400 micrograms of vitamin B12. The body should absorb2 about 8 micrograms, enough to meet the daily 2.4 microgram requirement for adults.
Future Kind includes two types of B12: methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin. According to the brand, this combination offers “optimized absorption” and bioavailability. While this sounds nice, this combination probably isn’t more effective3 than using one or the other.
I love that Future Kind uses lichen-derived vitamin D3. While vitamin D2 and D3 both improve vitamin D levels in the blood, D3 is more effective4.
This is one of the only vegan multivitamins that has both DHA and EPA omega-3s. Since each offers unique health benefits, I prefer supplements that have both.
This supplement is also third-party tested for potency, pathogens, and contaminants, with the testing results available directly on the sale page.
It’s also affordable at $0.97 per 2-capsule serving, a big plus in my book.
Runner-up: Wholier Whole Food Multi
This is another good option for a vegan multivitamin. It has the “Big 3” nutrients, plus reasonable doses of other nutrients that aren’t too high.
It contains 150 micrograms of vitamin B12, enough to meet your daily needs, as well as 100% of your daily algae-based vitamin D3. This is great for vegans who don’t drink fortified non-dairy milk and don’t get much sun exposure.
It has a bit less DHA and EPA than Future Kind, but I appreciate that it provides both types of omega-3s.
Additional nutrients include iodine from sea kelp, selenium, iron, and vitamin K2 derived from fermented chickpeas.
The iodine is low enough to where it should balance well with the occasional use of iodized salt in cooking. It provides 100% of your selenium needs, which is a bit high considering how many plant-based foods contain selenium, but people on very restricted diets could benefit.
Vitamin K2 is a unique nutrient that the beneficial bacteria in our intestines produce. Fermented foods like natto and tempeh also contain this vitamin. It may have unique benefits for the prevention of bone fractures and heart disease in addition to supporting blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes compared to vitamin K1; however, there isn’t strong evidence showing that vegans need to take vitamin K2 supplements, so this isn’t a huge selling point for me.
Considering the fact that vegans aren’t at higher risk for iron deficiency, the iron in this supplement isn’t necessary for everyone, but it could be helpful for menstruating women prone to iron deficiency.
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Other vegan multivitamins I reviewed
I reviewed quite a few other vegan multivitamins, but not all of them could make the cut. I’ll summarize my thoughts on eight of the most popular brands.
Ritual Essential for Women Multivitamin 18+ and Ritual Essential for Men Multivitamin 18+
Ritual supplements are third-party tested and made with high-quality ingredients. I love their commitment to transparency with the source of each ingredient listed directly on their website.
Overall, Ritual multivitamins are great products. I appreciate that Ritual focuses on trying to fill real nutrient gaps and avoiding unnecessary ones that most people get enough of from food. The only reason they didn’t make it in my top two was because of the omega-3 formulation. They contain an excellent 330 milligram dose of DHA, but don’t contain any EPA omega-3s. As I mentioned earlier, it’s important to get both types since each have unique benefits5.
It’s also worth noting that you need a subscription to order Ritual’s supplements. While this isn’t a dealbreaker by any means, I know that many people prefer not to have to sign up for one.
Garden of Life Organics Womens Multi
This is an affordable supplement with reasonable amounts of zinc, selenium, and manganese, but the rest of the formulation doesn’t seem well-tailored to the needs of vegans. It has more A, B, and K vitamins and chromium than most people need from a supplement.
The vitamin C content is unnecessary for most vegans (and people in general). Most of the population gets enough vitamin C from fruits and vegetables.
Additionally, it bothers me when brands make misleading claims. Garden of Life states there are “9 whole fruits in every bottle”, but this is clearly inaccurate. A bottle of gummies can’t possibly provide the same nutrition as whole fruit. What they probably mean is that it contains the same amount of a few particular nutrients that you’d find in 9 pieces of fruit.
DEVA Vegan Multivitamin and Mineral Supplement
This is another supplement that contains unnecessarily high amounts of nutrients with over 100% of the daily requirements for many.
The B vitamins are water-soluble, meaning you’ll excrete whatever your body doesn’t use, so there aren’t any safety risks there. However, excess fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K are stored within your fat cells. Most vegans don’t need such high amounts of vitamins A and E, especially when combined with the amounts you’re already getting from food. And again, the vitamin C content isn’t necessary for vegans.
This supplement also contains ashwagandha, an adaptogenic herb. While many people enjoy taking ashwagandha, it isn’t something that I feel is necessary to include in a multivitamin for vegans.
Lastly, I like that this supplement includes choline, which could be useful for vegans who don’t consume many soy products or other choline-rich foods. However, the amount is pretty low – only 3% of your daily needs.
Hippo 7 Vegan Complete Multivitamin
I love the lichen-based vitamin D3, DHA and EPA omega-3 fats, and vitamin B12 content of this multivitamin. However, the rest of the formulation isn’t well-tailored to a vegan diet.
The iron content is high, with 18 milligrams per serving. This is 100% of the daily needs for women, which isn’t completely necessary considering vegans do get iron from our meals. It’s also high for men, who only need 8 milligrams a day. If you aren’t deficient in iron, the amount in this supplement is unnecessarily high.
This may be a little nit-picky, but it’s also unnecessarily high in zinc considering vegans do get a considerable amount of zinc from food.
It is, however, a good source of iodine for vegans who don’t use iodized salt. It also has a moderate amount of calcium, which I don’t consider necessary in a multivitamin but which could be helpful for vegans who struggle to eat enough calcium-rich plant foods or fortified non-dairy milk.
Form Vegan Multivitamin
I’d be unlikely to recommend this multivitamin to many vegans. The main reason is because it’s unnecessarily high in iron – 28 milligrams per day! While this amount won’t harm you, it’s much more than you need from a multivitamin when your goal is to address slight nutrient gaps.
Overall, this supplement contains higher amounts of many nutrients than I think are truly necessary for vegans, especially the fat-soluble vitamins A, E, and K. There’s no need for most people to get 100% of their daily needs of these vitamins from a supplement since plant-based foods are good sources of each.
Nu Pursuit The Plant-Based Essentials Vegan Multivitamin
A few reasons this supplement didn’t make my top picks:
- It only contains DHA omega-3s (no EPA)
- The product is third-party tested, but the brand doesn’t identify the lab that does the testing
- It’s pretty expensive at $2.13 per serving
- Scientific evidence supporting the safety and benefits of N-acetyl cysteine (an antioxidant) in humans is lacking
Life Extension Plant-Based Multivitamin
Again, as with other supplements I reviewed, the the Life Extension Plant-Based Multivitamin formulation isn’t that well-tailored to the specific needs of vegans. It provides 100% or more of your daily needs for most of the nutrients it contains, which simply isn’t necessary for most vegans.
It’s a helpful source of iodine, vitamin D, and vitamin B12, but most of the other nutrients it contains aren’t significantly lacking in a vegan diet. It’s also worth noting that it doesn’t contain omega-3s.
Thorne Basic Nutrients 2/Day
Out of all the supplements I reviewed, Thorne Basic Nutrients 2/Day contains some of the highest levels of vitamins and minerals, to the point where these amounts are unnecessary for most people.
For example, it contains 4000% of your daily needs for the B vitamin thiamin, 1667% of your biotin needs, 364% of your selenium needs, and 1143% of your chromium needs. These amounts are simply unnecessary, and I don’t like to see people spending money on things they don’t need.
Other considerations for choosing a vegan multivitamin
Besides the nutrients, there are a few other things I recommend looking for when choosing a multivitamin supplement:
- Third-party testing: Dietary supplements aren’t tightly regulated for safety and purity by the FDA, so it’s important to choose multivitamins that have been third-party tested for contaminants if possible.
- Vegan-friendly certifications: Supplements with the Certified Vegan, Vegan Society, or PETA-Approved Vegan certifications offer peace of mind that your multivitamin won’t contain any hidden animal ingredients.
- Use of gelatin: Some capsules and gummies are made with gelatin, which vegans will want to avoid. Look for capsules made with vegetable cellulose instead, which should be clearly indicated on the label.
- Use of stearic acid or magnesium stearate: These ingredients can be sourced from animal or plant-based fats, so look for supplements that specify a plant-based source.
- Use of glucosamine: A common supplement for joint health, glucosamine is sometimes sourced from shellfish. Be sure to check the label or contact the manufacturer for more information on the source if needed.
Summary
In general, a well-planned, balanced vegan diet can meet the nutritional needs of all age groups. That said, there are some nuances.
No one multivitamin will perfectly meet the needs of every vegan. Some vegans may not need a multivitamin at all and would benefit more from individual supplements. Tracking your diet, getting lab draws regularly, and speaking with a registered dietitian can all be helpful in determining the most appropriate supplementation regimen for your individual needs.
Not sure what a “well-planned” vegan diet means? Check out my Practical Guide to Planning Balanced Vegan Meals!
The scientific information in this article was accurate at the time of publishing but may change over time as new research becomes available.
References
- Melina V, Craig W, Levin S. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016;116(12):1970-1980. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2016.09.025
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin B12 Health Professional Fact Sheet. NIH website. Accessed 10/14/24.
- Paul C, Brady DM. Comparative Bioavailability and Utilization of Particular Forms of B12 Supplements With Potential to Mitigate B12-related Genetic Polymorphisms. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2017;16(1):42-49.
- van den Heuvel EG, Lips P, Schoonmade LJ, Lanham-New SA, van Schoor NM. Comparison of the Effect of Daily Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3 Supplementation on Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentration (Total 25(OH)D, 25(OH)D2, and 25(OH)D3) and Importance of Body Mass Index: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Adv Nutr. 2024;15(1):100133. doi:10.1016/j.advnut.2023.09.016
- Sherratt SCR, Juliano RA, Copland C, Bhatt DL, Libby P, Mason RP. EPA and DHA containing phospholipids have contrasting effects on membrane structure. J Lipid Res. 2021;62:100106. doi:10.1016/j.jlr.2021.100106
