Most people would feel benefits from taking a vitamin supplement. But, not everybody has the same needs in terms of nutrients.
The different multi-vitamin supplements you can buy online in the UK differ quite a lot in terms of the amounts of ingredients used and, importantly, the quality of those ingredients.
So, as a vegan woman, how do you know which is the best vitamin supplement to take? I’ve spent several days researching and writing this guide which gives you the best options for every budget.
Do women need different vitamins than men?
So, do women need special vitamins? Or is it all a marketing ploy just like women’s razors? When it comes to vitamins, women’s multivitamins can be a good choice.
Men and women have different nutritional needs. While women generally need fewer calories than men, we have higher vitamin and mineral needs. Women’s bodies require more calcium, iron and folic acid than men’s bodies to function optimally.
Age is also an important factor in choosing vitamins. This is because women who menstruate need to replace the iron that they lose during each monthly cycle. In contrast, many older men accumulate excess amounts of iron so it would be unwise for them to take more.
As women reach their thirties, their oestrogen levels begin to drop. As oestrogen assists with bone health, women’s bones begin to deteriorate at a faster rate than men’s. So a combination of calcium and vitamin D is particularly important for women.
Do vegans need different vitamins than omnivores?
Vegans need different vitamins than omnivores and vegetarians for two reasons…
The first is that most standard multivitamins are not suitable for vegans as they contain animal-derived ingredients such as gelatine, fish oil, lanolin (from wool) and carmine (from bugs).
The second reason that vegans require special vitamin supplements is that there are some nutrients that are very tricky to get from a vegan diet.
B12 is the one that we hear a lot about because it’s virtually impossible to get from a vegan diet. It’s found naturally in soil and the meat and milk of animals who ingest soil. As we like to wash our vegetables, it’s difficult to ingest enough B12 without taking a supplement.
Other vitamins that vegans need to make sure we get enough of include vitamin D, iron and calcium. [Source]
What vitamins should a vegan woman take?
As a vegan woman, the best way to ensure that you get enough of the vitamins and minerals that you need each day is to take a vegan-friendly multivitamin that’s specially formulated for women in addition to eating a healthy, balanced diet.
If you’re pregnant, planning to become pregnant or breastfeeding, you should take a vegan-friendly vitamin supplement that’s made with pregnant women in mind.
The best vegan vitamins for women
To help you to decide which are the best vegan-friendly women’s multivitamins to buy in the UK, I’ve spent many hours researching all the options and comparing the ingredients, tablet size, taste, smell and price.
Here are my top picks…
⭐ Best overall
The best vegan multivitamins for women are NutriGenesis for Women. I’ve been taking these vitamins for many weeks now and I can vouch that they’re the best women’s vitamins I’ve ever tried.
Formulated by Performance Lab in the UK, NutriGenesis Multi For Women contain 17 essential vitamins and minerals in amounts that are calibrated specifically to women’s nutritional needs.
The capsules are made from tapioca. They’re really easy to swallow as they float down your throat with a sip of water and leave no aftertaste. You can take them with or without food.
NutriGenesis vitamins are better than all the others as they use groundbreaking technology to grow vitamins, minerals and amino acids in their own state-of-the-art laboratory.
These nutrients are identical to nature, making them cleaner, safer and more eco-friendly than the nutrients found in standard vitamin supplements which are often synthetic, genetically modified and can be destructive to the environment.
If you want only the best quality vitamins that give us vegan women just the right amount of nutrients, then I would certainly recommend that you try NutriGenesis.
Pros
- Odourless and tasteless
- Certified by The Vegan Society
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- UK company
- No GMO, additives, binders or allergens
Cons
- Take 4 capsules per day
- Costs more than lower-quality vitamins
2. X Gold Health Women’s Multivitamin
If you don’t want to spend too much on vitamin supplements then these women’s multivitamins which are available on Amazon are a little cheaper.
However, one very important consideration is that these are made in the USA where supplements are not regulated.
This supplement contains 27 vitamins and minerals as well as superfoods like turmeric, ginger, cranberry, blueberry and kale. However, you may wish to think about how much of these superfoods can fit into a capsule. It’s questionable whether those amounts would be high enough to have any effect.
The capsules are a similar size to the NutriGenesis vitamins and they’re also odourless and tasteless so they’re easy to swallow. You don’t need to take as many each day, but you do need to try to time them around a meal or at least some food.
Pros
- Odourless and tasteless
- No GMO or synthetic fillers
Cons
- Take 2 capsules per day
- Take with a meal
- Made in USA
⭐ Lowest price
If you just want the cheapest vegan vitamins for women then Nutrivita is the brand to go for as these are such a great price for a six month’s supply.
Plus, as they’re made in the UK you can be reassured that they’re safeguarded by the highest manufacturing standards in the world.
The major downside to these multivitamins is that they’re in tablet form, rather than capsule. Not only does this mean that some of the nutrients may not be absorbed by your body, but it also means that these can be quite unpleasant to swallow.
The tablets are bulky and have a strong smell and aftertaste. The manufacturer recommends that you drink a full glass of water when you take one. Unless you’re good at swallowing tablets, it may take that much to get it down.
On the plus side, you only need to take one per day so they’ll last you for a good while.
Pros
- Low price
- Take 1 per day
- Made in the UK
- No GMO or synthetic fillers
Cons
- Tablets aren’t absorbed as well as capsules
- Take with a full glass of water and preferably food
- Can be hard to swallow
- Strong smell and taste
Nutrient comparison table
The table below shows the Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) for each of the vitamins and minerals in each supplement.
The NRV is the amount of a nutrient that you should get from a healthy balanced diet of 2000 calories per day.
| NutriGenesis | X Gold Health | Nutravita | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin A | 67% | 100% | 100% |
| Vitamin C | 66% | 167% | 100% |
| Vitamin D | 125% | 100% | 100% |
| Vitamin E | 134% | 100% | 100% |
| Vitamin K | 83% | 31% | 100% |
| Vitamin B1 | 333% | 100% | 100% |
| Vitamin B2 | 308% | 100% | 100% |
| Vitamin B3 | 125% | 100% | 100% |
| Vitamin B6 | 235% | 100% | 100% |
| Folic Acid | 334% | 100% | 100% |
| Vitamin B12 | 2083% | 200% | 100% |
| Biotin | 1000% | 100% | 200% |
| Pantothenic Acid | 400% | – | 100% |
| Calcium | 2% | 16% | 16% |
| Iron | 44% | 44% | 100% |
| Phosphorus | – | 10% | 9% |
| Iodine | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Magnesium | 5% | 25% | 27% |
| Zinc | 91% | 100% | 100% |
| Selenium | 227% | 71% | 100% |
| Copper | 167% | 100% | – |
| Manganese | 87% | 125% | 100% |
| Chromium | 343% | 50% | 100% |
| Molybdenum | 167% | 33% | 100% |
| Potassium | <1% | 1% | 15% |
| Chloride | – | – | 15% |
Why are some nutrients more than 100% of the NRV?
The Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) is the amount of a vitamin or mineral that’s needed to prevent deficiency, not the level for optimal health.
For example, we require 5mcg per day of vitamin D to prevent a vitamin D deficiency and the development of rickets. This amount is very much the minimum.
Consuming more vitamin D than the NRV can have health benefits such as boosting immunity, upping energy levels and enhancing mood.
Suggested read: The Best Vegan Vitamin D Supplements
It’s also important to consider that some supplements help each other but others block each other. For example, vitamin C helps the body to absorb iron, but calcium blocks iron absorption.
Just because you ingest a vitamin or mineral, that doesn’t mean that all of it will be absorbed into your body.
Which is the best multivitamin for vegan women?
Without a doubt, the best vegan multivitamin supplement for women is NutriGenesis. These capsules are so easy to take and are packed full of the optimum levels of nutrients that vegan women need.
A cheaper alternative to NutriGenesis is X Gold Health. The capsules are just as easy to swallow and you only need to take half as many. However, the fact that these tablets are made in the USA so aren’t regulated or certified as vegan may be a concern to some.
If you just want the cheapest option and are happy to swallow large tablets, then Nutravita vitamins are excellent value for money.