Summary
What did CL's tests of multivitamin/multimineral products show? Twelve out of 27 (44.4%) of the multivitamin/multimineral supplements selected by ConsumerLab.com for testing failed to get our approval. These are marked as "Not Approved" in the results table.
Problems with multivitamin/multimineral supplements? Some had lower levels of nutrients than the label claimed, some had higher amounts, and two took longer than permitted to disintegrate ("break apart") in solution. All product deficiencies were confirmed in tests in a second independent laboratory (see What CL Found).
Multivitamin/multimineral safety and side effects: Of particular concern is that several products provided more than or close to the Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (ULs), above which there is increasing risk of toxicity with regular use. For example, two gummy vitamins listing 400 mg of folic acid were each discovered to contained more than 200% of these amounts, i.e., over 800 mg of folic acid. Not only is this far above the daily requirement (240 mg of folic acid, or 400 mcg DFE), but it puts one close to exceeding the UL of 1,000 mcg of folic acid and potentially over it if consuming folic acid from other sources, like fortified breakfast cereals.
Multivitamin/multimineral supplement Top Picks: Among products that were "Approved", including products tested through CL's voluntary Quality Certification Program, Top Picks were selected for the following 10 categories based on best product quality, appropriateness of dosage, formulation, and value:
What to look for in a multivitamin? When selecting a multi, the most important thing is to be sure it lists the right amount of each essential vitamin and mineral. Check your own requirements using our RDA table or the detailed information for each nutrient in the Review.
Problems with multivitamin/multimineral supplements? Some had lower levels of nutrients than the label claimed, some had higher amounts, and two took longer than permitted to disintegrate ("break apart") in solution. All product deficiencies were confirmed in tests in a second independent laboratory (see What CL Found).
Multivitamin/multimineral safety and side effects: Of particular concern is that several products provided more than or close to the Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (ULs), above which there is increasing risk of toxicity with regular use. For example, two gummy vitamins listing 400 mg of folic acid were each discovered to contained more than 200% of these amounts, i.e., over 800 mg of folic acid. Not only is this far above the daily requirement (240 mg of folic acid, or 400 mcg DFE), but it puts one close to exceeding the UL of 1,000 mcg of folic acid and potentially over it if consuming folic acid from other sources, like fortified breakfast cereals.
Multivitamin/multimineral supplement Top Picks: Among products that were "Approved", including products tested through CL's voluntary Quality Certification Program, Top Picks were selected for the following 10 categories based on best product quality, appropriateness of dosage, formulation, and value:
What to look for in a multivitamin? When selecting a multi, the most important thing is to be sure it lists the right amount of each essential vitamin and mineral. Check your own requirements using our RDA table or the detailed information for each nutrient in the Review.
