Vitamins and minerals are essential to every system inside your body. Each system needs different micronutrients in order to run smoothly throughout the day and keep you functioning at your highest capacity. The immune system needs vitamin C, your brain needs B complex vitamins, and your red blood vessels need iron. Unfortunately, these micronutrients are not produced within the body. Instead, you have to supply your body with them from an outside source, typically through the food you eat. However, there are plenty of factors that sometimes cause gaps to form in your diet. You may be too busy to plan out well-rounded meals, or you may even have picky eaters who turn up their nose to healthy foods. Not to mention, food quality has declined significantly in the past 50 years, making it much harder to provide your body with the nutrients it needs even when eating a well-rounded diet (1). One effective way to fill in those gaps and keep yourself and your loved ones healthy is to start taking a multivitamin.

For many people, a deal-breaker when it comes to taking supplements is their taste. It can be extremely difficult to find vitamins that taste good, as many of them will end up having an unpleasant, mineral-y taste. This goes for all kinds of supplements, including gummy vitamins and chewable multivitamins. But don’t lose hope – there are chewable and gummy vitamins that taste good! In fact, some of the best tasting multivitamin gummies are also the best ones for you. Finding a supplement that agrees with your tongue is much easier than you expect as long as you keep in mind what to look for when choosing your multivitamin. Although most age groups and genders experience largely the same nutritional gaps in their diets, there are some micronutrients you’ll want to make sure are present in the multivitamin you choose for yourself and your family depending on your demographics. Read on to learn more about selecting the best chewable multivitamin for everyone.

Chewable Multivitamins For Adults

There are tons of options available when choosing a chewable multivitamin, non gummy and gummy alike. If you’re wondering “What is the best chewable multivitamin for adults?” the answer is one that contains a mix of all the vital micronutrients your body needs daily. As we mentioned, most human beings experience the same gaps in their nutrition, regardless of gender and age. These gaps can lead to deficiencies, illness, and even fatigue. One a day chewable vitamins for adults are an excellent way to fill in those gaps without having to fight with picky eaters (including yourself) or add more chaos to your schedule by complicating your diet. 

The best chewable multivitamins for adults should contain a blend of the following micronutrients: B complex vitamins, vitamins A, C, D, E, and K, zinc, iron, selenium, iodine, and chromium (2). A good multivitamin will contain enough of each micronutrient to give your body the boost it needs without exceeding the daily recommended amounts of each nutrient. Generally, we recommend choosing an organic supplement as well, since they avoid unnecessary chemicals, preservatives, and GMOs. Chewable vitamins often receive the most criticism for tasting too mineral-y, but if taste is a deal-breaker for you, gummy vitamins may be the perfect solution.

Sugar Free Gummy Vitamins

Unfortunately, the downside to a great-tasting supplement is often its sugar levels. Gummy vitamins in particular can be cause for concern, especially with parents and diabetics. However, the prevalence of sugar free gummy vitamins may just save the day! The best sugar free multivitamin for diabetics and the best sugar-free vitamins for toddlers will each contain daily recommended doses of vital micronutrients, just like any other gummy supplement, but without the added worry of high sugar amounts that can be potentially dangerous for diabetics and send kids bouncing off the walls. It’s important to note that anyone suffering from chronic illnesses like diabetes should always consult their physician before selecting a new supplement. Your physician can help you make an informed choice about the best sugar free multivitamin gummies for you.

There are also sugar free gummy vitamins for adults in unique situations. If you have a deficiency in any particular nutrient, you can either take a multivitamin that contains that nutrient or an individual supplement that has only the daily recommended amount of it. One popular example of this is sugar free vitamin C gummies. Vitamin C is a great way to boost your immune system, helping your body both prevent and fight off diseases (3). Gummy vitamin C supplements, often paired with a pleasant citrus flavor, can deliciously increase your immunity levels heading into the cold and flu season.

Best Multivitamin For Seniors

Although most human beings experience similar nutritional gaps across all ages and genders, there are supplements available that have the potential to ease some of the symptoms that come along with the aging process. The best multivitamin for seniors falls into this category. Throughout the aging process, your body’s immune system can begin to weaken or slow down in its healing response times (4). As you age, it becomes more and more important to make sure your body is provided with the proper nutrients to combat these effects of aging and boost immune health.

The best gummy vitamins for seniors, the best chewable multivitamin for seniors, and the best gummy vitamins for adults over 50 should all share a few similar ingredients that have been known to assist the immune system. The most important micronutrients for immune health across all ages include vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, selenium, and iron (5). Each individual nutrient plays its own unique role in the health and growth of your immune cells, making them essential in the diets or supplements of all seniors, who are often at an increased risk for developing diseases.

Best Multivitamin For Women

Just as seniors may look out for certain nutrients in their multivitamins to boost their immune health, women also experience some special circumstances that may lead them to seek multivitamins containing specific ingredients. Let’s take a look at some of these scenarios to find out which micronutrients should always be present in the best multivitamin for women.

Those who menstruate or have increased dietary needs due to pregnancy may be more prone to iron deficiencies (6). Iron deficiency, when not handled properly, can eventually lead to the development of anemia, a condition that affects the amount of red blood cells in the body. A chewable multivitamin for women should contain the daily recommended amount of iron in order to combat the loss of iron caused by menstruation.

When seeking multivitamin gummies for women, you also need to ensure your supplement contains B complex vitamins. These vital micronutrients are particularly important for both pregnant and breastfeeding individuals, as they play a key role in the development of the fetus and can even help ease nausea while providing a much-needed boost of energy (7).

Best Multivitamin For Men

There are also unique scenarios when it comes to men’s health that can affect your choice in a multivitamin. Let’s go over some of the most important micronutrients that promote overall wellness while combating common health conditions that exist among men.

The best multivitamin for men should contain nutrients that support prostate health. The most notable ingredients to seek out for a healthy prostate include vitamin D and zinc. Low levels of these vital nutrients have been linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer (8). Taking multivitamins containing vitamin D and zinc will not prevent the development of prostate cancer, but it could potentially help boost the overall health of the prostate. Zinc deficiency in particular has also been linked to low testosterone levels, which are often associated with erectile dysfunction and decreased sexual performance (9). The best gummy vitamins for men, especially those with low testosterone, must include the daily dosage of zinc in order to avoid or combat zinc deficiency and raise testosterone levels back to where you want them.

Hair, Skin & Nails Vitamins

Regardless of age or gender, everyone can benefit from nutrients that increase the health of your hair, skin, and nails. There are a few key ingredients that most hair, skin, & nails vitamins will contain: vitamins A, D, E, and zinc. Let’s explore why the best vitamins for skin, hair, and nails almost always utilize these four micronutrients.

Vitamins A, D, and E are fat-soluble vitamins that have been frequently linked to the overall health of both skin and hair. Collagen is the protein that makes up hair and skin, and collagen production receives a boost from daily consumption of vitamin A (10). Increased collagen production can lead to healthier-looking skin and hair, avoiding the dried out, brittle appearance associated with weak collagen production. Gummies for glowing skin will certainly contain the daily recommended amounts of these three important vitamins.

On top of vitamins A, D, and E, the best gummies for acne in particular will almost always include the trace element, zinc. Although zinc also has the ability to assist in collagen production, its anti-inflammatory qualities are the most notable benefit to acne-prone skin as well as skin conditions like eczema and rosacea (11). These conditions typically cause excessive redness and irritation on the surface of the skin, an extremely frustrating symptom to handle. Zinc’s anti-inflammatory properties help decrease that irritation and leave skin feeling fresher and healthier. If you’re seeking gummies for clear skin, you should look for a supplement that has the daily recommended dosage of zinc.

Resources

1. Long, Cheryl. “More Evidence that Food Nutrient Quality is Declining.” The Cornucopia Institute, 30 October 2014, https://www.cornucopia.org/2007/06/more-evidence-that-food-nutrient-quality-is-declining.
2. Rodder, Susan. “5 Signs You’ve Chosen the Right Multivitamin.” UTSouthwestern Medical Center, 20 January 2021, https://utswmed.org/medblog/multivitamins-supplements.
3. Carr, Anitra C. and Silvia Maggini. “Vitamin C and Immune Function.” National Library of Medicine, 3 November 2017, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29099763/.
4. “Aging changes in immunity.” Medline Plus, 2 July 2021, https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/004008.htm.
5. “Nutrition and Immunity.” Harvard School of Public Health, 2021, https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/nutrition-and-immunity.
6. Fulton, Alex. “Iron Deficiency Anemia and Heavy Periods: What’s the Connection?” 29 September 2020, https://www.healthywomen.org/created-with-support/iron-deficiency-anemia-heavy-periods/diagnosis-and-treatment-of-ida.
7. Cronkleton, Emily. “Why Is Vitamin B Complex Important, and Where Do I Get It?” healthline, 29 March 2019, https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/vitamin-b-complex.
8. McGrane, Kelli. “Prostate Health and Supplements: Know the Facts.” healthline, 2 October 2020, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/prostate-health-and-supplements.
9. Ellis, Mary Ellen. “Connecting Testosterone and Zinc.” healthline, 6 March 2017, https://www.healthline.com/health/testosterone-and-zinc.
10. Landes, Ellen. “The 7 Best Vitamins for Healthy Hair, Skin, and Nails.” healthline, 14 December 2021, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-hair-skin-and-nails-vitamins.
11. Cherny, Kristeen. “Can You Use Zinc for Acne Spots and Scars?” healthline, 8 March 2019, https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/zinc-for-acne.