Multivitamin vs. Individual Vitamins: What Should You Choose?

Have you ever wondered just what makes a multivitamin so "multi"? Or what's the difference between a regular vitamin and a multivitamin? Which should you take, or can you take both? Good questions! Understanding the difference between a vitamin and a multivitamin is essential for creating a supplement routine. Let's break down the basics.

A vitamin is an organic compound that our bodies require to function. A vitamin supplement you might buy off a shelf is a dietary supplement, usually in the form of a tablet, capsule, softgel, or gummy containing an amount of that specific vitamin (like Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Vitamin E or more!) to help fill a possible dietary gap of that nutrient.

So, what's a multivitamin vs individual vitamins? A multivitamin is a capsule, tablet, softgel, or gummy containing more than one vitamin. Multivitamins include a combination of many vitamins and minerals to help fill multiple possible dietary gaps at once! Some multivitamins include essential minerals. Essential minerals are inorganic compounds our body needs to function, like the Iron in Nature Made® Multivitamin Tablets with Iron!†

Both multivitamins and vitamins are important; one doesn't necessarily replace the other! Multivitamin supplements can help provide a broad base of necessary vitamins and minerals, working as the foundation of a supplement regimen. Additionally, individual vitamins can help target specific primary health goals.

Why Should You Take Multivitamins?

So, what exactly makes a multivitamin supplement so appealing? Multivitamins are highly convenient, as bundling a bunch of essential vitamins and minerals together makes taking a daily multivitamin a lot easier and more convenient than a handful of individual vitamins. Multivitamins also offer more comprehensive coverage, including vitamins and minerals that you might miss if you only target specific, individual vitamin needs.

Nature Made offers women a multivitamin for different stages in their life. From Multi for Her Softgels, which provide 22 key nutrients, including Iron, for daily nutritional support, to Women's Multivitamin 50+ Softgels, which provide daily nutritional support for the changing needs of women over 50. If you’re looking for a prenatal vitamin, Nature Made® Prenatal Multivitamin Folic Acid + DHA Softgels support the mom and the baby. They are specially formulated to support the development of your baby's brain, nervous system, bones, and eyes.†

Nature Made® Multivitamins offer a range of options suited to your gender, age, and life stage! Nature Made® Multivitamin For Him Tablets provide 22 key nutrients for daily nutritional support, specifically formulated for men. However, men over 50 may be interested in Nature Made® Multivitamin For Him 50+ Tablets, which are specially formulated to help support a healthy immune system, muscle health, and cellular energy production.†

Nature Made® makes picking a multivitamin easy, giving you options specially formulated for whoever and wherever you are in life!

When to Choose Individual Vitamins

Though multivitamins offer a convenient way to cover many of your bases simultaneously, they may not entirely replace individual vitamins! There are plenty of scenarios where a single vitamin could be the right choice for your supplement routine! For example, adding a calcium supplement along with your daily multivitamin supplement may be helpful to meet your daily calcium needs to support bone health. Individual vitamins can help you zero in on primary health goals, like targeting specific nutrient gaps.

Multivitamins can't always fit the total daily recommended value of certain minerals like Magnesium into the capsule or gummy along with everything else, so you may be interested in a mineral supplement like Nature Made® High Absorption Magnesium Glycinate Capsules to supplement your daily Magnesium intake. Two daily capsules provide 200 mg of this essential mineral for muscle relaxation and heart, nerve, and bone health.†

Personalizing your supplement routine is important; everyone has different needs!

How to Make an Informed Choice

Team Nature Made® recommends asking a healthcare professional for recommendations on what vitamins might work best for you.

When picking a supplement for your routine, check the label on the back. These labels are packed with important information, so knowing how to read them can help you make an informed choice.

Here are some key parts of the label to understand when choosing your supplements:

Suggested Use

The first place to look is "Suggested Use." These are instructions on how and when to take the supplement. Always follow the suggested use when you take your supplements.

Serving Size

Under "Supplement Facts," in the big white box, you'll find the "Serving Size." The serving size tells you the number of Tablets/Softgels/Gummies to take daily.

Amount Per Serving

The "Amount Per Serving" tells you how much of each ingredient is included in each supplement serving. If the serving size is two tablets, then the amount listed for each ingredient is for every two tablets.

Percent Daily Value

To the right of "Amount Per Serving" is "% Daily Value." The percent daily value is how much of this ingredient is included in the serving compared to the RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance). Recommended Dietary Allowances are the "Average daily level of intake sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97–98%) healthy individuals."[1]

As always, it's best to consult with your primary care provider or another medical professional when starting a supplement routine to get advice tailored directly to you!

The Role of Vitamin Supplementation as Part of a Healthy Diet

Supplementation can be an essential part of your daily routine, but it can never (and should never) displace the importance of a good diet! We get most of the nutrients we need to function from our food, so healthy eating is essential. Pick nutrient-rich foods like these colorful red and green vegetables to pack your diet with a tasty (and healthy) punch! However, sometimes, our diets can't cover all the nutrients we need, and that's where supplements come in. Supplements work in conjunction with a healthy diet to help cover possible nutrient gaps. Nature Made® Multivitamin Tablets with Iron address several dietary shortfalls, including Vitamins A, C, D, and E, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Magnesium, and Zinc.[2]†

Nature Made's Commitment to Quality and Variety

Nature Made is committed to offering a wide range of options to serve many needs, with multivitamins specially formulated for your age, gender, and life stage, along with individual vitamins, like Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Vitamin B12, and more to help target specific health goals and nutrient gaps! Nature Made® is the #1 Pharmacist Recommended Vitamin & Supplement Brand,* and we are committed to high-quality supplements.

*Based on a survey of pharmacists who recommend branded vitamins and supplements.

† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

References

1. National Institute of Health. Nutrient Recommendations and Databases. ods.od.nih.gov. Published 2019. https://ods.od.nih.gov/HealthInformation/nutrientrecommendations.aspx
2. ‌Reider CA, Chung RY, Devarshi PP, Grant RW, Hazels Mitmesser S. Inadequacy of Immune Health Nutrients: Intakes in US Adults, the 2005-2016 NHANES. Nutrients. 2020;12(6):1735. Published 2020 Jun 10. doi:10.3390/nu12061735.