Multivitamins for Women and Men: Who Benefits and Who Doesn’t

Disclosure: StayWellAware may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It never affects what we recommend. Read our full disclosure.

Not medical advice. This article is general information, not a substitute for advice from your own doctor or pharmacist. Talk with them before starting a supplement, especially if you’re pregnant or could become pregnant, take prescription medicines such as warfarin, smoke, or have a chronic health condition.

A multivitamin feels like the easy insurance policy. One pill a day, and whatever your diet missed is covered. About a third of U.S. adults take one, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. So it’s fair to ask what all those pills are actually doing.

The honest answer is that it depends a lot on who you are. For most healthy adults who eat a reasonably varied diet, the research on multivitamins preventing heart disease, cancer or early death is disappointing. For some specific groups, though, a multivitamin or a targeted supplement makes real sense. This guide sorts out which is which, and what’s actually different between “women’s” and “men’s” formulas.

The short version

• For preventing heart disease or cancer, the evidence isn’t there. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says current evidence is insufficient to judge the benefits and harms of multivitamins for this purpose.
• Large trials and cohorts are mostly neutral. A trial of nearly 15,000 male doctors found a small drop in cancer risk but no effect on heart attacks or strokes. A 2024 study of about 390,000 adults found multivitamin use wasn’t linked to living longer.
• Some people clearly benefit from specific nutrients: anyone who could become pregnant (folic acid), adults over 50 (vitamin B12), people with heavy periods (iron, if tested and needed), and people on restrictive diets.
• Older adults may see a small cognitive benefit. In the COSMOS trial, adults 60 and older taking a daily multivitamin had modestly better memory scores over two to three years.
• “Women’s” and “men’s” formulas mainly differ in iron, folate, and sometimes calcium and vitamin D. 50+ formulas usually have less iron and more B12, vitamin D and calcium.
• More isn’t better. Smokers should avoid high doses of beta-carotene and vitamin A, and vitamin K can interfere with warfarin.

What a multivitamin actually is

There’s no standard definition. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) points out that manufacturers choose which vitamins and minerals to include and in what amounts (ODS). One product might be a basic once-a-day tablet close to the Daily Values. Another might include herbs, high doses of a few nutrients, or extras like omega-3s.

In the U.S., dietary supplements don’t need FDA approval before they’re sold. The FDA explains that companies are responsible for making sure their products are safe and their labels are truthful (FDA). That’s one reason to look for third-party testing seals and to read labels carefully.

What the big studies found

Heart disease and cancer

The Physicians’ Health Study II is the longest randomized trial of a common daily multivitamin. It followed 14,641 male U.S. physicians aged 50 and older for a median of about 11 years.

• Cancer: men taking the multivitamin had a modest 8% lower risk of total cancer compared with placebo, but there was no significant effect on prostate or colorectal cancer, and no significant drop in cancer deaths (Gaziano 2012).
• Heart disease: the multivitamin had no effect on major cardiovascular events, heart attacks, strokes or cardiovascular deaths (Sesso 2012).

After reviewing this and other trials, the USPSTF concluded in 2022 that the evidence is insufficient to weigh the benefits and harms of multivitamins for preventing cardiovascular disease or cancer. It also recommended against beta-carotene and vitamin E supplements for that purpose (USPSTF).

Living longer

A 2024 study from National Cancer Institute researchers pooled three large U.S. cohorts with 390,124 adults who had no history of cancer or other chronic diseases at the start, and followed some for up to 27 years. Daily multivitamin use was not associated with a lower risk of death (Loftfield 2024). This was an observational study, so it can’t prove cause and effect, but it’s a large and careful look at the question.

Memory and thinking in older adults

This is where the news is a bit more encouraging. COSMOS was a large trial of 21,442 U.S. adults aged 60 and older. In a combined analysis of three of its cognitive substudies, people taking a daily multivitamin-mineral supplement had modestly better scores for global cognition and episodic memory than those on placebo. The researchers estimated the effect on global cognition as equal to about two years less cognitive aging (Vyas 2024).

That’s promising, but keep it in proportion. The differences were small, and better scores on memory tests aren’t the same as preventing dementia. ODS describes the cognitive findings as something multivitamins may help with for people 60 and older (ODS).

Who may genuinely benefit

Anyone who could become pregnant

This is the clearest case. The USPSTF recommends that everyone planning to or able to become pregnant take a daily supplement with 400 to 800 micrograms of folic acid to help prevent neural tube defects, its strongest grade of recommendation. It advises starting at least one month before conception and continuing through the first two to three months of pregnancy. Because nearly half of pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned, it’s relevant to many people who aren’t actively trying (USPSTF).

Many women’s multivitamins contain folic acid or another form of folate. If you’re pregnant or planning to be, ask your doctor whether a prenatal vitamin is the better choice, since ODS notes that too much vitamin A during pregnancy can harm the baby (ODS).

People with heavy periods or other reasons for low iron

ODS lists teen girls and women with heavy periods, pregnant people, frequent blood donors, and people with certain cancers, digestive disorders or heart failure among the groups at risk for iron deficiency (ODS Iron). Iron is a nutrient where testing first really matters. Fatigue has many causes, and too much iron can be harmful, so ask for a blood test rather than guessing.

Adults over 50

As we age, many people absorb vitamin B12 from food less well. ODS notes that B12 deficiency affects between 3% and 43% of older adults, and recommends that people over 50 get most of their B12 from fortified foods or supplements (ODS B12). A multivitamin is one way to do that, though a standalone B12 supplement works too.

People with restrictive diets or low food intake

ODS says people who don’t get enough nutrients from food alone, including people on low-calorie diets and those who eat little food overall, may benefit. Vegans and vegetarians may need help with nutrients like B12 that come mostly from animal foods (ODS). The same goes for people with conditions or surgeries that affect absorption, but those situations call for a doctor’s guidance, not a drugstore guess.

Who probably doesn’t need one

If you’re a generally healthy adult eating a varied diet with vegetables, fruits, whole grains and some protein foods, a multivitamin is unlikely to change your long-term health much, based on the studies above. It’s not usually harmful at standard doses, so if you enjoy the peace of mind and the budget allows, that’s your call. Just don’t let it stand in for the things with much stronger evidence, like eating well, staying active, not smoking and getting recommended screenings.

Safety: where multivitamins can cause trouble

ODS highlights a few situations to watch (ODS):

• Smokers and former smokers should avoid multivitamins with large amounts of beta-carotene or vitamin A, which have been linked to higher lung cancer risk in smokers.
• Pregnancy: too much preformed vitamin A can cause birth defects.
• Warfarin and other blood thinners: vitamin K can affect how warfarin works.
• Stacking products: if you take a multivitamin plus a fortified cereal, a protein bar and separate supplements, you can exceed safe upper limits without realizing it.

Bring your full supplement list to medical appointments so your doctor and pharmacist can check for interactions.

Women’s vs. men’s vs. 50+ formulas

The labels sound very different, but the actual differences are usually a handful of nutrients:

Formula type	What’s often different
Women’s (younger adults)	Often includes iron and folate, reflecting menstruation and possible pregnancy
Men’s	Often lower in or free of iron
50+ (women’s or men’s)	According to ODS, usually more calcium, vitamin D and B12, and less or no iron
Prenatal	According to ODS, designed to help cover folic acid, iron, iodine and vitamin D during pregnancy

ODS notes that some multivitamins are promoted for specific purposes and add herbal or other ingredients, such as green tea or coenzyme Q10. It also notes that basic multivitamins are usually low in calcium and magnesium. Read the label for what’s actually in each serving.

How to choose, if you decide to take one

• Match it to your life stage. Could become pregnant? Make sure it contains 400 to 800 mcg of folic acid. Over 50? Look for B12. Postmenopausal women and most men usually don’t need extra iron unless a test shows otherwise.
• Check the doses. For most nutrients, amounts close to 100% of the Daily Value are plenty. Be wary of very high doses, especially of vitamin A.
• Look for third-party testing, such as USP Verified or NSF certification, which check that a product contains what the label says.
• Consider the pill burden. Some formulas need several capsules a day to reach the full dose. If you won’t take six capsules, a one or two-a-day option is more realistic.
• Count what else you take so you don’t double up.

The brands we may link to

We haven’t tested any of these products ourselves, and we’re not claiming one is better than another or better than a store brand with a USP seal. Here’s what each company says about its multivitamins, based on their own sites.

Ritual

Ritual’s Essential for Women 18+ multivitamin lists ingredients including omega-3 DHA, vitamin B12, vitamin D, magnesium, boron, iron, folate and vitamin E (Ritual). Ritual describes vitamin D, magnesium and boron as “calcium-helper nutrients” for bone health, so check the full Supplement Facts panel if you want calcium itself or other nutrients in your multivitamin. Ritual also sells other formulas on its main site (Ritual).

[Check current price at Ritual]

Thorne

Thorne sells several multivitamins, including Women’s Multi 50+ and Men’s Multi 50+, both with a suggested use of 3 to 6 capsules daily depending on diet and needs, and Basic Nutrients 2/Day, a two-capsule formula that Thorne lists as NSF Certified for Sport (Thorne Women’s Multi 50+, Thorne Men’s Multi 50+, Thorne Basic Nutrients 2/Day).

[Check current price at Thorne]

Life Extension

Life Extension’s Two-Per-Day multivitamin capsules come with directions to take two daily in divided doses with meals (Life Extension). Compare its doses against the Daily Values, since some nutrients may be well above 100%.

[Check current price at Life Extension]

Prices and formulas change. Check the current label and price on each company’s site before you buy.

The bottom line

A multivitamin isn’t a shield against heart disease, cancer or early death for healthy adults, and the best research doesn’t support taking one for those reasons. But that’s not the whole story. If you could become pregnant, folic acid is strongly recommended. If you’re over 50, getting enough B12 matters. If you have heavy periods, a restrictive diet or a medical condition that affects absorption, the right supplement can fill a real gap. And older adults may get a small memory benefit. Choose a formula that fits your life stage, keep doses sensible, look for third-party testing, and talk with your doctor or pharmacist, especially if you smoke, take warfarin or are pregnant.

---

Sources

• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Multivitamin/mineral Supplements: Fact Sheet for Consumers. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/MVMS-Consumer/
• US Preventive Services Task Force. Vitamin, Mineral, and Multivitamin Supplementation to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer: Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2022;327(23):2326-2333. https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/vitamin-supplementation-to-prevent-cvd-and-cancer-preventive-medication
• Gaziano JM, et al. Multivitamins in the prevention of cancer in men: the Physicians’ Health Study II randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2012;308(18):1871-80. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23162860/
• Sesso HD, et al. Multivitamins in the prevention of cardiovascular disease in men: the Physicians’ Health Study II randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2012;308(17):1751-60. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23117775/
• Loftfield E, et al. Multivitamin Use and Mortality Risk in 3 Prospective US Cohorts. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(6):e2418729. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38922615/
• Vyas CM, et al. Effect of multivitamin-mineral supplementation versus placebo on cognitive function: results from the clinic subcohort of the COSMOS randomized clinical trial and meta-analysis of 3 cognitive studies within COSMOS. Am J Clin Nutr. 2024;119(3):692-701. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38244989/
• US Preventive Services Task Force. Folic Acid Supplementation to Prevent Neural Tube Defects: Reaffirmation Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2023;330(5):454-459. https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/folic-acid-for-the-prevention-of-neural-tube-defects-preventive-medication
• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Iron: Fact Sheet for Consumers. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-Consumer/
• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin B12: Fact Sheet for Consumers. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-Consumer/
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Dietary Supplements. https://www.fda.gov/food/dietary-supplements
• Ritual. Essential for Women 18+ Multivitamin. https://ritual.com/products/essential-for-women-multivitamin
• Thorne. Women’s Multi 50+, Men’s Multi 50+ and Basic Nutrients 2/Day product pages. https://www.thorne.com/
• Life Extension. Two-Per-Day Multivitamin Capsules. https://www.lifeextension.com/vitamins-supplements/item02314/two-per-day-capsules

Written by Mbatia Tony Muitungu. Read how we research and update articles in our Editorial Policy.