The best multivitamins and minerals 2025 – tried and tested
What are the best multivitamin and mineral supplements, and are they worth it? Find out who may benefit from taking a multivitamin, and which nutrients should be included in a multi.
A multivitamin and mineral refers to a supplement that blends vitamins, minerals and sometimes other health-promoting ingredients. There is no set list of ingredients, and these can vary from brand to brand – this can be an issue, as it’s difficult to compare products with different formulations.
Do I need to take a multivitamin?
First and foremost, you should be eating a balanced and varied diet in order to get the important vitamins and minerals our bodies need to perform at their best. Vitamins D, C and K, iron, fibre, zinc and omega-3, to name a few, are all essential for good mental and physical health. However, due to a range of factors, national surveys show that we are consistently falling short of recommended intakes. Over time, this may be a risk factor for chronic disease, especially for the elderly. So, it may be wise to top up with a well-chosen supplement.
There are many high-street multivitamin and minerals (multis) available, which are generally considered safe. While supplements are never a substitute for poor diet, there is some evidence to suggest they help to reduce the nutritional gap.
Whether or not to supplement with a multi can be a difficult decision, especially given that some studies suggest supplementation is not associated with improved health outcomes. One of the issues here is that studies tend to use different definitions for a multi, as well as varying doses of nutrients, combined with formulations that are subject to frequent change, all of which makes comparison difficult.
Discover more about supplements.
Jump to section:
- Best multivitamins at a glance
- Best multivitamins to buy 2025
- Who might benefit from a multivitamin?
- Which nutrients are important in a multivitamin?
- What makes a good multivitamin?
- What we looked for in multivitamins
Best multivitamins at a glance
Best multivitamin tablets
- Best all-rounder multivitamin tablet: Higher Nature Advanced multi, £15.96
- Runner-up multivitamin tablet: Centrum Advance, £4.50
- Best budget multivitamin tablet: Healthspan Multivitality Pro, £17.49
Best multivitamin capsules
- Best all-rounder multivitamin capsule: Viridian High-5, £10.50
- Runner-up multivitamin capsule: Heights Vitals, £40
Best chewable multivitamins
- Best multivitamin gummy: Weightworld multivitamin gummies, £14.99
- Best chewable multivitamin: Centrum chewables, £6
- Runner-up multivitamin gummy: Centrum multi gummies, £8.97
Best multivitamins to buy 2025
Best multivitamin tablets
Higher Nature Advanced multi
Available from Body Kind (£15.96), Higher Nature (£19.95), Amazon (£19.95)
Best all-rounder multivitamin tablet
Price per day: (recommended dose) 44p
Star rating: 4/5
Providing 26 essential micronutrients in their optimal absorbable forms, this vegan-friendly formula is high-potency and offers the additional benefits of live probiotic bacteria. This product offers good value, given you can typically expect to pay a little more for products that include chelated minerals, and with vitamins that are better absorbed and used by the body. That said, these tablets are large and our tester found them difficult to take.
Available from:
Centrum Advance
Available from Amazon (£4.50), Boots (£10.99), Superdrug (£13.99)
Runner-up multivitamin tablet
Price per day (recommended dose): 23p
Star rating: 4/5
Providing a good balance of nutrients, many of which are at 100% NRV, this one-a-day tablet is quite large, but has a pleasant ‘fruits of the forest’ aroma, with no aftertaste. The product does contain additives, including a synthetic colourant.
Available from:
Healthspan Multivitality Pro
Available from Healthspan (£17.49), Amazon (£19.99)
Best budget multivitamin tablet
Price per day (recommended dose): 19p
Star rating: 4/5
This balanced formulation provides a full complex of the vitamin B group, as well as vitamins A, D, E and C, as well as most key minerals, many of which are present at 100% of the NRV. The product is also enhanced by the addition of two strains of beneficial probiotic bacteria. Our tester found the one-a-day vegan tablet large, but its shape eased swallowing. This was the most cost-effective product in our trial.
Available from:
Best multivitamin capsules
Viridian High 5
Available from Viridian (£10.50), Body Kind (£10.50)
Best all-rounder multivitamin capsule
Price per day (recommended dose): 35p
Star rating: 4.5/5
Named to reflect the higher levels of vitamin B5 in this product, this vitamin may help reduce tiredness and fatigue. Our tester found the one-a-day capsule easy to fit into their lifestyle and pleasant enough to take. The vegan-friendly formulation includes nutrients in their active and bioavailable forms, making this excellent value for money.
Available from:
Heights Vitals
Available from Heights (£40)
Runner-up multivitamin capsule
Price per day (recommended dose): £1.33
Star rating: 3.5/5
Delivered in a delayed-release capsule to maximise nutrient absorption, two capsules provide 20 essential micronutrients, along with omega-3 fatty acids in a vegan-friendly form. This is the most expensive product in our trial, although the manufacturer does offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. Our tester disliked the aftertaste, which made the two capsules per day less appealing. Expiry and batch number details are difficult to locate on the packaging.
Available from:
Best chewable multivitamin
Weightworld multivitamin gummies
Available from WeightWorld (£14.99), Amazon (£18.99)
Best multivitamin gummy
Price per day (recommended dose): 25p
Star rating: 4/5
Gummies and chewables tend not to supply a full spectrum of nutrients, but this product offers a reasonable balance, with the exception of some B vitamins, calcium and iron. Our tester found the gummies to be overly sweet, and described the flavour as being reminiscent of strawberry laces. The product is supported by a full money-back guarantee.
Available from:
Centrum fruity chewables
Available from Pharmacy2U (£6), Superdrug (£7.99), Boots (£8.50)
Best chewable multivitamin
Price per day (recommended dose): 54p
Star rating: 3.5/5
For those who find tablets and capsules difficult to take, a chewable or gummy supplement may be a good solution. Like other products of this type, this fruity chewable contains sweeteners (xylitol and aspartame) to help improve its palatability. The product provides a good range of vitamins and minerals, including iron. Our tester found the citrussy berry flavour pleasant, but did comment that two chewables a day ‘seemed quite a lot’. Contains E numbers.
Available from:
Centrum multi gummies
Available from Amazon (£8.97), Boots (£14), Ocado (£14)
Runner-up chewable multivitamin
Price per day (recommended dose): 52p
Star rating: 3.5/5
These gummies supply a limited range of vitamins and minerals. The mineral iron, for example, is excluded (this is often the case with gummies, due to palatability issues), so if you are looking for an iron-free formulation and struggle with tablets, this may suit your needs. Not suitable for vegetarians because the product contains gelatine. It also contains E numbers.
Available from:
Who might benefit from a multivitamin?
If your diet isn’t as good as it could be, perhaps because of a food intolerance, allergy or following a restricted form of eating, a multi may act as a nutritional safety net. In summary, a supplement may be useful for those who:
- Have an intolerance or allergy to foods like eggs, dairy or wheat
- Follow a plant-focused diet, avoiding all meat and animal derived products
- Follow a restricted diet for cultural, ethical or religious reasons
- Have a poor appetite or problems with chewing or swallowing
- Are planning a pregnancy or are pregnant
- Are over 65 years old and may be experiencing a decline in the absorption of some nutrients
Which nutrients are important in a multi?
A basic adult multi will provide the most important micronutrients, including vitamin A; the vitamin B group (including folic acid and B12); vitamins C, D, and E; and key minerals, which may include iron, iodine and zinc. These are likely to be present in amounts up to 100% of the recommended daily amount (or nutrient reference value, NRV). Calcium is usually present in lower quantities, because otherwise the one-a-day tablet or capsule would be too large (or the dose would need to be split into two or more per day). Other minerals like potassium are often kept low to avoid drug-nutrient interactions.
Check that the product you choose includes vitamins, such as the B group and vitamin C, as these are water-soluble and not stored in the body, so we need to have a regular intake. Others, like vitamin D, are hard to get in adequate amounts from the diet, which is why UK guidelines suggest we consider a supplement of 10mcg from the months of October through March.
It is worth remembering that exceeding 100% of the daily value of some nutrients may not be helpful – this is because micronutrients – like vitamins A, D, E, and K – can build up in the body and may pose a toxicity risk. This means that if you are taking a high-potency multi along with other supplements, you should check you are not taking too much.
When you’re selecting a multi, consider your age and gender. This is especially relevant for children, who need different levels of nutrients depending on their stage of growth. For adults, vitamins and mineral needs may increase from mid-life onwards – for example, premenopausal women need more iron, while older adults may need more calcium, vitamin D and B6.
A complete A-to-Z formulation may include additional micronutrients, such as vitamin K, selenium, boron and chromium. These products are often too large to create a single tablet or capsule, so the recommended dose may be two or more per day.
What makes a good multivitamin?
The best supplements will provide nutrients in their most bioavailable form; for example, vitamin E is most active in its natural form (d-alpha tocopherol). Similarly, vitamin D may more effectively maintain blood vitamin D levels when taken as vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). Minerals that are chelated with amino acids – for example, zinc citrate – are also better absorbed, though the product may be more expensive and the minerals may be included at lower levels.
Where the vitamin B group is included, look for a product that ideally provides all eight of these vitamins. This is because each B vitamin plays a unique role in the body, and they also work together to support bodily functions. Easily absorbed versions include vitamin B6 as ‘pyridoxal-5-phosphate’ and folic acid as ‘5-methyltetrafolate’. Enhanced products, which are likely to be more costly, may include additional ingredients such as beneficial probiotic bacteria, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidant plant compounds (such as bioflavonoids) or herbal extracts like ginseng.
For those on a vegetarian or vegan diet, check that the product is suitable for your needs – this means nutrients should be sourced from plant extracts, algae, lichen, yeasts and/or bacterial fermentation.
What we looked for in multivitamins
All supplements were tested within the same time period, with observations recorded based on the testing criteria. We included samples from various manufacturers, with a range of price points to suit different budgets. The key areas we assessed were:
- Taste and flavour: is the consuming experience pleasant?
- Nutrient profile: which nutrients are included, and at what levels? How does this compare to the NRV? Are they in a bioavailable (easily absorbable) form?
- Additives: does the supplement contain additives such as preservatives, artificial sweeteners or colourings?
- Dietary requirements: does the product meet any specific dietary needs, such as being vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free?
- Value for money: how does it compare to other products on a cost-per-day basis?
If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, taking prescribed medication or have a medical condition, refer to your GP or pharmacist to ensure the product you choose is appropriate for you.
Always keep supplements out of the reach of children. Unless otherwise stated, we tested products available in the UK market that are suitable for adults. Always check the product label and ingredients before purchase.
Read more health and wellbeing reviews
Best magnesium supplements
Best iron supplements
Best vitamin D supplements
Best pre-workout supplements
Best creatine supplements
Best omega-3 supplements
Kerry Torrens BSc. (Hons) PgCert MBANT is a BANT Registered Nutritionist® with a post graduate diploma in Personalised Nutrition & Nutritional Therapy. She is a member of the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) and a member of the Guild of Food Writers. Over the last 15 years she has been a contributing author to a number of nutritional and cookery publications including BBC Good Food.
All health content on bbcgoodfood.com is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local health care provider. See our website terms and conditions for more information.
