Nutrition Action Healthletter
Center for Science in the Public InterestApril 2000 — U.S. Edition 

MULTI VS. MULTI

Every multi in this chart (we didn’t look at prenatal or kids’ formulas) provides at least 100 percent of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamins A, B-1, B-2, niacin, B-6, B-12, C, D, E, and folic acid. Each also has no more than 15,000 IU of beta-carotene, 18 mg of iron, 500 mg of phosphorus, and 200mg of vitamin B-6.
   To be a Best Bite, the multi also has to provide at least 25 mcg of vitamin K, 120 mcg of chromium, 100 mg of magnesium, 2 mg of copper, and 15 mg of zinc. Our circles show which multis had enough of each.
If a section is shaded, the multi has at least:

   In addition, Best Bites for women under 50 (W) have 8 to 18 mg of iron, for men under 50 (M) have no more than 10 mg of iron, and for men and women 50 or older (S) have at least 24 mcg of vitamin B-12 but no more than 10 mg of iron.
   The number of pills or capsules the label says to take every day is in parentheses following each multi’s name. The last column gives a rough estimate of price, based on the cost direct from the manufacturer (if that’s the only way it’s sold, like AARP or GNC) or at drugstore.com: $ (less than $5 for a month’s supply), $$ ($5 to $10 a month), $$$ ($11 to $15 a month), or $$$$ (more than $15 a month). Click here for printable version of the chart (Acrobat 59K).
Multivitamin (# per day)
Multivitamin (# per day)
 AARP Activitamins (2) 10015$
  AARP Alphabet II Multivitamins & Minerals (1) 254$
  AARP High Potency Multivitamins With Minerals (1) 918$
  AARP Maturity Formula (1) 1015$
  AARP Megavitamin (2) 5010$$
  AARP Multivitamins and Minerals (1) 618$
  AARP U.S. RDA Formula Without Iron (1) 60*$
  Amway Nutrilite Daily (1) 918$
W Centrum (1) 618$
  Centrum Silver (1) 250$
 CVS Mega Multi (1) 5018$
  CVS Spectravite (1) 618$
  CVS Spectravite Senior (1) 254$
W,M,S Dr. Art Ulene Nutrition Boost Formula for Men & Women (2) 1008$
M,S Eckerd Daily Impact Senior (1) 243.6$
  Eckerd Vitamin A Day with Minerals (1) 618$
  Flintstones Complete (1) 618$
  Futurebiotics MultiVitamin Energy Plus for Women (2) 308$$
  Futurebiotics Vegetarian Super Multi (3) 1008$$
  Geritol Complete (1) 6.716$
  GNC Platinum Years (2) 3010$$
  GNC Preventron (4) 3018$$$
  GNC Solotron without Iron (1) 300*$
  GNC Ultra Mega (1) 7518$$
  GNC Ultra Mega Green (3) 25010$$$$
  GNC Women’s Live Well (2) 2518$$$
  KAL Body Defense (3) 2000$$$$
  KAL Enhanced-75 (1) 751.2$$
  KAL Enhanced Energy-S without Iron (5) 2500*$$$$
  KAL High Potency Soft Multiple (2) 5015$$$$
  KAL Multiple Energy (4) 5018$$$$
 KAL Vitality for Women (2) 10018$$$$
W Kroger Complete Extra (1) 1818$
  Kroger One Daily Men’s (1) 90$
  Kroger One Daily Multiple Vitamins & Minerals (1) 618$
  Life Essentials (2) 63$$$$
 Longs Central-Vite (1) 618$
  Longs Central-Vite Select (1) 254$
  Longs Multi Vitamin (1) 1218$
  Myadec (1) 618$
  Natrol My Favorite Multiple Take One Without Iron (1) 500*$$
 Natrol My Favorite Multiple Without Iron, tablets (4) or capsules (6) 500*$$$$
  Nature Made Essential Balance (1) 618$
  Nature Made Essential Multi Plus Heart Health (2) 60$$
  Nature Made Mature Balance (1) 250$
  Nature Made Mega 2000 (1) 5018$$
  Nature’s Bounty Multi-Day Plus Minerals (1) 618$
  Nature’s Bounty Time Release Radiance (1) 918$
  One A Day 50 Plus (1) 300$
  
  One A Day Essential (1) 60$
  One A Day Maximum (1) 618$
  One A Day Men’s (1) 90$
W OneSource (1) 1818$
  OneSource Mature (1) 300$
  Puritan’s Pride Advanced Geri-Max (1) 501$$
  Puritan’s Pride Green Source (3) 2515$$$$
  Puritan’s Pride One (1) 5010$$
  Puritan’s Pride Super VM (1) 7510$$
  Puritan’s Pride Women’s Exclusive Formula (2) 10015$$$
  Rite Aid One Daily With Minerals (1) 618$
W Rite Aid Whole Source (1) 1818$
M,S Rite Aid Whole Source Mature Adult (1) 243.6$
  Safeway Select Iron Free (1) 60$
W Safeway Select OmniSource (1) 1818$
M,S Safeway Select OmniSource Senior (1) 243.6$
  Schiff Double Day (2) 2518$$
  Schiff Sustained Release Single Day (1) 759$$
M Shaklee Vita-Lea without iron (2) 60*$$
  Solaray Iron-Free Spectro Multi-Vita-Min (6) 1000*$$$$
 Solaray Men’s Golden Multi-Vita-Min (3) 2000$$$
  Solaray Multi-Vita Mega-Mineral (4) 6018$$$$
  Solaray Once Daily High Energy Multi-Vita-Min (1) 251.8$$
  Solaray Once Daily Iron-Free Multi-Vita-Min (1) 250$$
  Solaray Twice Daily Multi-Energy Iron Free (2) 500*$$$
  Solaray Women’s Golden Multi-Vita-Min (3) 2000$$$
  Solgar Earth Source (3) 25018$$$$
  Solgar Iron Free Formula VM-75 (1) 750$$
W Spring Valley Advantage (1) 1818$
  Spring Valley Maximum One Daily (1) 618$
  Spring Valley Men’s One Daily (1) 90$
W Summit Complete (1) 1818$
  Theragran Heart Right (2) 304$$
  Theragran-M (1) 918$
  Theragran-M Advanced (1) 129$
  Twinlab Daily One Caps without Iron (1) 1000$$
W,M,S Twinlab Dualtabs (4) 10010$$$$
  Twinlab Mega 6 Caps (6) 10010$$$$
  UnicapM (1) 618$
  Vita-Smart Century Senior With Beta Carotene (1) 254$
  Vita-Smart Maximum Formula With Beta Carotene (1) 618$
  Vita-Smart Men’s Formula With Beta Carotene (1) 90$
  Vita-Smart Men’s Multi Plus (1) 100$
W Walgreens Ultra Choice (1) 1818$
  YourLife Complete (1) 3518$$
  YourLife One Daily 50+ (1) 300$
  YourLife One Daily Plus Minerals (1) 618$
W,M YourLife Super Multi-Vitamin (1) 129$
 
 W: Best Bite for women under 50.
 M: Best Bite for men under 50.
 S: Best Bite for women or men 50 or older.
 *: Also available with 18 mg of iron.

The use of information from this article for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited without written permission from CSPI.

Source: Manufacturers.
 

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