While a well-rounded vegan diet will provide you with most essential nutrients, there are a few nutritional gaps that may need to be filled. Namely, vitamin D3, B12, and omega-3 can be a little tricky to get adequate amounts of on a vegan diet. That said, multivitamins are an excellent way to ensure that you’re getting all the vitamins and minerals your body needs to thrive.
When shopping for vegan multivitamins, there are a few things to look out for. For instance, is the multivitamin formulated for your age group? Another thing to consider is whether the multivitamin’s nutrients and capsule are derived from plant-based sources.
Keep reading to learn more about which multivitamins are best for vegans and how to choose the right one for your nutritional needs. We’ll also highlight some of the best vegan multivitamins available in Canada this year.
Our Top Picks:
- Best Multivitamin Gummies: Nutracelle Nutramin Multivitamin Gummies
- Best High-Potency Multivitamin: Veganly High-Potency Multivitamin
- Best Multivitamin For Women: Garden of Life Mykind Organics
- Best Multivitamin For Men: Garden of Life Mykind Organics
- Best Vegan Multivitamin For Kids: Herbaland Vegan Multivitamins Gummies
Are multivitamins vegan?
When deciding if a multivitamin is vegan, there are a few factors to consider.
Are its nutrients derived from plant-based sources?
There are many vitamins and minerals on the market that are commonly sourced from animals. Some of these include vitamin B12, vitamin D3, iron, and omega-3. Calcium supplements often contain bone meal. For that reason, it’s important to ensure that the multivitamin you choose contains ingredients sourced from plants.
Are its nutrients balanced for a vegan diet?
There are tons of multivitamins on the market. They all contain a similar cocktail of vitamins and minerals, however, their ratios tend to vary. All diets are not created equal in terms of their nutritional profile. Meat eaters, pescetarians, vegetarians, and vegans consume very different amounts of nutrients on a daily basis. For example, heavy meat eaters consume ample amounts of B12 and iron by consuming animal products, whereas vegans may be lacking them depending on their particular diet. For that reason, we highly recommend choosing a multivitamin that is designed to fill in the nutritional gaps on a vegan diet.
Is the capsule shell vegan as opposed to made from gelatin?
Pill capsule shells are generally made from gelatin or a form of collagen when it comes to non-gelatin capsules (1). Both of these are sourced from animals and are therefore not vegan. Vegan capsule shells are instead made from either HPMC (cellulose) or from starch derived from tapioca [1]. It will normally be stated on the product’s packaging when a multivitamin’s capsule shell is vegan. Capsules labelled as vegetarian are generally vegan as well, but it’s always a good idea to check with the manufacturer if you’re unsure.
Bottom line: Certain multivitamins obtain their nutrients from animal sources. A multivitamin’s capsule shell may also be made from animal-derived ingredients. Furthermore, not all multivitamins are designed to fill the nutritional gaps of a plant-based diet.
The Best Vegan Multivitamins in Canada in 2024
Here is our selection of the best vegan multivitamins for adults that are available in Canada this year.
Nutracelle Nutramin Vegan Multivitamin Gummies
Total gummies: 90 / Serving size: 4 per day / Cost per day: $0.54
Multivitamins can often be large and difficult to swallow. Nutracelle solves this problem with their Vegan Multivitamin Gummies for Adults. They come in a tasty gummy form that you’ll actually be excited to take daily. The multivitamin is made up of a mix of 13 essential vitamins and minerals that help cover most of your daily nutritional needs. More specifically, it contains vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, Folate, Zinc, choline, iodine, and more. Despite its tasty fruity flavour, the gummy is sugar-free. It’s also certified soy-free, nut-free, non-GMO, and gluten-free.
With a daily serving size of two gummies, these vitamins should last you 45 days if taken regularly.
Veganly High-Potency Vegan Multivitamin
Total tablets: 90 / Serving Size: 1 per day / Cost per day: $0.63 / Iron = yes
Veganly’s Vegan Multivitamin contains a vitamin and mineral formula that is specifically designed for vegans. The multivitamin contains a mix of vitamins including B vitamins, vitamins A, C, D3, E, K1, and folate. It also contains a wide range of minerals including iron, zinc, iodine, calcium, and more. Overall, these multivitamins are an excellent choice for vegans looking to fill in some nutritional gaps in their diet.
While the pills are definitely on the big side, their high potency means that you only have to take one per day. If the size is an issue, Veganly recommends dissolving the tablet in water or juice. With a recommended daily dose of one capsule per day, each bottle will last you 90 days.
NATURELO Vegan Multivitamin Gummies for Adults
Total gummies: 120 / Serving Size: 4 per day / Cost per day: $1.66
NATURELO’s Whole Food Multivitamin Gummies are another vegan chewable multivitamin designed for adults. Instead of swallowing a large pill, you can simply chew four berry-flavoured gummies per day to meet your nutritional needs. Their gummies are naturally sweetened with organic stevia leaf and are free from artificial flavours and preservatives.
Each gummy contains a variety of 24 essential vitamins and minerals. Some of the vitamins included are vitamin E, D3, C, and several B vitamins. Minerals such as iron, zinc, and calcium are also included, amongst others.
A downside is that these multivitamin gummies are expensive if taken daily as instructed by the label. Each bottle will last you about a month if the recommended dose is taken as instructed.
Garden of Life Mykind Organics Multivitamin
Total tablets: 30 / Serving Size: 1 per day / Cost per day: $0.95
Mykind Organics offers a vegan multivitamin for women and a separate vegan multivitamin for men. What we love about this vegan multivitamin is that its ingredients are made up of a mix of organic fruit, vegetable, herb, and seed extracts. Therefore, its vitamins are coming from whole food sources. It contains around 20 vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, B12, D3, K1, and K2. Its minerals include iron, zinc, manganese, and more. While it contains a rich nutritional profile, it does not contain iodine or calcium. This may not be a dealbreaker, depending on your particular diet.
The Mykind Organics vegan multivitamin is certified organic, GMO-free, and gluten-free. Each bottle contains 30 tablets, and the daily recommended dose is 1 tablet per day, taken with a meal. That said, each bottle should last you about a month if taken as instructed.
Should vegans take multivitamins?
Whether vegans should take multivitamins really depends on the individual person. If you follow a well-balanced and planned vegan diet, you are likely consuming ample amounts of essential vitamins and minerals. Many commercial food products are even fortified with some of the vital nutrients provided by a multivitamin, including plant-based milk, cereals, and certain wheat-based products. However, there are a few essential vitamins and minerals that are difficult to obtain enough of on a vegan diet. These include iodine, zinc, iron, and B12.
Iodized salt is one way to obtain iodine on a vegan diet, but you might not consume enough salt per day to get your recommended daily intake of 150 mcg per day. Zinc is another mineral that is difficult to get enough of on a vegan diet. You can find it in legumes, nuts, seeds, oats, and tofu. However, to obtain your required 8 mg dose of zinc per day, you really need to be consuming high volumes of these food groups.
Lastly, iron and B12 are tricky to get enough of on a vegan diet. Luckily, many popular food products are fortified with B12, but similar to zinc, iron is not as easy to come by. You can find it in legumes, dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and wholegrain products [2], but similar to zinc, you have to be consuming high volumes of these products in order to be getting enough iron daily. For example, one serving of extra firm tofu contains anywhere from 8 to 13% of your daily required iron intake.
For those reasons, multivitamins are an excellent way for vegans to fill nutrient gaps in their diet. Instead of taking several individual vitamin and mineral supplements per day, you can simply take a single multivitamin along with your meals.
Sources
- Vegan, Vegetarian and Gelatin Capsules. LFA Capsule Fillers. Accessed August 26, 2022.
- Top Foods High in Iron for Vegans. Nourish by WebMD. Accessed August 26, 2022.