Options considered: 40
Country: Philippines
Last updated: April 2024
Ranking criteria: effectiveness, availability, dosage instructions, potential side effects
Buyer's remorse summary: the most common issues that customers have with their Multivitamins are typically related to , Quality and effectiveness , Allergies and sensitivities and Interactions with medications . Digestive issues
We compiled the list of the most popular Multivitamins of 2024 that have received the fewest complaints in these categories.
No time to read? Just looking for #1 recommendation?
As usual, this month we aggregated dozens of popular Multivitamins in the Philippines and ranked them based on effectiveness, availability, dosage instructions, potential side effects. According to this April's formal ranking, multivitamins by Centrum are the most prominent ones, followed by Enervon and BEWORTHS .
10 best Multivitamins in pictures
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We made a price chart of the top selling Multivitamins (see below). Budget options start at ₱63, going up ₱980. The most popular option is priced at ₱300, which is on the pricier side.
₱63 | ₱225 | ₱980 |
Meta-rankings combine expert endorsements.
ReviewFinder's formal aggregated ranking is a combination of our meta-rankings and consumer score.
Meta-rankings are a combination of all expert reviews we can find on the Internet. When present, meta-rankings are the strongest ranking signal (we trust experts more than consumers).
Consumer score is calculated from customer reviews.
Not all categories have enough expert endorsements online - in such cases we use consumer score weighted by historical brand prominence in the niche (brands that historically specialize in a certain category get a slight bump in that category rankings). Consumer score is a normalized 0-10 score based on customer reviews.
Recently we removed price form our rankings - it no longer affects recommendations. Whether to go budget or premium is consumer's choice, not ours.
As can be seen below, top ranked multivitamins in the Philippines start at roughly ₱63 and go up to ₱980. Median price is ₱225.
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₱63 | ₱980 |
More detailed price comparison chart is above.
Go to price chartYour doctor might have mentioned ‘multivitamins’ severally and it got you wondering what it really meant. It is quite straight-forward so, do not feel uneasy whenever you across this term. Literally, the word 'multi' means the composition of more than one or different vitamins. In the scientific sense, multivitamins are dietary supplements with vitamins, dietary minerals, and other nutritional elements. These vitamins are extracted from food, natural sources, or artificially in the laboratories. They are needed to prevent deficiency diseases such as scurvy- Vitamin C deficiency, rickets-vitamin D deficiency, Beriberi- Vitamin B1 [thiamine] deficiency, pellagra- Vitamin B3 [niacin] deficiency.
Vitamins are substances needed for the proper functioning and development of the body. Vitamins are the unit forms of multivitamins. As regards this, we can not discuss multivitamins without taking a quick toll on vitamins. Vitamins are into fat-soluble vitamins [Vitamins A, D, E, K] or water-soluble vitamins [Vitamins B and C].
The fat-soluble vitamins do not dissolve in water. Thus, when taken into the body, they are absorbed by fat globules. The fat globules go through the lymphatic system of the small intestine and into the general blood circulation within the body.
Water-soluble vitamins, on the other hand, do dissolve in water. They are carried to body tissues but don't get stored in the body tissues. Often, these vitamins are found in plant and animal foods or dietary supplements.
Multivitamins are supplements highly spoken of, even recommended. Usually, anything that is highly sorted after has its advantages and disadvantages. That is why multivitamins have been appraised and as well criticized. Therefore, let us dive into the benefits of multivitamins and its disadvantages following right after.
Pros
The pros of multivitamins are not far-fetched:
-They help to prevent deficiencies by acting as supplements.
-They help to increase energy.
-Multivitamins also help to stay healthy and fit
-Besides, these supplements can be of help to people with special conditions. For example, pregnant women, nursing mothers, people with chronic diseases like cancer and diabetes
-Multivitamins are easy to be purchased compared to micronutrients.
Cons
The cons of multivitamins often include:
-Unapproved multivitamins: some multivitamins are unsafe because most do not get approved before being sold. Some do not also contain the right amount of vitamins. To be on the safer side, opt for products with some safety guarantee.
-Over-dosage: Overdosing is dangerous and too much of something even if it is good could cause severe harm. As such, popping in too much of vitamins has its downsides. Multivitamins overdosage could have complications. There could be issues like hypervitaminosis, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhoea, insomnia, anxiety, difficult breathing, depression, kidney failure, and lots more disorders. Treat over-dosing like a plague so, avoid!
-Difficulty in absorption: Some multivitamins, because of their form, are not easily absorbed by the body. Chewable and liquid multivitamins have been proven to be easily absorbed by the body compared to pills. Therefore, liquid and chewable ones are recommended to avoid this downside.
-Halt in balanced diets: Some people stop eating balanced diets once they start taking multivitamins. This habit is not advisable as food and drugs should go hand in hand.
Nutritionally deficient people
Picky eaters,
People who are financially unable to consume a wide variety of foods,
In some populations, for example, ethnic groups, there could be a deficiency of certain nutrients. Those people are advised to take multivitamins.
Others are pregnant women, dieters, older people, people having undergone surgery, people afflicted with certain diseases like cancer, diabetes e.t.c
As regards dosage, there are basically three common types of multivitamins; once-daily multivitamins, mega-dose multivitamins, and specialized multivitamins.
Once-daily multivitamins:
As the name implies, this is to be taken once a day. It contains the required vitamins and minerals for human health in line with Dietary Reference Intakes [DRIs]. It is available to meet nutritional needs when deficient.
Mega-dose multivitamins:
These multivitamins contain higher nutrients with higher levels in comparison to Dietary Reference Intakes [DRIs]. It is available to promote e increase in energy levels and enhance immunity.
Specialized multivitamins:
They are made specially to support a specific health problem. The multivitamins have special ingredients combinations.
You do not need a university degree in food sciences to figure out the essential ingredients of multivitamins. Here are some of the essential vitamins/minerals that should be available in multivitamins irrespective of the brand.
-VITAMIN D:
It helps the body to absorb calcium. Naturally, Vitamin D is gotten from sunlight. Vitamin D deficiency can cause sickness, bone, back, and hair loss. Scientists recommend 600 IU of Vitamin D for kids, young adults, pregnant and nursing mothers, and 800 IU for aged people.
-MAGNESIUM:
Magnesium is an essential food or multivitamin nutrient. It helps the nervous system, reduces stress, regulates muscle and nerve function, balance blood- sugar level, and ease sleep. Magnesium is usually gotten from pumpkin, spinach, soya beans, beans, tofu, brown rice, or nuts.
Scientists in the National Institute of Health [NIH] recommend no more than 350mg supplements for adults.
-CALCIUM:
It helps to enhance bone density. Naturally, calcium can be derived from food like cereals, milk, yoghurt, nuts, and beans. The recommended calcium per day is 1000 mg for most adults.
-ZINC:
Zinc supports our immune system and helps the body maintain carbohydrates, protein, and fat for energy. It also aids in wound healing. Zinc is said to depreciate when one is stressed. Foods with zinc include spinach, meats, oysters, brown rice, sardines, etc.
-IRON:
Iron increases energy, it enhances brain function, and helps to maintain healthy red blood cells. Iron can be got naturally from red meats e.g pork, beef, bacon e.t.c.
Scientists recommend 18mg of iron in the form of ferrous, sulfate, ferrous gluconate, ferric citrate e.t.c.
-VITAMIN B-12:
Vitamin B-12 consists of fats, protein, and carbs. Vitamin B-12 helps to keep the body's nerve and blood cell healthy. For most adults, the Recommended Daily Intake [RDI] is 2.4 mcg. However, this is higher for pregnant women. Vitamin B-12 helps to prevent anaemia formation, major child defects. It supports bone and prevents osteoporosis- the condition in which bones become weak and brittle.
-FOLATE:
Folate is found in vegetables, legumes, eggs, and fruits. It is also known as Vitamin B-9. Folate is popular for making red and white blood cells in the bone marrow. It is needed for growth and is recommended for pregnant women to aid fetus growth, infants, and adolescents.
You should aim to get around 400mcg of folate or 600mcg if you are pregnant.
There are two main sources of multivitamins- synthetic and whole food vitamins. Synthetic multivitamins are made artificially; through the industrial process. A good example is vitamin C (ascorbic acid). The whole food multivitamins, on the other hand, are extracted from food sources. Examples are fish oils, yoghurt, whole-grain e.t.c. Most of the available multivitamins out there are synthetics. They come in liquid, capsules, tablets, powder, and chewable forms.
For synthetic vitamins, they are not easily absorbed by the body. Hence, the best-recommended multivitamins are whole food vitamins.
How you can identify whole food multivitamins is:
-you check the label for a list of natural food sources such as fish oils, not palmitate [fish oil synthetic form], ascorbic acid not Vitamin C [ascorbic acid synthetic form]. If you can’t find natural food sources, then the multivitamin is synthetic.
- It must have ‘100% plant-based’ or ‘100% animal-based’ not ‘natural’ as this could just mean that some of the ingredients are from natural sources.
- If the product contains salt forms such as chloride, nitrate, succinate then it is synthetic.
Multivitamins can be found in pharmacy shops- over the counter, grocery stores, and most conveniently online.
Online stores are trending as the world is now a global village. There is ease in the display, sales, transactions, and delivery. Purchasing your multivitamins is just some clicks away thanks to technology that has made the world much easier to live in. Therefore, you do not have to sweat it.
Based on the form we have the chewable, tablets, capsules, and liquid.
Chewable:
These are gummy multivitamins. They are said to have insufficient vitamins and minerals compared to other forms. They have high sugar and they could affect the teeth as well.
Tablets:
Tablets are easy to store and have a longer shelf-life. Although they are difficult to swallow and a large amount of them hardly get into the bloodstreams.
Capsules:
Capsules are easily absorbed into the bloodstreams as they contain liquid. They, however, have a shorter shelf-life and a lower absorption rate compared to liquid multivitamins.
Liquids:
These are the easiest form to swallow, they have the best absorption rate which is about 100% of the vitamins. They, unfortunately, have the shortest shelf life. They are as well expensive.
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