Proper nutrition becomes crucial as teenagers grow and develop rapidly. Parents can find it challenging to get their teens to consume a balanced diet due to their busy schedules, peer influence, and preference for convenient and unhealthy foods. This is where multivitamins come in. A multivitamin can help teenagers fill the nutritional gap and get the essential vitamins and minerals they need.
This guide will help you choose the right multivitamin for your teenage boy or girl, no matter what their particular needs are.
Why Do Teens Need Multivitamins?
The importance of a nutrient-rich diet for teenagers
Teens’ brains and bodies change drastically. These changes require constant food intake for growth, development, and health. Healthy nutrition is essential for mental, physical, and emotional health. Unfortunately, many teens are malnourished. Food choices, processed diets, and active lifestyles can induce nutritional shortages. Research suggests kids eat too many ultra-processed meals, depriving them of vitamins and minerals.
Most teens can easily receive enough nutrients for growth using multivitamins. Multivitamins boost health but should not substitute for a good diet.
What vitamins & minerals to look out for in a teen multivitamin?
Teenagers can benefit from taking multivitamins by improving their physical and mental health. Here are some key benefits of adding supplements to your teenager’s daily routine:
- Supports growth and development: Teenage years are critical for bone growth, brain development, and hormone regulation. Vitamin D helps bone growth while calcium helps to keep them strong. Lutein, Vitamin E, and DHA are all important nutrients and work together for brain development and eye health. Vitamin D3 is an essential vitamin that supports healthy bones, teeth, and immunity.
- Enhances immune function: Vitamin C, vitamin D, and zinc in multivitamins strengthen the immune system, reducing infection risk.
- Improves energy levels: Teens lead busy lives balancing academics, extracurricular activities, and social commitments. In addition to promoting mental alertness, multivitamins with B vitamins such as B6 and B12 can help convert food into energy.
- Supports cognitive function: Teenage years are critical to developing brains and cognitive function. Omega-3 fatty acids, including DHA, can boost brain health, and promote better memory, and concentration.
- Promotes healthy skin: Common teenage skin issues include acne. Vitamins A and E can help support skin health and reduce acne symptoms.
- Filling nutritional gaps: Dietary balance can be challenging for teens. Multivitamins offer a safety net, providing essential vitamins and minerals.
Other Factors to Consider When Choosing Supplements for Teens
What to look for when buying multivitamins for teenagers
When selecting the best multivitamins for teenagers, it’s important to understand what to look for. A few key factors to consider:
- Composition: Multivitamins should contain several vitamins and minerals. Find multivitamins that contain vitamins A, C, D, E, and K, along with calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium. They support growth, development, and overall health.
- Potency: Check each nutrient’s potency. Make sure the amounts provided match the recommended daily allowances (RDAs) for teenagers. Multivitamins exceeding the RDAs by a significant margin should be avoided.
- Bioavailability: Multivitamins should be bioavailable. A nutrient’s bioavailability refers to its ability to be absorbed and utilized. For maximum absorption and effectiveness, choose multivitamins with high-quality, bioavailable nutrients.
- Safety: In choosing multivitamins for teenagers, safety must be a top priority. Preservatives, flavors, and colors should be avoided in multivitamins. Be aware of medication interactions your teenager may be taking. Check with your teenager’s healthcare provider before taking a multivitamin.
- Taste and Form: It is common for teens to be picky about their supplements. Consider whether your teenager prefers capsules, chewable tablets, or gummy vitamins. Also, think about the flavors your teen will like.
Top Multivitamins for Teenagers: My Recommendations
After endless hours of research and review along with what matters most for my teens, I’ve compiled a list of the best multivitamins for teenagers. Each option offers unique benefits and caters to teenage boys and girls’ specific needs.
1. MOST RECOMMENDED Essential for Teens by Ritual
This multivitamin provides teenagers with the vitamins and minerals they need for optimal growth. It contains vitamins A, C, D, E, B6, B12, and folic acid, as well as minerals like zinc, magnesium, and calcium.Why we love these, they are made in clear capsule form with traceable ingredients and tested by a third party for potency and purity. Moreover, it doesn’t contain sugar, artificial flavors, or preservatives, so it’s a great choice for teenagers. Ritual also carries other vitamins for all age groups.
- Price: $33 per month
- Key Features:
- Late-release capsules dissolve in less sensitive stomach zones
- Gender-specific options (for girls and boys)
- 10 Traceable ingredients
- Easy-to-absorb essential vitamins and minerals
- Purchase Ritual for Girls
- Purchase Ritual for Boys
2. BEST FOR ATHLETES Transparent Labs Multivitamin
These all-natural supplements are developed for peak performance. Each vitamin and mineral is carefully selected for its unique benefits, and they work synergistically to boost athletic performance. They are also free of fillers and additives, which harm health and performance. If you are a student-athlete, these are the vitamins for you.
- Price: $29.99 per month
- Key Features:
- Includes chromium, ashwagandha, N-acetylcysteine and CoQ10
- Formulated specifically for athletes
- Key ingredients: Vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin K, vitamin B1, vitamin B12, biotin, vitamin B6, vitamin B5, iodine, magnesium, zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, chromium, chloride, sodium, potassium, ashwagandha extract, N-acetylcysteine, coenzyme Q10, boron
- Purchase & Subscribe
3. BEST FOR TWEENS RAMP! Up the Day Nutrition Protein Powder
Specifically designed for teens to improve attention, focus, mood, and energy. These supplements contain natural ingredients such as ginseng, caffeine, and B vitamins which can help to boost energy levels, improve focus, and even reduce stress and anxiety. Best part, it comes in a dark chocolate brownie flavor.
- Price: $29.99
- Key Features:
- Designed specifically for teens and tweens
- Contains vitamins C, D, and K
- Includes L-theanine for focus, resistant starch for gut health, and antioxidants for protection against blue light
- Provides 8 grams of plant-based protein
- Purchase & Subscribe
4. BEST VALUE SmartyPants Teen
These vitamins contain 20 premium nutrients, including vitamin D3, vitamin K1, vitamin B12, biotin, vitamin C, and vitamin A. They are non-GMO, gluten-free, gelatin-free, synthetic color-free, and artificial flavor-free. These supplements have been laboratory-tested for purity and potency and designed to fill nutrition gaps in a teen’s diet.
- Price: $13.98
- Key Features:
- Over 18 essential vitamins and minerals
- Free of artificial sweeteners and major allergens
- Comprehensive formula with vitamin D, vitamin B12, and vitamin K
- Suitable for teens who need extra nutrient support
- Purchase SmartyPants Teen Girl
- Purchase SmartyPants Teen Guy
5. BEST FOR GIRLS OLLY Multivitamin for Teens
OLLY Girl Teen Multi provides 15 essential vitamins and minerals, as well as biotin and antioxidants. This supports clear skin, healthy skin, hair, and nails and helps your nails and hair grow strong and long. Another great benefit is the addition of Brilliant B’s that enhance cells ability to produce energy. The best part is that they taste like berries.
- Price: $13.99 per month
- Key Features:
- Gender-specific options (for girls)
- A blend of Vitamins A, C, D, E, Bs, Biotin, & Zinc (for girls)
- Contains no added sugar, artificial flavors, colors or preservatives & Gluten-free.
- People love these because they taste like Sour Patch kids
- Purchase OLLY Teen Girl
- Purchase OLLY Men’s Multi
6. BEST FOR BOYS – GNC Milestones Teen Multivitamin for Boys 12-17
We love them because they are made with a teen boy in mind. They aid growth and development by providing essential vitamins and minerals such as C, D, zinc, magnesium, and B. All these nutrients are needed for healthy hair and skin, and magnesium and B vitamins are needed for energy production and overall well-being.
- Price: $19.99 per month
- Key Features
- Boosts Energy Production, Muscle Function, Skin Health, Immunity & Overall Health*
- B-6 and C vitamins support the immune system
- Vitamin D promotes strong teeth and bones
- Purchase & Subscribe
7. BEST SUGAR-FREE MaryRuth Organics Teen Multivitamin Gummies
A tasty vegan multivitamin gummy that teens will love. With no hard-to-swallow pills or capsules, these gummies contain Vitamin A, an essential micronutrient that supports immune function and tissue, vision, skin, and more. As an antioxidant, vitamin C supports brain development, connective tissue, skin, and immune function. They are also non-GMO, dairy, nut, soy, and sugar-free.
- Price: $24.95 per month
- Key Features:
- Best Sugar-Free multivitamin for kid and teens
- A blend of Vitamins A, C, D, E, Bs, Biotin, & Zinc
- Comes in flavors such as strawberry, mixed berry, strawberry papaya
- No sugar, all organic ingredients
- Purchase & Subscribe
- Also available at Walmart
8. BEST OVERALL Codeage Teen’s Daily Multivitamin Supplement
These vitamins pack a punch with more vitamins and minerals overall. Codeage Teen Multivitamin is a comprehensive supplement for teenagers aged 12-18, containing over 25 essential vitamins and minerals such as biotin, folate, calcium, omega-3, CoQ10, zinc, magnesium, selenium, phosphorus, enzymes, probiotics, organic whole foods, fruits, and vegetables. The supplement is vegan, non-GMO, and free from dairy, soy, and gluten. It is made with organic whole foods, fruits, and vegetables, and is manufactured in a cGMP-certified facility in the USA. Codeage also offers other supplements and vitamins to support all your health needs.
- Price: $26.99 per month
- Key Features:
- Best Overall multivitamin for teens
- A blend of 25+ Vitamins, Minerals & extracts for Teenage Boys & Girls
- Includes A, B, C, D, E, K, Omega-3
- We love it because of its high potency and absorption levels
- Purchase & Subscribe
That’s a wrap…
The health, development, and growth of adolescents depend on getting enough to eat. Although a well-rounded diet is the best way to get all the nutrients they need, multivitamins can help fill up any gaps. When choosing a multivitamin make sure to consider the product’s ingredients, strength, absorption rate, and safety.
Keep in mind that this is by no means an all-inclusive list of the best multivitamins for teens; there are many more that can be more suited to your specific needs for your family. Discuss your options with your teen’s doctor or a certified dietitian to find out which multivitamin will work best for them.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, but rather to provide general information. You should always get your teen’s doctor’s okay before giving them any new supplements or making major changes to their diet.
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