Companies and Brands

Avoid All Vitamin Brands Except These 10

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In the world of vitamins and supplements, there is an overwhelming number of brands. Digging through the store shelves can feel a bit like trying to decipher a forgotten language! While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to vitamins, there are some brands that are known for prioritizing quality.

We’ll take a look at the most reputable vitamin brands below, taking a look at their strengths and the reason behind their popularity. We browsed through customer reviews, Reddit comments, and each brand’s history to pick only the best for this list.

Here are some key facts we learned while writing this list:

  • Choosing a quality vitamin brand is essential because vitamins aren’t as closely regulated as medications.
  • Many reputable brands offer very similar vitamin formulations, giving you plenty of options to choose from.
  • The vitamin industry is expected to grow, so companies in this space may be a good investment opportunity. For more growth-oriented stocks, though, we recommend reading our new free report on “The Next NVIDIA.

Why It Matters

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Vitamin sales are only expected to grow.

For those looking for a vitamin brand, choosing a quality, transparent company is vital. Supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA, so you have to rely on your own research to pick the best one.

The US supplement market is absolutely huge (and constantly evolving). Vitamin sales alone total $14.4 billion in the US each year, and that’s expected to grow. More and more people are realizing how common nutritional deficiencies are and turning to vitamins to counteract them. If you’re looking for companies to invest in, those in the wellness industry may not be a poor decision.

1. Nature Made

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Nature Made is one of the most well-known vitamin brands.

Nature Made is a household name for a reason. They offer a vast selection of vitamins and supplements at accessible price points. They prioritize quality assurance and undergo third-party testing to prove it.

Their supplements are also USP verified, which means that they meet the standards set by the United States Pharmacopeia. This isn’t true of all supplements out there, so it’s important to double-check anything before you purchase it.

Nature Made’s Vitamins

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As more and more people become concerned with wellness, vitamins are becoming more and more popular.

Nature Made provides all of the essentials you’d expect to find, like a basic Multivitamin, Vitamin D3 for bone health, and Vitamin C for immune support. They also offer more targeted vitamins, like Prenatals for expected mothers and B-complex vitamins for energy.

2. NOW Foods

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While many people get their dietary needs from whole foods, vitamins can help fill the gaps (making it an increasingly large industry).

NOW Foods is another favorite for those seeking natural, organic options. They offer diverse vitamins and supplements, helping to cater to a diverse set of needs. They don’t just offer quality vitamins, either. They are also GMP certified, which ensures consistent quality control throughout their production process.

Plus, this brand is also committed to sustainability. Environmentally conscious buyers often choose their vitamins.

NOW Food’s Vitamins

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Fish oils are an increasingly popular vitamin as more people learn of its benefits and fish consumption decreases.

NOW Foods offers vitamins ranging from fish oil to Coenzyme Q10, and a variety of herbal supplements.

3. Garden of Life

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Garden of Life offers a whole food approach to popular vitamins.

Garden of Life is another massive contender in the natural and organic vitamin space. They use whole food ingredients in their products, which helps them stand out from their competition. Their supplements aren’t derived from isolated nutrients. Instead, they use only whole foods, potentially providing a more comprehensive range of compounds.

Their USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified certifications reflect their dedication to responsible sourcing.

Garden of Life’s Vitamins

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Calcium comes from many whole foods, but many people still choose to get more from a focused vitamin.

Garden of Life provides supplements like Raw Calcium capsules, bone growth supplements, and formulations for specific ages.

4. Thorne Research

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Thorne Research uses the latest scientific knowledge to design their supplements, making them increasingly popular and trusted.

This brand is gaining popularity among healthcare professionals thanks to its high-quality approach. Thorne Research provides a range of supplements, most of which are designed to address very specific health concerns. Their formulations are based on scientific research, so they can be a bit different from what you’d find from other companies.

Many people love this brand because it focuses on evidence-based solutions and aligns with current medical knowledge.

Thorne Research’s Supplements

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Thorne offers many of the vitamins you’d expect to find, including multivitamins and purpose-driven formulations.

Thorne Research provides supplements like Zinc for immune support, Magnesium for relaxation, and Vitamin K2 for bone health. They tend to focus on condition-specific supplements, but they have several single-vitamin formulations, too.

5. CVS Brand

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CVS is a popular pharmacy, and it sells many popular vitamins in its own brand.

CVS is a drugstore giant that also has its own brand of vitamins. While they aren’t considered top-of-the-line, these products are often considered well-made and budget-friendly. For those who want very basic vitamins and minerals at a cheaper price, the CVS brand may be the way to go.

CVS’s Vitamins

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CVS’s vitamins are often less expensive than name-brand options, making them a great choice for those on a strict budget.

CVS offers popular supplements, like multivitamins and prenatals. You won’t find anything particularly strange or unusual, but you will find your “typical” vitamins at a cheaper price.

6. Whole Foods Market Brand

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Whole Foods also sells vitamins, though this store brand isn’t always cheaper than “name brand.”

If you frequent Whole Foods Market, you’ll find a selection of vitamins and supplements under their private label. These products often contain natural, organic ingredients. Many have third-party certificates for quality and ethical sourcing. They can be a very convenient option if you shop at Whole Foods anyway.

Whole Foods’ Vitamins

Whole Foods bag
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Whole Foods sells many popular vitamins, including multivitamins for all ages.

Similarly to CVS, Whole Foods tends to offer the most popular vitamin formulations. You’ll find a multivitamin for most ages and genders, for instance. Popular, single-ingredient vitamins, like vitamin C, may also be available.

7. Puritan’s Pride

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This brand isn’t as popular as it once was, but it’s still a popular choice for common vitamin formulations, like B12 vitamins.

Puritan’s Pride is a mail-order brand in a day and age where mail-order brands are not the most popular. However, this brand has been able to keep up with the competition thanks to its trusted legacy of top-quality products. They’re also extremely affordable, though they may not follow the latest research.

Puritan’s Pride’s Vitamins

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You’ll find several common vitamins sold by this company, including fish oil.

This company provides many different vitamins to choose from, including a multivitamin, high-dose vitamins, and formulas for specific problems (like bone health).

8. Life Extension

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For those seriously interested in wellness, Life Extension provides very robust, concentrated vitamins and whole food supplements.

Known for their high-potency vitamins and supplements, Life Extension caters to individuals seeking a more robust approach to supplementation. Their products are often a bit more robust than others, with higher potencies and more ingredients. Their higher potency can be exactly what some people need. However, it’s important to double-check that you really need the potency, as it may not be helpful for everyone.

Life Extension’s Vitamins

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You’ll find everything from omega fatty acids to bone health formulations by Life Extension.

Life Extension tends to provide single-ingredient formulas at higher doses than you’ll find elsewhere. For instance, they offer Vitamin D3 with Vitamin K2 for bone health and a combination of antioxidants for cellular health.

9. Standard Process

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Standard Process knowns that whole foods are the best way to get vitamins, but many people still have gaps.

Standard Process is a bit more unique compared to other brands. They focus on whole food concentrates, not individual vitamins. They believe that concentrated food sources provide the body with a broader range of nutrients, but their supplements often aren’t suitable for a very pointed approach.

This approach is great for those who know they probably don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables but who don’t want to take a multivitamin.

Standard Process’s Vitamins

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You can find many unique vitamin formulations at Standard Process.

Standard Process offers many unusual vitamin formulas. They offer purpose-formulated supplements made with their own unique blend, such as Immuplex for healthy immune function. Be sure to read labels to figure out exactly what each vitamin contains.

10. Metagenics

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Metagenics follows a whole-food approach, meaning that they often include several vitamins in each formulation.

Metagenics offers a line of whole-food supplements. These supplements are formulated to help with everything from gut health to immune function. While this approach is different from others, they don’t provide the same pointed supplementation that other brands do.

Metagenics’ Vitamins

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While Metagenics offers supplements for all genders and ages, they focus mostly on women.

Metagenics tends to offer vitamins for women, and most of their formulations are done in-house. For instance, they have a nonhormonal menopausal supplement containing a range of vitamins and whole foods. They also sell some high-dose, single-vitamin supplements, like omega fatty acids.

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