8 Best Supplements & Vitamins for Intermittent Fasting in 2024
While intermittent fasting can be a great strategy for weight loss, whenever you’re eating in a caloric deficit, it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough vitamins and minerals in. When there is a chance you might be missing some and can’t get them with your food, you should strongly consider using a high-quality multivitamin when you’re on a fasting diet.
In this article, we’ll be covering our top picks for the best supplements and vitamins for intermittent fasting to help you avoid any potential deficiencies.
In a hurry?
In a hurry and can’t keep reading? How about you check out the Kirkland Signature Daily Multi.
Not only is this a solid all-around vitamin, it’s also exceptionally budget-friendly!This product is also USP Verified ensuring you’re getting an effectively dosed, high-quality supplement. It’s also worth noting that there is gelatin in the tablet formula, so this product is not vegan-friendly.
Top 8 best supplements and vitamins for intermittent fasting Reviewed
- Kirkland Signature Daily Multi – Top Pick
- Nature Made Multi for Him – Best for Men
- Sentry by 21st Century – Best Budget-Friendly Pick
- Bayer One A Day Women’s Complete – Best for Women
- Whole Food Multivitamin by Kaged – Best Organic Option
- Deva Vegan Multivitamin & Mineral – Best Vegan Option
- Modern Multi by Ora Organic – Vegan with Moderate Iron Option
- Multivitamin by Transparent Labs – Highest in Vitamin D + Magnesium Option
Product | Total | Overall Micros Breakdown | Capsules / Tablets per Serving | Nutrition Label Transparency | Third-Party Testing | Price / Quality |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kirkland | 49.5 | 10 | 10 | 9.5 | 10 | 10 |
Nature Made | 49.5 | 9.5 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
21st Century | 49 | 9.5 | 10 | 10 | 9.5 | 10 |
One A Day | 49 | 9.5 | 10 | 10 | 9.5 | 10 |
Kaged | 48.5 | 9.5 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
Deva | 48.5 | 9.5 | 10 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 10 |
Ora Organic | 46.5 | 8.5 | 10 | 10 | 9.5 | 8.5 |
Transparent Labs | 46.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 10 | 10 | 9.5 |
1. Kirkland Signature Daily Multi
- Sex / Age Category: Adults
- Form: Tablets
- Vegan: No
- Recognized Third-Party Certification: USP Verified
- Meets Daily Vitamin Requirements: Yes
- Additional Ingredients: Lutein, Boron, Silicon, Lycopene, Vanadium
- Number of Servings: 500
- Capsules / Tablets per Serving: 1
- Price per Serving: ~$0.05
- Company Founded: 1995
Starting off our list, our choice for the best multivitamin for intermittent fasting is Kirkland Signature’s Daily Multi. Not only is this a solid all-around vitamin, it’s also exceptionally budget-friendly! Let’s take a closer look.
As we’ll cover more later on, higher percentages of vitamins and minerals aren’t always necessary to have a great multivitamin. Kirkland knows this, having moderate doses of all their vitamins with no unnecessary megadoses. Most of the vitamins and minerals fall around 100% of your DV. This product also has a solid dose of iron which will be beneficial for most people, especially athletes.
This product is also USP Verified ensuring you’re getting an effectively dosed, high-quality supplement. It’s also worth noting that there is gelatin in the tablet formula, so this product is not vegan-friendly.
As mentioned above, this is also an incredibly budget-friendly supplement, likely thanks to the huge package size of 500 servings. Each serving will only cost you $0.04, easily making this one of the cheapest vitamins on our list.
This product is USP Verified ensuring you’re getting an effectively dosed, high-quality supplement. It’s also worth noting that there is gelatin in the tablet formula, so this product is not vegan-friendly.
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2. Nature Made Multi for Him
- Sex / Age Category: Adult Men
- Form: Tablets
- Vegan: No
- Recognized Third-Party Certification: USP Verified
- Meets Daily Vitamin Requirements: Yes
- Additional Ingredients: N/A
- Number of Servings: 90
- Capsules / Tablets per Serving: 1
- Price per Serving: ~$0.14
- Company Founded: 1971
- Recommended by Athletes: Kelsey Selene, Tiffany Ashley Williams, Victor Arroyo III
Up next on our list of the best supplements for intermittent fasting is the first “For Men” multivitamin we’ll be covering from Nature Made. While this is slightly more expensive than the previous product on our list, it’s still an outstanding option. Let’s see why.
First off, Nature Made doesn’t quite have the same moderate formulas that Kirkland does. While most of the Vitamins and Minerals are slightly higher than 100% of your DV, there are several that range from 200% all the way to 750%. As mentioned, these super-high doses likely aren’t necessary for a high-quality supplement.
Similar to Kirkland, Nature Made’s multi is also USP certified, ensuring potency and good manufacturing processes. Unlike Kirkland, however, Nature Made’s product contains gelatin and is not vegan-friendly as a result.
As mentioned, this is slightly more expensive than Kirkland at ~$0.14 per serving. It’s worth mentioning that this also comes in a much smaller package with only 90 servings per bottle, compared to Kirkland’s 500.
Nature Made’s multi is also USP certified, ensuring potency and good manufacturing processes. Nature Made’s product contains gelatin and is not vegan-friendly as a result.
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3. Sentry by 21st Century
- Sex / Age Category: Adults
- Form: Tablets
- Vegan: No
- Recognized Third-Party Certification: “Laboratory Tested”
- Meets Daily Vitamin Requirements: Yes
- Additional Ingredients: N/A
- Number of Servings: 300
- Capsules / Tablets per Serving: 1
- Price per Serving: ~$0.04
- Company Founded: 1991
- Recommended by Athletes: Kristen Carli, Paige Koser, With Love Dajana
Up next on our list is 21st Century’s Sentry vitamin for adults. Coming in a large bulk package similar to Kirkland’s vitamin, this is also our pick if you’re looking for a high-quality supplement on a budget.
Similar to Kirkland, Sentry offers moderate, yet effective doses of most of the vitamins and minerals. Most of the vitamins here are dosed at slightly higher than 100% of the DV, while most of the minerals fall right around 100%.
This is the first product on our list that doesn’t have any recognized third-party certifications. However, in their product description, 21st Century does state that their product is “Laboratory Tested” with guaranteed quality. Also, similar to Nature Made, Sentry contains gelatin meaning it is not vegan-friendly. It also contains some artificial coloring if you’d prefer to avoid these ingredients.
This supplement comes in a similarly large package to Kirkland with 300 tablets in each bottle. As mentioned, this is also our choice for a budget multivitamin because of its excellent price per serving at only ~$0.04.
Sentry offers moderate, yet effective doses of most of the vitamins and minerals. Most of the vitamins here are dosed at slightly higher than 100% of the DV, while most of the minerals fall right around 100%.
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4. Bayer One A Day Women's Complete
- Sex / Age Category: Adult Women
- Form: Tablets
- Vegan: No
- Recognized Third-Party Certification: In-House Quality Tests
- Meets Daily Vitamin Requirements: Yes
- Additional Ingredients: N/A
- Number of Servings: 200
- Capsules / Tablets per Serving: 1
- Price per Serving: ~$0.11
- Company Founded: 1940Recommended by Athletes: Morgan Taylor Dickenson, Two Dapper Dads, Kelly Rebenar
Up next, we have Bayer’s One A Day Women’s Complete multivitamin, which is the only supplement on our list specifically targeted towards women. Let’s see how it compares to the top 3 spots on our list.
As you may expect from a women’s multivitamin, Bayer offers sensible doses of its micros, which all seem to be targeted around the 100% DV mark. Similar to the 3 products above, this is ideal if you want to avoid paying for megadoses!
Also similar to 21st Century’s product, there are no specific third-party certifications associated with Bayer’s One a Day. When looking at the One a Day website, they explain their products are subject to “over 100 rigorous quality checks”, so they do appear to be well-tested.
It’s also worth noting that these products do contain gelatin, making them unsuitable for vegetarians.
Although they don’t come in as substantial a package as Kirkland or 21st Century, you still get a decent amount of servings with 200 capsules per bottle. These are still a relatively budget-friendly supplement at only ~$0.11 per serving.
As you may expect from a women’s multivitamin, Bayer offers sensible doses of its micros, which all seem to be targeted around the 100% DV mark. This is ideal if you want to avoid paying for megadoses!
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5. Whole Food Multivitamin by Kaged
- Sex / Age Category: Adults
- Form: Capsules
- Vegan: Yes
- Recognized Third-Party Certification: Informed Sport Certified
- Meets Daily Vitamin Requirements: No
- Additional Ingredients: Aloe Vera Gel Powder
- Number of Servings: 30
- Capsules / Tablets per Serving: 2
- Price per Serving: ~$1.17
- Company Founded: 2015
- Recommended by Athletes: Andrea Somer, Colt Nichols, Kris Gethin
Up next on our list is our choice for a high-quality organic multivitamin. While this is undoubtedly the highest-quality formula out of all the products we’ve shown so far, just be aware that it comes at a significantly higher price. Let’s take a closer look.
In terms of ingredient dosages, Kaged isn’t trying to mislead anybody with a ton of megadoses. Instead, practically every single vitamin and mineral here is dosed at exactly 100% of the DV. This arguably makes it the most balanced multivitamin on our whole list.
This is also the first product on our list to be Informed Sport tested, making it a great choice for competitive athletes concerned about multivitamins being potentially contaminated with any banned substances. There’s also no gelatin present here making it 100% suitable for vegans.
Finally, likely because of the organic, whole foods-based formula, Kaged’s multivitamin is the most expensive product on our list by far at about ~$1.17. On top of this, it also comes in a very small package with only 30 servings in total. So, although this is a great product, be prepared to pay a lot for it.
Practically every single vitamin and mineral here is dosed at exactly 100% of the DV. This arguably makes it the most balanced multivitamin on our whole list.
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6. Deva Vegan Multivitamin & Mineral
- Sex / Age Category: Adults
- Form: Tablets
- Vegan: Yes
- Recognized Third-Party Certification: GMP Certified
- Meets Daily Vitamin Requirements: Yes
- Additional Ingredients: Boron, Inositol, Lutein
- Number of Servings: 90
- Capsules / Tablets per Serving: 1
- Price per Serving: ~$0.15
- Company Founded: 2003
- Recommended by Athletes: Carrie Forrest, That Fire Vegan, Melissa Dion
While the next product on our list isn’t the first supplement that’s vegan-friendly, it’s the first option to come from a completely vegan company. Let’s take a closer look at Deva’s vegan multivitamin.
As with most of the products on our list, Deva contains effective doses that aren’t too excessive, hovering around 100-200%. With that being said, it does contain a couple of megadoses, with the supplement’s B vitamins ranging from 313% for B3, all the way to 4167% for B12. You can expect 100% of your daily iron, which may be a good option if you’re deficient.
It’s worth noting this is the first supplement on our list to contain a vegetable/herbal blend, containing 80mg of different ingredients like spirulina, alfalfa, and ashwagandha. It’s worth noting that if you’re interested in ashwagandha’s active effects, there likely isn’t enough here to make much of a difference.
In terms of third-party testing, Deva ensures their products are all manufactured in GMP-certified facilities. This is one of the only products on our list to come from a completely vegan company, which makes it a great choice for those who want to support an entirely plant-based business.
Deva’s supplement comes in a fairly small bottle only containing 90 tablets. However, it still comes at a solid price, only costing ~$0.15 per serving.
Deva contains effective doses that aren’t too excessive, hovering around 100-200%. You can expect 100% of your daily iron, which may be a good option if you’re deficient.
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7. Modern Multi by Ora Organic
- Sex / Age Category: Adults
- Form: Capsules
- Vegan-Friendly: Yes
- Recognized Third-Party Certification: Third-Party Lab Test Results Available
- Meets Daily Vitamin Requirements: Yes
- Additional Ingredients: Lutein
- Number of Servings: 30
- Capsules / Tablets per Serving: 2
- Price per Serving: ~$1.33
- Company Founded: 2015
- Recommended by Athletes: CoupleyFitt, Dr. Sam Attard, Whitney Fransway
Following up Deva’s product, Ora Organic offers another completely vegan product. This is a good option if you want a more moderate iron supplement, as we’ll be covering below.
Ora offers one of the most moderate supplements on our list, with most of the vitamins and minerals falling well below the more standard 100% of your DV. As mentioned the lower dose of Iron here may be ideal for those who already get a good amount of iron in through their diet.
Similar to Bayer, Ora tests their products in-house, providing a high-quality Certificate of Analysis on their website that shows their products are free of common contaminants like heavy metals. Also, like Deva, Ora Organic is a completely vegan company if you want to support brands that don’t use any animal products.
Finally, this product has some of the same downsides as Kaged. It comes in a similarly small package with only 30 servings, as well as being the most expensive options on our list at ~$1.33 per serving.
Ora Organic offers another completely vegan product. This is a good option if you want a more moderate iron supplement, as we’ll be covering below.
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8. Multivitamin by Transparent Labs
- Sex / Age Category: Adults
- Form: Capsules
- Vegan-Friendly: Yes
- Recognized Third-Party Certification: Informed Choice Certified
- Meets Daily Vitamin Requirements: No
- Additional Ingredients: Ashwagandha, Coenzyme Q10, Boron
- Number of Servings: 30
- Capsules / Tablets per Serving: 4
- Price per Serving: ~$1.00
- Company Founded: 2012
- Recommended by Athletes: Hafthor Bjornsson, Paul Sklar, Sean Harris
Closing off our list is Transparent Labs’ multivitamin, which is our pick if you’re looking to prioritize Vitamin D and Magnesium, as well as the active ingredient ashwagandha. Let’s take a closer look.
First, this is one of the more unbalanced supplements on our list with doses ranging from well under 100% of your DV all the way up to over 8000%. However, if you’re after high doses of Vitamin D and Magnesium specifically, this is the best option on our list.
It’s also worth noting that this is the only supplement on our list to contain a fairly large dose of Ashwagandha, which has been shown to reduce stress, improve sleep, and could even boost testosterone.
Also because long-term effects of Ashwagandha aren’t yet fully understood, this may not be the best ingredient to take as part of a multivitamin. You may be better off taking it on its own, so you can have more complete control over your dosage and use.
Transparent Labs’ product is Informed Choice certified, ensuring a high level of quality in both ingredients and manufacturing processes. This is also a vegan-friendly product as it doesn’t contain any gelatin in the capsules.
Overall, this is a solid multivitamin, especially if you’re interested in Ashwagandha. However, it comes in a small package with only 30 servings and comes at a high price tag of ~$1.00 per serving.
This is one of the more unbalanced supplements on our list with doses ranging from well under 100% of your DV all the way up to over 8000%. If you’re after high doses of Vitamin D and Magnesium specifically, this is the best option.
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Should I Take a Multivitamin if I’m Intermittent Fasting?
If you’re intermittent fasting, you’re likely doing so to make staying in a caloric deficit easier. When eating less, it’s very common for people to miss out on certain micronutrients in an attempt to minimize caloric intake. When intermittent fasting, supplements like multivitamins are generally a good idea to ensure optimal nutrient intake.
Especially if you’re unsure about your diet’s micronutrient breakdown, a multivitamin is one of the easiest ways to make sure you’re not becoming deficient in anything. If you’re unsure whether you need a multivitamin, the best way is to check with your doctor and get bloodwork done to see if there are any vitamins or minerals you’re missing out on.
What Benefits Can Multivitamins Give During Intermittent Fasting?
here are a few key reasons we generally recommend vitamins for fasting. Not only will a multivitamin help maintain optimal nutrition, but there are some tangible benefits like increased energy while you fast. We’ll be breaking these points down in more detail below.
✅ Ensuring Optimal Nutrition in Periods of Caloric Deficit
As mentioned above, when someone’s eating in a caloric deficit, it’s very easy to miss out on some key micronutrients. Especially if you have other dietary restrictions, like veganism for example, you’re very likely missing out on one or more key micronutrients.
If you’re prioritizing lots of diverse whole foods while intermittent fasting, it’s possible you’re getting enough micronutrients in. With that being said, even if you’re eating super healthy, sometimes you can’t get everything you need from diet alone. A multivitamin can help ensure you’re getting enough vitamins and minerals. You can always get some blood work done to have a better idea of your nutritional requirements.
✅ Increased Energy During Fast
As mentioned above, multivitamins will help you get all your necessary vitamins and minerals in, but how will this affect your day-to-day life? One of the main benefits of sorting out your nutrition is a noticeable increase in energy.
This is mainly thanks to things like B Vitamins, and Iron, which can both cause a serious lack of energy if someone is deficient in either. Vegans are especially at risk of being deficient in these micronutrients as it can be tough to get enough of either through plant-based foods alone.
Zinc is another nutrient of interest that has major implications on energy levels due to the impact it has on both BMR and thyroid hormone levels.
Of course, not everybody will notice a significant boost from a multivitamin, but if you are deficient in these micros, you’ll likely see major changes in your energy levels!
How to Choose the Best Supplements and Vitamins for Intermittent Fasting?
If you’re not sure which supplement is right for you, there are a few different things to consider before buying a multivitamin. These mainly include how vitamins and minerals are dosed, as well as checking for third-party certifications. When in doubt, you can always ask your doctor to steer you in the right direction too!
1. Avoid Megadoses of Vitamins and Minerals
A good way to gauge the quality of a multivitamin supplement is to see whether or not ingredients are “megadosed”. These are doses that can range anywhere from several hundred percent of the recommended daily value, all the way to several thousand percent.
Our body often can’t put such high doses of vitamins and minerals to good use, making them largely unnecessary. They are occasionally necessary with forms of certain micros that have poor bioavailability. However, with certain highly bioavailable Vitamins like B12, super high doses are unnecessary, even though they’re exceedingly common. Megadoses are often an easy way for supplements to justify selling basic multivitamins for more than they’re worth, as it appears you’re getting more in each serving than you actually are.
As a general rule, we recommend sticking with products whose DV numbers fall right around 100% for the majority of ingredients. This means you’re getting effective doses, without unnecessarily taking in massive doses of any vitamins. After all, you should be getting enough vitamins and minerals through your diet with multivitamins acting as a supplement, not a substitute.
2. Choose Usp-Verified Multivitamins or Products Certified by Recognized Third Parties
Another good way to gauge the quality of a multivitamin supplement is to see if there are any third-party certifications on the bottle. A few of the products above have certifications from organizations like cGMP, Informed Choice/Sport, and USP.
Several of the products on our list don’t contain third-party certifications, instead ensuring quality through the brand’s own in-house tests. While this may not be as ideal as third-party certifications, you can usually trust these quality measures especially if they’re coming from a reputable brand.
3. Get a Recommendation From Your Doctor
Finally, one of the best ways to ensure you’re getting the most out of a multivitamin is to discuss your needs with your doctor. As mentioned throughout this article, this will likely involve getting some blood work done to see if there are any specific micronutrients you need to get more of in your diet. This will then help you make a more informed decision based on your own needs.
Overall, your doctor can help you make better decisions about your diet and nutrition, which is crucial if you’re planning on doing intermittent fasting over a long time.
How to Take Multivitamins During Intermittent Fasting?
Overall there’s not much difference about taking multivitamins whether you’re fasting or not. What matters is what your body needs. Before deciding which multivitamin to use, consider which micros you’re likely missing out on. You can always get blood work done and consult with a doctor to be sure. Once you’ve decided on which multivitamin to take, you should be fine taking 1 serving a day.
Multivitamins are virtually zero calories, and will not break your fast as a result. This means you can take them whenever is most convenient for you! With that being said, you may not want to take a multivitamin on an empty stomach, as this may very well cause an upset stomach. Consider taking your multivitamin with a meal to avoid this! On top of this, taking a multivitamin along with food can help with absorption!
FAQ
Are Supplements Allowed During Intermittent Fasting?
Are you wondering, “Can you take supplements while fasting?” Yes, not only are supplements allowed during intermittent fasting, but they can be very beneficial for your energy levels and overall health when you’re trying to lose weight. Just keep in mind that you’ll want to avoid any caloric supplements over your fasting period every day.
With that being said, caffeine/pre-workouts are some of the best fasting supplements for weight loss as they can help give you more energy. Creatine is another one of the best supplements to take while fasting as it can help you with exercise performance (just make sure you’re getting a zero calorie option and only mix it with water).
You may also be wondering, “Can you take vitamins while fasting?” As we’ve covered throughout this article, multivitamins are also a great idea for boosting energy and maintaining optimal health while fasting.
Can I Take Magnesium While Fasting?
Yes, you can take a magnesium supplement without breaking a fast. With that being said, unless you’re deficient in magnesium, taking a specific magnesium supplement likely isn’t necessary.
If you’re interested in getting some extra magnesium in, taking a multivitamin high in magnesium will likely be sufficient. The supplement on our list highest in magnesium is Multivitamin by Transparent Labs if this is important to you.
Conclusion
Intermittent fasting can be a great way to limit your total daily caloric intake, which may help you on your weight loss journey. With that being said, it can be difficult to maintain optimal nutrition while eating in a caloric deficit. If you’re looking to ensure a higher intake of micronutrients, a multivitamin is a convenient and inexpensive option!
Multivitamin supplements are generally more well-tolerated than single vitamin supplements, making them more beneficial for most people. This is because high doses of single vitamins may do more harm than good. Of course, multivitamin supplements will be most beneficial to those with vitamin deficiencies. It’s always a good idea to get your blood work done to see if you’re deficient in any certain vitamins or minerals.
Our pick for the best intermittent fasting vitamins is the Kirkland Signature Daily Multi for their high-quality formula and excellent price!
Are you currently intermittent fasting? Do you have any recommendations for vitamins to take when fasting? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Also read:
- Best Multivitamin for Weight Loss
- Best Organic Multivitamin
- Best Vitamins for Men Over 40
- Best Vitamin D3 and K2 Supplements
- Best Multivitamin for Bodybuilding
- Best Gummy Vitamins
- Best Vitamins for Weight Gain
References:
- Akhgarjand C, et. al, “Does Ashwagandha supplementation have a beneficial effect on the management of anxiety and stress? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.” Phytother Res. Nov;36(11):4115-4124. (2022).
- Lopresti AL, et. al, “An investigation into the stress-relieving and pharmacological actions of an ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.” Medicine (Baltimore). Sep;98(37). (2019).
- Stephen J Smit, et. al, “Examining the Effects of Herbs on Testosterone Concentrations in Men: A Systematic Review” Adv Nutr. 2021 May; 12(3): 744–765
- Tardy A-L, et. al, “Vitamins and Minerals for Energy, Fatigue and Cognition: A Narrative Review of the Biochemical and Clinical Evidence.” Nutrients.; 12(1):228. (2020).
- Craig Winston, “Health Effects of Vegan Diets”, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
- Volume 89, Issue 5, May, Pages 1627S-1633S (2009).
- The Nutrition Source, “Magnesium,” Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/magnesium/ (Accessed Nov. 18, 2023)
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Author: Jacek Szymanowski
Certified Nutritionist,
M.Sc.Eng. Biotechnology
Performance Architect,
Strength and Conditioning Specialist
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