Centrum Silver Adults 50+

As we age, our ability to absorb vitamin B12 through food decreases. People older than 50 need more B12 in a multivitamin, and Centrum Silver Adults 50+ contains 25 mcg. It lacks iron because experts say it isn't needed in supplement form for this age group, and has less vitamin A than most multis because it's easy to ingest too much, which can pose serious health risks. However, this Centrum formula's 220 mg of calcium falls short of current recommendations of 1,200 mg per day for women over 50. Post-menopausal women in particular may be at greater risk of osteoporosis, and should talk to their doctors about appropriate calcium supplementation. This multi also contains vitamin K, which can interfere with blood-thinning medications, so people who take those should consult their physicians.

Centrum Silver Adults 50+ is approved in two recent independent tests and user reviews are positive. Posters at Amazon.com say the tablets are easy to swallow and cause no stomach upset. If you're on a budget, we found great reviews for Costco's Kirkland Signature Mature Adults 50+ Multi (*Est. $12 for 400 tablets). It's inexpensive and also fares well in independent tests.

We found the best information on Centrum Silver Adults 50+ from ConsumerLab.com and ConsumerReports.org, which do extensive testing of multivitamins for dosage accuracy, dissolvability and contaminants, but you'll need to subscribe to see both reports. Pharmacy Times discusses the multis most often recommended by pharmacists.