Kirkland Signature Mature Multi 50+

According to the National Institutes of Health, seniors gradually lose the ability to absorb vitamin B12 from food as they age. As a result, health experts recommend that multivitamins for seniors contain at least 25 mcg of B12 and little or no iron. Kirkland Signature Mature Multi 50+ has no iron and contains 30 mcg of vitamin B12, along with 1,000 IU of vitamin D, 220 mg of calcium and 2,500 IU of vitamin A (50 percent as beta-carotene). The Kirkland Signature Mature multivitamin is approved by ConsumerLab.com, and it's labeled a Smart Pick by ConsumerReports.org. They like that it's inexpensive and doesn't contain mega doses of some vitamins, because experts say there's no reason to take more than the recommended daily allowance unless instructed by your doctor. The Kirkland Signature Mature Multi 50+ contains 10 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin K; because vitamin K can interfere with blood-thinning medications, talk to your doctor if you take Coumadin or a similar medication.

Kirkland Signature is Costco's store brand, but nonmembers can buy the multi at Costco.com. You will pay a small surcharge, 65 cents at the time of our visit. Wal-Mart's proprietary brand multivitamin for seniors, Equate Mature Multivitamin 50+ (*Est. $8.50 for 220 tablets) is also approved by ConsumerLab.com, and it may be easier to find.

ConsumerLab.com offers the best information on the Kirkland Signature Mature Multi 50+. The full report is available to subscribers only, but the small fee is well worth it if you buy a lot of nutritional supplements. ConsumerReports.org also reviews the Kirkland Signature multivitamin, but they don't test it in a lab.