NOW Foods Vitamins: A Dietitian’s Review for 2024

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Known for both its extensive product selection and its affordable price point, NOW Foods is one of the most popular supplement brands on the market today.

The family-owned company provides a wide assortment of products designed to improve multiple aspects of health, including multivitamins, fiber supplements, antioxidants, probiotics, and protein powders.

However, with so many other supplement brands available, many people may wonder how NOW vitamins, probiotics, and other offerings stack up against competitors’ offerings.

This article will take a closer look at NOW Foods, including what it is, what products it offers, and how its products fare in terms of safety, quality, and effectiveness.

NOW Foods was founded in 1968 by Elwood Richard, an entrepreneur and physical chemist who owned a small chain of health stores in Chicago.

After losing many of his customers to larger supermarkets in the area, Richard decided to begin manufacturing his own products so he could offer his customers high quality, affordable items that stood out from competitors.

Today, NOW Foods is one of the most well-known supplement companies in the country and is still owned by the Richard family.

The brand currently offers more than 650 vitamins and supplements and a range of other products, including natural foods, pet supplies, essential oils, and beauty products, making it easy to find products to address almost any health goal.

All the brand’s products are tested in-house to ensure safety and quality. Select products are also third-party tested and certified by independent organizations such as Informed Sport.

Plus, according to the brand’s website, NOW was one of the first companies to be certified by UL Solutions for its supplement manufacturing process.

NOW Foods offers a large selection of products, including many vitamins and minerals, herbal blends, sports nutrition supplements, probiotics, omega-3 fatty acids, amino acids, and antioxidants.

Here are a few of the brand’s most popular supplements.

NOW Foods Chewable Vitamin D3 5,000 IU

These chewable vitamin D tablets are formulated to help maintain strong bones and support immune health.

They have a natural mint flavor and contain 5,000 international units of vitamin D3 per 1-tablet serving.

Because studies suggest that vitamin D3 is more effective at increasing vitamin D status than vitamin D2, this supplement is a great option for people at risk of deficiency (1).

In addition to being dairy-free, kosher, and halal, this product is free of several common allergens, including nuts, soy, and gluten.

NOW Sports Creatine Monohydrate Powder

With 5 grams of creatine monohydrate in each 1.5-teaspoon serving, NOW Sports Creatine Monohydrate Powder is formulated to support muscle building and energy production.

According to one 2021 review, pairing creatine with high intensity exercise could increase lean muscle mass, boost exercise capacity, promote strength, and enhance post-workout recovery (2).

NOW Sports Creatine Monohydrate Powder is unflavored and can be easily mixed into your favorite beverage.

It’s also vegan-friendly, non-GMO, and certified by Informed Sport, a third-party organization that tests supplements to ensure that they’re free of banned substances for athletes.

Probiotic-10 50 Billion Veg Capsules

NOW Probiotic-10 provides 50 billion colony-forming units per serving, with a blend of 10 strains of probiotics designed to promote digestive health and immunity.

In particular, it contains Lactobacillus acidophilus, a strain of bacteria that may be beneficial for the treatment of acute and chronic diarrhea (3).

It also includes Bifidobacterium lactis, which has been studied for its ability to decrease certain markers of inflammation (4, 5).

This product is kosher, halal, non-GMO, and vegan-friendly. It’s also free of several allergens, including gluten, soy, nuts, eggs, and dairy.

Daily Vits Tablets

This once-daily multivitamin is a convenient and cost effective option to help fill the gaps in your diet.

It contains a variety of vitamins and minerals that are essential for maintaining overall health, including vitamin D, iron, and B vitamins.

It also features lutein, an antioxidant that has been shown to support eye health and protect against macular degeneration, a progressive eye disease that can lead to vision loss (6).

NOW Daily Vits Tablets are formulated for adults and are vegan-friendly, non-GMO, and keto-friendly.

Iron 18 mg Veg Capsules

This iron supplement provides 18 milligrams of iron per capsule and is made with Ferrochel iron bisglycinate, a form of iron that may be more effective than some others at increasing iron levels (7, 8).

What’s more, research suggests that it may be gentler on the stomach and easier to tolerate than some other forms of iron, such as ferrous fumarate (8).

In addition to being vegan-friendly, this supplement is non-GMO, kosher, halal, and free of dairy, eggs, soy, and nuts.

NOW Foods produces supplements using high quality, sustainably sourced ingredients, all of which are free of artificial colors and flavors, hydrogenated fats, and artificial sweeteners.

Several supplements also contain trademarked ingredients, which the brand formulates using proprietary methods to increase quality or absorption.

Furthermore, raw materials and finished products are tested thoroughly in-house, and the company claims to perform more than 16,000 tests and analyses each month.

Though most supplements don’t undergo third-party testing, certain products are tested and certified by independent organizations, including Informed Sport.

NOW Foods offers many supplements that are made using high quality, research-backed ingredients.

For each product listed on its website, the company provides information on ingredients, purported health benefits, and how the product works.

Many products contain specific forms of micronutrients that may be superior in terms of absorption or effectiveness, such as vitamin D3 and iron bisglycinate.

To help ensure safety, supplements are tested in-house for contaminants such as pesticides and harmful microbes.

NOW claims that many universities and laboratories regularly request its products for use in clinical trials.

However, the brand doesn’t provide information on whether its products are included in any published research studies or peer-reviewed articles.

For the most part, NOW products are very affordable and typically cost less than $0.75 per serving.

These prices are much lower than those of many competitors, some of which charge more than $1.00 per serving for certain supplements.

NOW Foods regularly offers sales and specials on its website, making it a great option for people on a tight budget.

Plus, if you purchase directly from the website, NOW offers free shipping throughout the contiguous United States for orders over $50. For orders less than $50, the company charges a flat shipping fee of $6.95.

Several other supplement brands are similar to NOW Foods, especially in terms of product selection, price, and quality.

Here is a closer look at how NOW Foods compares to competitors such as Thorne, Pure Encapsulations, and Garden of Life:

With more than 650 supplements to choose from, NOW vitamins and supplements make it easy to round out your diet or increase your intake of specific nutrients.

Because most NOW products are relatively affordable, it can be a budget-friendly option for cost-conscious consumers.

NOW supplements that are Informed Sport certified may be ideal for competitive athletes since they have been third-party tested to verify that they’re free of banned substances.

On the other hand, because most NOW supplements are tested in-house, this brand might not be the best fit for people who prefer purchasing supplements that are tested by an independent lab.

NOW offers limited options for certain dietary restrictions, including those following vegan or vegetarian diets.

Additionally, while certain food products from NOW are certified gluten-free and many others are made without gluten, the company doesn’t currently offer any supplements that are certified gluten-free. Therefore, it might not be suitable for those with celiac disease or another gluten-related disorder.

Is NOW Vitamins FDA approved?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t evaluate or approve supplements. However, NOW Foods meets and exceeds the current good manufacturing practices established by the FDA. These regulations are intended to ensure safety and quality.

Is NOW Vitamins a reputable company?

With its strict standards, rigorous testing process, and extensive history, NOW Foods is generally considered a reputable company. It is regarded as a leader in the industry and prioritizes quality, sustainability, and transparency.

Are NOW Vitamins made in the USA?

NOW supplements are produced in the company’s manufacturing facilities, which are based in the United States and Canada.

NOW Foods is a reputable, family-owned company that offers more than 650 supplements, including a variety of vitamins, minerals, herbal blends, and sports nutrition products.

In addition to being one of the most affordable brands on the market, NOW Foods has strict standards for quality and tests products in-house at multiple stages of production to ensure safety.

However, NOW supplements might not be the best option for everyone, including people who have certain dietary restrictions or prefer products that are third-party tested.