Busy professionals may not always have time to cook well-rounded, nutritious meals. And while there’s nothing wrong with the occasional frozen pizza or some takeout—on the contrary, both can be delicious—we know those options aren’t necessarily very nutrient dense.
That’s where the best multivitamins can come in. Rather than offering a potent dose of one nutrient in particular, a multivitamin offers blanket coverage for a bunch of different nutrients. It’s an easy way to make sure you’re checking off most of your vitamin boxes. One company on our radar, Ritual, offers different multivitamins tailored to various audiences—like one for women ages 18 to 49 years, and another for women 50 and older. We were curious to try one, so we selected Ritual’s Multivitamin 50+ Essential for Men. Here’s our tester’s full review.
Why Trust Fortune
Our team of expert testers has tried hundreds of the most popular supplements on the market today, using our comprehensive supplement testing methodology to find the best products for most people.
About Our Expert
This article was medically reviewed by Jillian Robillard, MS, RD, LDN, CSSD. Jillian is a licensed and registered dietitian at Whole Balanced Nutrition.
Ritual Essential for Men 50+
Key Ingredients
Serving Size
Third-Party Testing
- Our thoughts: It’s an excellent all-around product that covers key vitamins
- Who it’s for: Men looking for a vitamin that includes the key vitamins and minerals they may need, including vitamin A, zinc, and boron
- What makes it different: It’s specifically formulated to support the health of men ages 18 to 49
- Servings per container: 30
- Third-party tested
- Suitable for vegans
- No unnecessary nutrients that most people get enough of, like vitamin C
- Instructions slightly difficult to read
- Some people may not like the mint flavor
- Only for people who can swallow capsules
Ritual Essential Multivitamin Specs
Our Experience with Ritual Essential Multivitamin
Ritual was founded in 2016, with a focus on traceability and science-backed supplements. The company offers a wide assortment of products, including multivitamins—which are generally branded as being for a certain age group or gender. For example, the brand offers a multivitamin for women 18 years old and older, another one for women 50 years old and older, a multivitamin for men 18 years old and older, and both prenatal and postnatal vitamins for women.
For this review, we’re looking at the Men’s Multivitamin 50+, though our team has also tested the Women’s Multivitamin 18+.
Our tester, Pete, tried Ritual’s Men’s Multivitamin 50+ and praised the travel-friendly container, minty smell and flavor, formulation, and option to subscribe and save. Here’s what he had to say.
What We Liked
Pete liked many things about this multivitamin, including:
- Ease of following instructions (5 out of 5): Pete reported that instructions were to take two capsules together daily, with or without food, which was easy to do each day.
- Ease of use (5 out of 5): According to Pete, “The pills are about 1 inch in length and 1 centimeter wide” and were very easy to swallow.
- Taste (5 out of 5): “The capsules have a strong mint smell and flavor,” Pete said. “They taste much better than the standard compressed multivitamin, which usually has a very earthy or metallic taste.”
- Formula (5 out of 5): One other positive: “Ritual focuses on including the vitamins and minerals that aren’t as prevalent in our daily diets, so they omitted vitamin C and calcium from the formula,” Pete noted. “They do include vitamin K2 and omega-3 DHA in the formula, which is a plus in my opinion, as these are nutrients people are commonly deficient in.”
What We Would Change
While our tester liked the multivitamin overall, he did note one drawback:
- Packaging (3 out of 5): Even though instructions were easy to follow, Pete did find it somewhat difficult to actually read the label. “My only critique is that the white lettering on the clear label makes it difficult to read,” he said
Who It’s For & Who It’s Not For
This multivitamin is better suited for some people than others. Here’s a look at who might like this men’s multivitamin, specifically.
Adult Men
Ritual designed this multivitamin specifically for men, taking into account the typical nutrient deficiencies this group has. The company created different options for women.
Ages 50+
Again, the company created this multivitamin with a very specific age range in mind: ages 50 years old and older. People under 50 years old can find other options on Ritual’s website, however.
Folks Who Prefer Capsules
We totally get that not everyone likes to swallow pills. This multivitamin is best suited for people who don’t mind having to swallow a pill. It wouldn’t be a good choice for someone who prefers gummy vitamins.
Comparing Ritual Essential to Other Multivitamins
Frequently asked questions
What are the side effects of Ritual?
Multivitamins aren’t typically thought of as having strong side effects, but be sure to discuss any new supplement with your doctor to ensure it’s a good fit for your unique health needs. There is a risk of toxicity of vitamins if they are taken incorrectly or if not third-party tested. If you are already meeting your vitamin and mineral needs through food and add a multivitamin, you may exceed the recommended upper limit. Multivitamins can pose risk of upset stomach, nausea, constipation, or diarrhea. They can also interact with blood thinner medications.
Is Ritual multivitamin FDA-approved?
As noted on the company’s website, Ritual says its statements—including various product claims—”have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.”
It’s important to note that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not approve dietary supplements for safety or efficacy, so ingredients and their amounts may be different from what’s on the label. For that reason, we look for products that have been third-party tested, like the multivitamin reviewed here, to confirm safety and accuracy.
Are Ritual vitamins actually good?
Our tester reported a positive overall experience with the Men’s Multivitamin 18+, and we were impressed by the company’s commitment to quality and transparency. As for whether this would be a good vitamin for you, we suggest discussing it with your healthcare provider.
