Get Your Vitamins With Gelatin-Free Gummies, From B12 to Iron

Research shows that nearly three-quarters of Americans have a sweet tooth. In fact, the average person in the U.S. consumes around eight pounds of candy each year. Given this, it’s no surprise that gummy vitamins are growing in popularity, with the global market projected to exceed $10 billion by 2025. Essentially, gummy vitamins are candy with added nutrition. But how healthy are they really? And if you’re considering taking them, which ones should you choose?

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Are gummy vitamins effective?

Most people can get all the nutrients they need from a balanced diet—even a vegan one (you can learn more about plant-based nutrition here). However, life happens, and it’s not always possible to meet our nutritional needs through food alone. Factors like illness, a busy schedule, pregnancy, and other circumstances can make supplementation necessary.

The best supplement is the one that fits your lifestyle and that you’ll take consistently. Capsules, tablets, and liquid supplements generally offer higher nutritional content than gummies, but they may be less appealing due to their texture and taste. Gummies, on the other hand, are sweet and chewy, much like candy.

“If your primary care physician recommends supplements and you can’t take traditional vitamins, gummy vitamins may be a good option. They offer more vitamins and minerals than taking no supplements. And research shows that your body can absorb nutrients in gummy vitamins as easily as those found in traditional vitamins.” —UCLA Health

That said, it is important to watch your sugar intake if you’re going to supplement with gummies. While some are sugar-free, according to UCLA, many gummy vitamins contain between two and eight grams of sugar per serving. This means that over the course of a year, the sugar from daily gummy vitamins could add up to about half a pound or more. It’s not as much as regular candy, but it’s still a noticeable addition to your yearly candy consumption—it’s like eating a few more candy bars each year.

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RELATED: 10 Nutritious Vitamins Made With Fruits and Vegetables

Are gummy vitamins vegan?

As well as sugar, gummy vitamins are also more likely to contain additives and preservatives, some of which may not be vegan. Some bright red gummy vitamins, for example, might contain carmine, a colorant derived from crushed beetles.

Gelatin is another common gummy vitamin ingredient. Just like in many different types of chewy candy, gelatin gives gummy vitamins their characteristic jelly-like texture. That said, pectin (derived from fruits) can do a similar job, and this ingredient is vegan. 

7 vegan gummy vitamins to try

1 Best multivitamins: Nutramin Daily Vegan Multivitamin

These multivitamin gummies from Nutramin are packed with bio-available plant-based biotin, vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc. The best part? Even though they’re tasty, sweet, and soft, they’re also totally gelatin- and sugar-free.
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2 Best prenatal multivitamins: Garden of Life Organics Prenatal Gummies

Prenatal multivitamins are designed to meet the nutritional needs of pregnant people (or people planning to become pregnant). These tasty whole food-based gummies from Garden of Life are packed with essential vitamins that help with fetal development, including D3, B6, B12, C, and folate.
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3 Best multivitamins for kids: Vitamin Friends Vegan Multivitamin for Kids

Unsurprisingly, because they taste similar to candy, gummy vitamins are particularly appealing to kids. These tasty strawberry gummies from Vitamin Friends, which contain iron, B-complex, vitamin C, zinc, and biotin, are a good gelatin-free, allergen-free choice for little ones with a sweet tooth.
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4 Best iron gummy vitamins: Vegepower Vegan Iron Gummies

When you’re low on iron, you can feel fatigued, weak, and dizzy. While green vegetables like broccoli and spinach are some of the best sources of the nutrient, you can also supplement iron with these peach-flavored gummies from Vegepower. They’re also a source of vitamin C, A, B-complex, folate, and zinc.
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5 Best vitamin D3 + B12 gummy vitamin: MaryRuth Organics Vegan Vitamin D3 + Vitamin B12 Gummies

While a plant-based diet contains an abundance of essential nutrients, vitamin D3 and vitamin B12 can be a little harder to get for some people. You can boost your intake by adding nutritional yeast to your cooking and consuming fortified foods like cereal, but supplementation is also a good idea. Help to keep your levels topped up by taking these vegan, strawberry-flavored, pectin-based gummies from MaryRuth Organics.
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6 Best B12 gummy vitamins: Goli Apple Cider Vinegar Gummy Vitamins

Apple cider vinegar has risen in popularity in the wellness sphere in the last few years, hailed for its antioxidant and antibacterial benefits. But if you don’t like the pungent, tangy taste, another option is apple cider vinegar gummies. These ones from Goli are fortified with that all-important vitamin B12, too.
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7 Best vitamin C gummy vitamins: Viteey Vitamin C Gummies

Vitamin C has many benefits, but one of its biggest assets is the way it supports immune function—vital when viruses like colds and flu are doing the rounds. These chewable orange-flavored pectin gummies from Viteey will help to keep your levels topped up. Plus they contain added zinc, too.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.