Liquid Multiple Softgels - 180 Gels

Product Overview & Quick Specs

Think of daily nutrition like watering parched soil. Hard, compressed multivitamin tablets act like dry fertilizer stakes that take hours to break down, while liquid-filled softgels act like liquid plant food that absorbs immediately into circulation. NOW Foods Liquid Multiple Softgels deliver essential vitamins and chelated minerals suspended in cold-pressed organic flaxseed oil. This liquid suspension bypasses slow mechanical tablet breakdown to fuel cellular energy pathways and daily antioxidant defense.

• ✓Active Form & Potency: 2 softgels provide 3,000 mcg Vitamin A, 300 mg Vitamin C, complete B-complex, 9 mg Ferrochel™ iron, 800 mg organic flaxseed oil, lutein, and lycopene.
• ✓Primary Target: Fuels mitochondrial energy production, supports healthy red blood cell formation, and reinforces systemic antioxidant cellular protection.
• ✓Supply & Value: 180 liquid softgels provide a full 30-day supply of comprehensive daily micronutrient coverage.
• ✓Purity & Dietary Status: Formulated without wheat, gluten, milk, egg, fish, or shellfish; features BSE-free bovine gelatin and non-constipating chelated iron.

Buyer's Guide & Form Comparison

Why the Form Matters

Many discount big-box store multivitamins rely on cheap compressed powders bound with artificial glazes and low-grade mineral salts. These rock-hard tablets require high stomach acid levels to dissolve. When digestion is sluggish, solid tablets can pass through the digestive tract largely unabsorbed while causing nausea and stomach cramps. NOW Liquid Multiple suspends its micronutrients in an organic flaxseed oil base inside smooth bovine gelatin shells. Fat-soluble nutrients like Vitamins A, D, and E, along with carotenoids like lutein and lycopene, require dietary lipids for intestinal transit. Because this formula contains healthy lipids within every softgel, it optimizes nutrient uptake immediately without demanding a heavy, high-fat meal. Furthermore, minerals like iron, zinc, and copper are chelated with natural amino acids, preventing gastrointestinal irritation.

Is This Formula Right for You?

• ✓Best Choice For: Adults seeking an easy-to-swallow liquid softgel that glides down smoothly without the chalky feel of compressed tablets.
• ✓Best Choice For: Individuals who get stomach cramps or nausea from cheap iron salts and need gentle, non-constipating Ferrochel™ bisglycinate.
• ✓Best Choice For: Anyone wanting broad-spectrum antioxidant support from genuine marigold lutein, tomato lycopene, and alpha lipoic acid.
• ✗Consider Another Option If: You follow a strict vegetarian or vegan diet, as the protective softgel shell uses BSE-free bovine gelatin.
• ✗Consider Another Option If: Your doctor has instructed you to avoid supplemental iron due to elevated ferritin levels or iron storage conditions.
• ✗Consider Another Option If: You prefer mixing standalone unflavored powders or liquids directly into water.

Backed by VitaNet®, LLC's 31-year reputation since 1995, every bottle carries an unconditional 100% money-back guarantee that even covers return shipping on opened bottles, letting you evaluate digestive tolerance completely risk-free[cite: 1].

How It Works in the Body

Think of cellular energy production like an internal combustion engine. Your cells burn carbohydrates and fatty acids for fuel. However, an engine cannot spark fuel without working spark plugs. The high-potency B-complex vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacinamide, B₆, folate, and B₁₂) serve as biological spark plugs called coenzymes [1]. Inside cell powerhouses (mitochondria), these coenzymes enable enzymes to turn food into cellular fuel (adenosine triphosphate, or ATP), sustaining daytime energy and mental focus [1].

Think of ordinary iron salts like an unprotected metallic nail dropped into stomach acid, which quickly oxidizes and causes irritation. Cheap iron pills release raw ions that irritate the stomach lining, triggering nausea and constipation. Ferrochel™ iron uses a "protein coat" design where the iron atom is chemically bonded between two natural glycine amino acid molecules [2]. This forms an electrically neutral chelate (ferrous bisglycinate) [2]. The stomach treats this complex like a gentle digested protein, absorbing it smoothly through natural peptide pathways without stomach irritation [2].

Think of fat-soluble vitamins like oil trying to mix with water. Fat-soluble nutrients (Vitamins A, D, E) and carotenoids (lutein and lycopene) cannot move through watery digestive fluids on their own [3]. The built-in 800 mg of organic flaxseed oil works like an escort vehicle [3]. It stimulates the formation of microscopic transport bubbles (mixed micelles), ferrying fat-soluble antioxidants across the intestinal wall into circulation [3].

Think of your eyes and cell walls like windows exposed to bright sunshine. Lutein acts like internal sunglasses in the retina, filtering high-energy light waves before they can stress delicate photoreceptor cells [4]. Concurrently, tomato lycopene and alpha lipoic acid act like cellular shields, capturing unstable oxygen byproducts (free radicals) to keep cell membranes strong [3], [5].

Daily Timing, Synergy & Realistic Timelines

Best Time to Take

Take 2 softgels daily with a meal. While the softgels contain organic flaxseed oil to aid lipid breakdown, eating a meal that contains healthy dietary fats (such as avocado, yogurt, or olive oil) triggers natural bile flow. Bile acids build the microscopic lipid droplets needed to move fat-soluble vitamins into your system [3]. Taking multivitamins on an empty stomach can limit absorption and cause mild queasiness.

Daily Schedule

Take your serving in the morning with breakfast or during lunch. Because the complete B-complex actively supports mitochondrial energy conversion and alertness, taking these softgels late in the evening may interfere with winding down for sleep [1]. You may take both softgels together at breakfast, or split them by taking 1 at breakfast and 1 at lunch to keep water-soluble vitamins circulating steadily all day.

Smart Pairings & Spacing

Pair this formula with an omega-3 fish oil or CoQ10 supplement for added cardiovascular and cellular support. Maintain a strict 2-hour separation window away from high-dose antacids or prescription thyroid medications (such as levothyroxine), as supplemental minerals can bind to thyroid hormones and reduce prescription uptake.

What to Expect Over Time

• Days 1–7: Pre-dissolved nutrients absorb smoothly without gastric heaviness. Active B-vitamins replenish cellular enzyme pools to support normal daytime stamina [1]. Ferrochel™ iron absorbs gently without constipation [2].
• Weeks 3–4: Cellular nutrient stores reach steady saturation. Circulating antioxidant levels stabilize, supporting vitality, healthy immune defenses, and steady energy throughout the day [1], [5].
• Months 2–3+: Long-term tissue saturation reinforces baseline health. Lutein accumulates in retinal tissues to support visual comfort [4], while flaxseed essential fatty acids and alpha lipoic acid support systemic cellular integrity [5].

Physical Feel, Sensory Traits & Clean Ingredients

Pill Format & Ease of Use

NOW Liquid Multiple is delivered in smooth, oval, liquid-filled softgels. The natural bovine gelatin surface becomes slick when wet, allowing the softgel to glide easily down your throat with a sip of water. We advise against puncturing or opening the softgel into food; the concentrated botanical carotenoids and B-vitamins possess an intensely earthy flavor when exposed.

Natural Aroma, Taste & Color

The softgels have an attractive dark brown color provided by natural carob extract rather than artificial coal-tar dyes. When opening the bottle, you will notice a mild, pleasant vanilla aroma from natural vanilla extract, which helps mask the natural earthy scents of flaxseed oil and B-vitamins. Natural color variations can occur between production batches due to seasonal agricultural harvest differences.

Other Ingredients Explained

• Bovine Gelatin (BSE-free): Forms the smooth, hermetically sealed capsule shell that protects delicate liquid oils from oxygen.
• Glycerin: Plant-derived compound that keeps the gelatin shell flexible, soft, and easy to swallow.
• Water: Purified water (H₂O) used to form the gelatin capsule during production.
• Carob: Natural roasted pod extract that imparts a dark protective tint to shield light-sensitive nutrients from degradation.
• Beeswax: Natural wax from honeybees that gently thickens the liquid suspension to keep minerals from settling.
• Soy Lecithin: Natural plant phospholipid that helps oil-soluble and water-soluble vitamins blend together uniformly.
• Vanilla Extract: Pure natural botanical extract that provides a pleasant scent when opening the bottle.

Proper Storage

Keep the bottle tightly capped and store it in a cool, dry place after opening, such as a pantry shelf or cabinet away from heat, steam, and direct sunlight. Avoid storing softgels in the bathroom medicine cabinet, as excessive humidity can cause gelatin softgels to soften and adhere to one another.

Manufacturer Quality & Lab Testing Standards

NOW Foods maintains one of the largest and most sophisticated private analytical testing facilities in the supplement industry. Their in-house analytical chemistry and microbiological laboratories hold official ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation from the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA). This standard confirms technical competence matching elite university and pharmaceutical testing facilities.

Every incoming batch of raw materials is tested with Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). This instrument detects heavy metal contaminants—including lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury—down to parts-per-billion (ppb) concentrations. Finished products consistently comply with strict United States Pharmacopeia (USP) guidelines and California Proposition 65 limits.

NOW chemists also use High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) to verify active vitamin potencies and raw material authenticity. Gas chromatography systems screen for pesticide residues, while automated molecular testing confirms the total absence of harmful pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Staphylococcus.

Discount big-box store brands often cut corners by outsourcing production to contract packagers that skip advanced testing. Independent lab reviews repeatedly reveal that bargain brands can suffer from unlisted fillers, degraded potencies, or heavy metal contamination. NOW's validated internal testing guarantees that the potency and purity stated on the label is exactly what is inside every softgel.

Complete Supplement Facts Panel

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
AAC** Amino Acid Chelate.
† Daily Value not established.

Other Ingredients: Softgel Capsule [bovine gelatin (BSE-free), glycerin, water, carob], Beeswax, Soy Lecithin and Vanilla Extract.

Allergen Statement: Not manufactured with wheat, gluten, milk, egg, fish or shellfish ingredients. Produced in a GMP facility that processes other ingredients containing these allergens. Contains soy (from soy lecithin).

Warning: Accidental overdose of iron-containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6. Keep this product out of reach of children. In case of accidental overdose, call a doctor or poison control center immediately.

Cautions: This product contains Biotin which may interfere with some blood test results. Ferrochel® is a trademark of Albion Laboratories, Inc. Natural color variation may occur in this product. Made and quality tested in the USA with globally sourced ingredients. Family owned since 1968.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Scientific References & Clinical Studies

1. Kennedy, D. O. (2016). "B Vitamins and the Brain: Mechanisms, Dose and Efficacy—A Review." Nutrients, 8(2), 68. [PMID: 26828517]. View on PubMed
2. Karakochuk, C. D., et al. (2023). "The effects of oral ferrous bisglycinate supplementation on hemoglobin and ferritin concentrations and gastrointestinal adverse events: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials." Nutrition Reviews, 81(8), 904–920. [PMID: 36728956].
3. Reboul, E. (2019). "Mechanisms of Carotenoid Intestinal Absorption: Where Do We Stand?" Nutrients, 11(4), 838. [PMID: 31013753].
4. Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2) Research Group. (2013). "Lutein + zeaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids for age-related macular degeneration: the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2) randomized clinical trial." JAMA, 309(19), 2005–2015. [PMID: 23644932]. View on PubMed
5. Shay, K. P., Moreau, R. F., Smith, E. J., Smith, A. R., & Hagen, T. M. (2009). "Alpha-lipoic acid as a dietary supplement: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential." Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, 1790(10), 1149–1160. [PMID: 19664690]. View on PubMed

Frequently Asked Questions

Why choose liquid-filled softgels instead of compressed multivitamin tablets?

Compressed tablets are made by packing dry chemical powders together with hard binding glazes. These dense tablets can feel scratchy to swallow and require strong stomach acid to dissolve. NOW Liquid Multiple Softgels feature nutrients suspended in pure organic flaxseed oil inside smooth bovine gelatin shells. They slide effortlessly down your throat and release nutrients quickly in your digestive system without causing nausea or stomach heaviness.