most multivitamins contain vitamin a because they provide all the vitamins recommended. you may not need to take a multivitamin if you eat right and consume fortified foods. in fact research hasn't shown that multivitamins protect against chronic disease and in some cases can lead to excesses of certain nutrients due to fortifcation and enrichment of food. most people fall short on vitamin d and calcium so you can take those separately. potassium is another shortfall nutrient but it isn't in multis and can be increased with eating more produce (fruits and vegetables). women capable of becoming pregnant should take daily folic acid. older individuals may need additional vitamin b12 due to decreased absorption. i recommend seeing a registered dietitian to discover which nutrients you are lacking and developing a plan for getting those nutrients from food and/or supplements. to find an rd go to eatright. org.
are there any multi-vitamins for women w/out vitamin a? i currently have to take 10 000 iu of vitamin a palmitate per dr. my eye specialist has me on vitamin a palmitate for my retinitis pigmentosa; but i would also like to take a multi-vitamin for women. however i cannot find any out there that do not have vitamin a.