Centrum Advance 50+, and the Twenty-Four Nutrients in It
Centrum Advance 50+ helps cover the nutrients an older diet most often falls short of, with 24 vitamins and minerals in a single daily tablet, formulated for adults over 50. One tablet a day, from one of the most widely used multivitamin brands in the world.
A multivitamin is judged on its amounts rather than its promises, so the whole panel is set out below, nutrient by nutrient, with what each one is entitled to say. Two things in it are worth knowing before you buy and almost nobody explains them: the iron is deliberately low, and the vitamin D is modest for the age group the tablet is named after.
What One Tablet Gives You
- Vitamins — vitamin A 800 mcg (100% of the reference intake, half as beta-carotene), vitamin C 120 mg (150%), vitamin E 18 mg (150%), vitamin D 5 mcg (100%), vitamin K 30 mcg (40%), thiamine 1.65 mg (150%), riboflavin 2.1 mg (150%), niacin 24 mg (150%), vitamin B6 2.1 mg (150%), folic acid 300 mcg (150%), vitamin B12 3 mcg (120%), biotin 75 mcg (150%) and pantothenic acid 9 mg (150%).
- Minerals — calcium 162 mg (20%), phosphorus 125 mg (18%), magnesium 100 mg (27%), iron 2.1 mg (15%), zinc 5 mg (50%), copper 500 mcg (50%), manganese 2 mg (100%), iodine 100 mcg (67%), selenium 30 mcg (55%), chromium 40 mcg (100%) and molybdenum 50 mcg (100%).
- Every one of the twenty-four clears the threshold — a nutrient has to supply at least 15% of the reference intake before anything may be claimed for it, and all 24 do. That is unusual and it is the honest headline of the product.
- Plus lutein and lycopene — both present, neither quantified by the manufacturer, and neither entitled to claim anything. More on that below.
Why the Iron Is Low, and Why That Is the Point
The iron here is 2.1 mg, which is 15% of the reference intake and sits right at the minimum. That looks like a weakness and it is a design decision.
Iron requirements fall substantially once menstruation ends, while the body’s ability to shed surplus iron stays limited, so a daily high-iron tablet taken for years into later life is the wrong shape of product. The general adult Centrum formulation carries more; the 50+ line carries less on purpose. If you came looking for an iron supplement this is not one, and our pharmacist would rather send you for a blood test than sell you iron on a guess, because both too little and too much are worth knowing about.
The Vitamin D Is Modest, and Here Is What to Do About It
This is the one honest criticism of an otherwise well-built tablet, and it matters most for exactly the people it is sold to.
The vitamin D in it is 5 mcg, which is 200 IU, and that is 100% of a reference intake set a long time ago. Current thinking for adults over 50 generally runs higher, often in the 400 to 800 IU range, because bone strength and muscle function both lean on vitamin D and both matter more with every decade. 200 IU is a floor rather than a target.
So the sensible pattern, and the one our pharmacist will suggest, is this tablet for the breadth and a separate vitamin D3 1,000 IU alongside it for the depth. Together they cost very little more than the multivitamin alone, and the combination covers an older adult properly where either on its own leaves a gap. If a blood test has shown your level is genuinely low, that is a different conversation and a different dose, and our doctor is here for it.
Two More Gaps Worth Naming
A one-a-day multivitamin is a compromise by design, because 24 nutrients have to fit in one tablet. Two of those compromises are worth knowing about.
The calcium is 162 mg, or 20% of the reference intake. That is a useful top-up and it is nowhere near a bone-health dose. If bone strength is your actual concern, a dedicated calcium, magnesium and boron tablet is the product for that, and this multivitamin sits alongside it rather than instead of it.
The vitamin B12 is 3 mcg, or 120%. Sound for most people, and worth a second thought in two situations: absorption of B12 from food falls with age, and it falls further on long-term metformin or acid-reducing medicines. If either applies to you, ask our doctor for a B12 level rather than assuming the multivitamin has it covered, and our methylcobalamin lozenges are what we would add if it comes back low.
Lutein and Lycopene, Honestly
Both are in the tablet and both are worth a straight word, because they are the two ingredients most often singled out on a Centrum label.
Lutein concentrates in the retina and lycopene is the red pigment in tomatoes, and both are genuinely interesting compounds. Neither holds an authorised health claim: the eye claims for lutein were assessed and refused, and lycopene has none either. The manufacturer’s own professional datasheet lists amounts for all 24 vitamins and minerals and gives no figure for either of these two, so nobody can tell you how much is in there.
They are a reasonable addition to a formulation and they are the wrong things to buy the tablet for. What makes this product worth having is the 24 nutrients with amounts printed against them.
What It Costs You a Day
That depends on the pack, and we would rather confirm which one is on the shelf than guess. Centrum sell this in 30-tablet and 100-tablet packs, which at one a day is a month or a little over three months. Ask us which is on the shelf and we will tell you the cost per day before you order, because on a tablet taken every day for years that figure matters more than the price on the front.
How to Take It
One tablet daily with water, with or just after food. Food is worth bothering with: the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K are absorbed better alongside a meal, and the tablet sits more comfortably. Any time of day suits it, and whichever time you will actually remember is the right one. Keep it at least four hours away from levothyroxine, because the calcium, magnesium and iron all bind to it.
What Is in the Tablet
Twenty-four vitamins and minerals at the amounts listed above, plus lutein and lycopene. Vitamin A is supplied half as retinol and half as beta-carotene. One tablet a day.
Is Centrum Advance 50+ Right for You?
- If you take warfarin, tell our pharmacist before you start. This is the caution that matters most. The tablet contains vitamin K at 30 mcg, vitamin K is what warfarin works against, and a steady daily intake of it changes the dose you need. It is not a reason to avoid the tablet, and it is a reason your INR should be checked after you start and your clinic should know you are taking it.
- If you take levothyroxine, separate it from this tablet by at least four hours. Calcium, magnesium and iron all bind to levothyroxine and reduce how much you absorb.
- If you have haemochromatosis or any iron-overload condition, check with our doctor first. The iron here is low at 2.1 mg but it is not absent.
- If you smoke, ask us about the beta-carotene. Half the vitamin A here is beta-carotene, and high-dose beta-carotene supplements were associated with increased lung cancer risk in smokers in two large trials. The amounts in those trials were many times what is in this tablet, so this is a conversation rather than a prohibition, and it is the question smokers most often ask.
- If you already take another multivitamin, a separate zinc, or a high-dose single vitamin, bring both to the counter. Doubling up is how people quietly exceed a sensible intake, and zinc and vitamin A are the two most worth checking.
Storing It
Keep the bottle closed in a cool dry place, away from sunlight, and out of reach of children.
Where to Buy Centrum Advance 50+ in Kenya
Order online and we deliver countrywide, or collect from our pharmacy at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. We send orders to Nairobi and every neighbourhood around it — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Rosslyn, Kitisuru, Lower Kabete, Lavington, Kileleshwa, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Buruburu, Donholm, Embakasi, Ngong Road, Kasarani, Roysambu, Zimmerman, Githurai, Ruaka, Banana Hill, Two Rivers, Village Market and Pride Lands — and across Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru and Ngong.
Beyond the capital we deliver to Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Athi River, Kitengela, Kajiado, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Bomet, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Siaya, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Vihiga, Webuye, Kitale, Nandi Hills, Iten, Kapenguria, Embu, Meru, Chuka, Kerugoya, Murang’a, Othaya, Nyahururu, Nanyuki, Maralal, Isiolo, Marsabit, Moyale, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Mwingi, Makueni, Emali, Kibwezi, Voi, Taveta, Wundanyi, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi, Lamu and Hola. At 1 tablet a day a pack runs for a known length of time, so tell us the pack size you want and we will work out how many months that covers before you order.
Across Africa, ask us before you order. We have sent orders to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and as far as Malawi, and we will quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of the continent. Tell us the destination and we will confirm any import paperwork before the parcel leaves us.
Living abroad? Order from wherever you are and we deliver to your family here in Kenya. Kenyans in the UK, the United States, Canada, South Africa and the Gulf order from us regularly for parents and relatives at home. A daily multivitamin taken steadily month after month does far more than a single pack, so tell us who it is for and how many months you want covered and we will set up the repeat.
Why Buy Your Centrum Advance 50+ from HealthAlone Kenya?
HealthAlone is a pharmacist-led health ecosystem licensed by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, and our stock is original, sealed and correctly stored. Kahawa Sukari is a real counter with real pharmacists behind it.
Our pharmacists will read you the actual amounts of all twenty-four nutrients, point out that the vitamin D in it is modest for anybody over fifty and what to do about that, flag the vitamin K if you take warfarin, space it from your levothyroxine, and tell you honestly which of the two ingredients on the old label can claim anything at all. Our doctor is here too if you would rather have the whole question looked at properly.
It is one more step in our vision: building Africa’s most trusted health ecosystem, accessible to everyone, everywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Centrum Advance 50+ for?
It is a one-a-day multivitamin built to cover the nutrients an older diet most often falls short of, with 24 vitamins and minerals in a single tablet. Every one of the 24 supplies at least 15% of the reference intake, which is the threshold a nutrient has to clear before anything may be claimed for it, so this is a genuinely complete formulation rather than a long list of traces.
How is it different from ordinary Centrum?
Mainly the iron. The 50+ formulation carries 2.1 mg, which is 15% of the reference intake and deliberately low, because iron needs fall substantially after middle age while the body’s ability to shed surplus iron stays limited. The general adult formulation carries more. If you are over 50 and not specifically iron-deficient, the lower-iron version is the right shape of product.
Is there enough vitamin D in it?
For a general adult, yes. For somebody over 50, it is modest, and we would rather say so. The tablet gives 5 mcg, which is 200 IU, and current thinking for older adults generally runs higher, often 400 to 800 IU, because bone strength and muscle function both lean on it. The practical answer is to take this tablet for the breadth and add a separate vitamin D3 1,000 IU for the depth. Ask us and we will price the pair.
Is there enough calcium for my bones?
No, and that is not a criticism of the tablet. The calcium is 162 mg, or 20% of the reference intake, which is a top-up rather than a bone dose, because 24 nutrients cannot all fit in one tablet at full strength. If bone strength is your concern, ask us about a dedicated calcium, magnesium and boron product, which sits alongside this rather than instead of it.
What about the lutein and lycopene?
Both are in the tablet, and neither holds an authorised health claim. The eye claims for lutein were assessed and refused, and lycopene has none either. The manufacturer’s own professional datasheet gives amounts for all 24 vitamins and minerals and no figure for either of these two, so nobody can tell you how much is in there. They are a reasonable addition and the wrong reason to buy the tablet.
I take warfarin. Can I take it?
Speak to our pharmacist first, and this is the most important question on the page. The tablet contains vitamin K at 30 mcg, and vitamin K is precisely what warfarin works against. A steady daily intake of it changes the warfarin dose you need. That is not a reason to avoid the tablet, and it is a reason to tell your anticoagulant clinic you have started it and to have your INR checked.
Can I take it with my other medicines?
Usually, with attention to one timing. Keep it at least four hours from levothyroxine, because the calcium, magnesium and iron all bind to it and reduce how much you absorb. Beyond warfarin and levothyroxine, bring your list to the counter and we will go through it properly.
I smoke. Is the beta-carotene a problem?
Worth asking about, which is why we have put it here rather than hidden it. Half the vitamin A in the tablet is beta-carotene, and high-dose beta-carotene supplements were associated with an increased risk of lung cancer in smokers in two large trials. The doses in those trials were many times what is in this tablet. So it is a conversation with our pharmacist rather than a prohibition, and we would rather have it than have you find the question online afterwards.
Can I take it alongside another supplement?
Often yes, and bring both to the counter. Doubling up on a multivitamin plus a separate single nutrient is how people quietly go past a sensible intake, and zinc and vitamin A are the two most worth checking. A separate vitamin D or a separate B12 alongside this is usually sensible rather than excessive, for the reasons given above.
How many tablets are in the pack, and what does it cost a day?
Centrum sell this in 30-tablet and 100-tablet packs, which at one a day is a month or a little over three months. Ask us which pack is on the shelf and we will give you the cost per day before you order. On a tablet you take every day for years, the daily figure matters far more than the price on the front.
Is it suitable for vegetarians?
Ask us and we will read the pack to you. Multivitamin tablets vary in their coating and carriers, and we would rather check the box in front of us than tell you what is usually the case.
Where can I buy Centrum Advance 50+ in Kenya?
From HealthAlone. Order online for delivery anywhere in Kenya, including Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Thika, Kiambu, Meru, Nyeri, Machakos, Kitengela, Kakamega, Kisii, Kitale, Nanyuki, Embu, Garissa, Malindi and Diani, or collect from our pharmacy at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. We also ship across East Africa, and a good deal of this product goes to families ordering from abroad for parents here. If you take warfarin or levothyroxine, say so when you order and our pharmacist will call you before it ships.
