21st Century

A large American maker of everyday supplements

21st Century HealthCare was founded in 1991 and makes its supplements in Tempe, Arizona. Sourcing, production, testing and packing run as one operation, and the products are sold in more than 50 countries. The range is deliberately broad: single vitamins such as B-12 and vitamin C, mineral tablets like potassium gluconate, multivitamin tablets, fish oil softgels, gummies and herbal teas. Everything is made under current Good Manufacturing Practices, the rules that set how a supplement is produced, tested and labelled.

The idea behind the brand is plain: familiar nutrients at familiar doses, at a low price per tablet. That is also where the Compare and Save line comes from, formulas built to match well-known national brands. You will not find unusual delivery systems here. You will find large bottle counts, which keeps a daily habit affordable. Next to the other brands we carry, it covers the practical, budget-conscious end of the shelf.

The form changes what you get

Three formats dominate the range, and they are not interchangeable. Tablets are the cheapest per dose and suit bulky minerals such as calcium and potassium. Softgels hold oils, which is why the fish oil softgels and vitamin E sit in that group: those nutrients dissolve in fat, not water. Gummies and chewables help if tablets are hard to swallow, but they carry sugar or sweeteners and usually hold lower doses.

Read the label rather than the front of the bottle. American labels often use mcg and IU, while UK products use µg. Ten micrograms of vitamin D and 400 IU are the same amount. If swallowing is the sticking point, our wider Gummies selection is worth comparing on dose per serving.

Doses here often follow American conventions. Some products give several times the UK reference intake. For water-soluble vitamins such as C that is rarely an issue. For vitamin A, iron and zinc it is worth checking, because more is not better over time. If you already take a multivitamin, add up the overlap before you add a single nutrient. That one habit prevents most accidental double dosing.

Why we stock 21st Century at BONO

We judge a brand on three things: the form, the dose and whether the combinations make sense. 21st Century earns its place by doing the simple things consistently, with straightforward single-nutrient tablets at everyday doses and softgels for the nutrients that belong in oil. We buy directly from the brand, so what arrives is authentic, and our compliance team checks every product before it goes live. We also test ourselves and have independent labs spot-check batches. For specialised forms we carry other brands. You can read how we select brands and products.

Who this range suits

It fits you if you want to cover a known gap without paying for a premium formula: a daily B-12, extra vitamin C through winter, calcium with vitamin D. It fits you less well if you need vegan-only capsules, because several softgels use gelatin, or if you are after high-dose specialist forms. Check the label per product. And give it time. Nutrient levels move slowly, so judge a supplement after two to three months of steady use.