Thorne Elite vs Total Human: Which Vitamins Are Better?

I don’t know about you, but I find it incredibly difficult to make sure I’m eating all of the nutrients that my body needs each day. It helps to start the day with a nutrient-dense smoothie or to eat a salad packed with veggies and protein for lunch, but I find that most days I fall short. Luckily, vitamins come in handy when I feel like I have gaps in my nutritional intake.

A lot of vitamin brands are tailoring their products to different age and gender groups, but it’s still difficult to know what to buy. I created this review as a way of comparing two popular vitamins: Onnit Total Human and Thorne Elite Multi.

Let’s get started talking about what’s in each of these supplements, what I thought of them, and which one you should choose.

Key Facts To Know Before Buying Total Human or Thorne Elite

All About Onnit Total Human

Onnit Total Human is a collection of essential and clinically studied vitamins, minerals and botanical nutrients. It really elevates the traditional multivitamin. The Onnit brand has developed this product to support many different areas and functions of the body, including the brain, bones, joints, mood, energy levels and the body’s immune response.

Total Human is broken down into two different doses: one for morning use and one for evening. Each is formulated with different ingredients based on what your body needs at that point in time. There are even proprietary blends, such as:

Morning Blend

AlphaBRAIN

This is a nootropic formula that supports normal alpha-brain waves. It also helps produce and maintain neurotransmitters to support proper cognitive function.

StronBONE

Containing strontium, boron and other essential vitamins, this proprietary blend helps with healthy bone support.

ShroomTECH Sport

Containing adaptogens and Vitamin B12, ShroomTECH Sport supports cellular energy and increases cardiovascular endurance.

Total Human B Complex

This collection of B vitamins helps with increased energy production, so you feel more focused and motivated throughout the day. It also helps with neural communication.

Evening Blend

NewMOOD

This is a proprietary blend of ingredients like valerian root and lemon balm. It’s designed to help support healthy serotonin production and relax you before bed.

VIRUTech

Containing vitamin C, selenium and zinc, I was excited to try this blend for an immune boost during our area’s cold, flu and COVID seasons. Our kids are constantly bringing germs home from school.

Key Minerals

Whole-body support comes from ingredients such as boron, calcium, iodine, magnesium and molybdenum.

My Experience With Onnit Total Human

This is the first multivitamin product that I’ve tried that utilizes both a morning and evening dose. I was a little reluctant to try it out, mainly because I know that vitamins usually perk me up when I take them. I was nervous that I was going to be up all night, even if the formula was a bit different. Luckily, that wasn’t the case.

The Morning Dose

My morning dose of Onnit Total Human definitely gave me a boost of energy. It wasn’t anything that made me feel jittery or anxious, but I felt like I got more done on the days that I was taking it. That feeling wore off by the time I was taking my evening dose.

The Evening Dose

I chose to take my evening dose of Onnit Total Human after dinner when I was relaxed and on the couch reading. In case it was going to make me very tired, I didn’t want to have things that still needed my attention.

I definitely felt relaxed after about 30 minutes of taking this supplement. It wasn’t enough to make me fall asleep on the couch, but I was ready to crawl into bed at a reasonable hour. I slept soundly, only waking up once. For me, that’s a pretty big accomplishment since I’m a light sleeper.

What I Liked

• Comes in convenient day and night packs for ease of use.
• A subscription saves you 25%.
• You can choose how often you receive deliveries.
• This product contains vitamins, minerals and other botanical ingredients.

What I Didn’t Like

• You have to take a dose both in the morning and at night.
• The packaging is a bit bulky and wasteful, considering everything is individually packaged for both day and night.

All About Thorne Elite Multi

Thorne has created an A.M. and P.M. multivitamin that is designed to boost your energy in the morning, while the evening formula helps with recovery. This is more of a performance-based multivitamin supplement. I’m not a professional athlete, but I do run six days a week. I don’t mind supplements that help increase my performance and help me feel less sore and tired afterwards.

Morning and Evening Formulas

Both the morning and evening formulas contain some of the same nutrients, such as:

Vitamin D

This vitamin helps boost your immune response and promotes strong bones.

B Complex Vitamins

This complex is ideal for energy, nervous system regulation, heart function and blood vessel support.

Vitamins K1 and K2

K1 and K2 are vitamins that are needed by the body for healthy bones and blood vessels.

AM Formula

The A.M. formula contains a few additional ingredients, like green tea extract (for fat burning and energy production) and Meriva, which is a proprietary blend that helps with joint and muscle soreness, inflammation and mobility. The A.M. formula contains a ton of antioxidants, which help support healthy aging. In my 40’s, I need all the help I can get!

PM Formula

The P.M. version of Thorne Elite includes the proprietary blend Relora, which contains a mix of magnolia and phellodendron extracts. This blend is designed to down-regulate your cortisol production so you feel less anxious. Not only does this help you wind down at night, but it can also help with weight loss and weight management. Even better, Relora can help reduce nighttime cravings. I’m a terrible nighttime snacker and often want to grab something little in the middle of the night to hold me over to the morning.

My Experience With Thorne Elite Multi

I have to start by saying that I don’t love the green tea that is in Thorne Elite Multi. I can tolerate things like B-complex vitamins for a boost of energy, but caffeine just doesn’t sit well with me. Because of that, I didn’t really like taking the A.M. dose very much. Aside from the caffeine, the Thorne Elite Multi Morning variety contains some important ingredients that I was happy to add to my routine. I like a small breakfast in the morning and generally eat more of my calories later in the day. It was nice to feel like I was filling in nutritional gaps with this product.

The P.M. version of Thorne Elite Multi provided a better experience than the A.M. one. It helped me wind down in the evenings. When I feel like I’ve worked out too hard during the day, it’s really hard for me to feel relaxed leading up to bed. This usually impacts my sleep as well. I was able to sit with my family at night, feel chill and then get a good night of sleep. I feel like I also experienced less soreness from my daily runs.

What I Liked

• In addition to this supplement providing you with daily nutrients, it also contains ingredients that can help with fat burning and physical performance.
• Contains herbal and natural ingredients.
• Relora is in the evening dose to help reduce cortisol levels before bed. You may find it easier to wind down and drift off to sleep.

What I Didn’t Like

• This is also an A.M. and P.M.-based formula.
• You have to take three capsules in the morning and three at night.
• You have to pay extra for the version that is NSF-certified for sport.
• Contains caffeine from green tea.

My Recommendation

I personally favor Onnit Total Human. While Thorne Elite Multi is also a really great formulation, I prefer what Onnit has included in both of their blends. Of course, I recommend that you look at both of these products to see which one would be more beneficial for your situation. If you’re extremely physically active, work out often or are an athlete, you may want to check out Thorne’s product instead.