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Life Extension Two-Per-Day and Thorne Basic Nutrients 2/Day are two-capsule multivitamins that shoppers often compare, and the same question follows the two brands into magnesium, B complex and fish oil. We have no relationship with either company. We read every label in the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database or on the brand's own Supplement Facts panel, looked both brands up in the NSF, USP and Informed registries on October 29, 2026.
Before you decide
This page compares labels, registry listings and cost math. It is general information, not medical advice. Label-checked, not lab-tested: every amount below is what the company printed on its label or entered in the NIH database, and we did not send bottles to a laboratory. How we pick and read sources is explained on our how we review supplements page.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take prescription medicine, or are being treated for a medical condition, ask your doctor or pharmacist before you start either brand. Life Extension's labels say something close: the Two-Per-Day label and the B complex panel on lifeextension.com tell you to consult your physician if you are undergoing treatment for a medical condition or are pregnant or lactating.
The comparison is for adults choosing between these two brands. Both sell far more than this, so we kept to product types that both brands make: the two-capsule multivitamin, magnesium glycinate and a B complex, plus a short look at fish oil and vitamin D3. We did not rank the brands overall, and we do not tell you how much of anything to take.
Some facts here change. Registry listings and label versions were checked on October 29, 2026; the page went live on November 12, 2026, and it cannot recheck itself after that. Every registry link sits in the testing section, so you can repeat any lookup in a minute.
What you are actually buying
Life Extension calls itself "a privately owned vitamin and supplement company" on its about page, says 99% of its supplements are manufactured in the U.S., and lists "a New Jersey manufacturing/shipping facility" among its sites. Its labels name a different company: the Two-Per-Day label image in DSLD reads "Manufactured for: Quality Supplements and Vitamins, Inc., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309," and the Extend-Release Magnesium label names the same company. That is what the labels say; they do not tell you where the capsules were filled.
Thorne's quality page says its supplements are manufactured at its campus in Summerville, South Carolina, that it runs two in-house laboratories and four rounds of testing, and that NSF and Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration audit it. The labels again vary: Basic Nutrients 2/Day says it was manufactured "by" Thorne Research, while the Super EPA label without the NSF seal (DSLD 321972) and the Magnesium Bisglycinate label (DSLD 298074) say manufactured "for" Thorne Research. We report both wordings and draw no conclusion about who runs which line.
Ownership is moving at Thorne. On August 4, 2026, Thorne announced a definitive agreement to be acquired by Procter and Gamble from L Catterton's Flagship Fund, and said the transaction "is expected to close later this year, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals." We could not confirm that the deal had closed as of October 29, 2026. Life Extension's about page does not name its owners.
For the longer company histories, see who makes Life Extension, who makes Thorne and our Life Extension brand review. Both brands also sit in our brands hub, next to the other companies we have profiled.
Head to head: Two-Per-Day vs Basic Nutrients 2/Day
Both labels set the serving at two capsules, so the table compares one serving with one serving. Every row comes from the Supplement Facts panels, with the form in brackets and the % Daily Value as printed. "Not listed" means the label has no row for that nutrient.
| Nutrient | Life Extension Two-Per-Day (2 capsules) | Thorne Basic Nutrients 2/Day (2 capsules) |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin A | 1,500 mcg RAE (beta-carotene, acetate), 167% DV | 1.05 mg (450 mcg as beta-carotene, 600 mcg as palmitate), 117% DV |
| Vitamin C | 470 mg (ascorbic acid, calcium and niacinamide ascorbates), 522% DV | 250 mg (ascorbic acid), 278% DV |
| Vitamin D3 | 50 mcg (2,000 IU), 250% DV | 50 mcg (2,000 IU), 250% DV |
| Vitamin E | 67 mg (d-alpha tocopheryl succinate, d-alpha tocopherol), 447% DV | 16.5 mg (d-alpha tocopheryl acid succinate), 110% DV |
| Vitamin K | not listed | 400 mcg (200 mcg K1, 200 mcg K2 as MK-4), 333% DV |
| Thiamin (B1) | 75 mg, 6,250% DV | 50 mg, 4,167% DV |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 50 mg (riboflavin, riboflavin 5′-phosphate), 3,846% DV | 12 mg (riboflavin 5′-phosphate sodium), 923% DV |
| Niacin (B3) | 50 mg NE (niacinamide, niacinamide ascorbate), 313% DV | 80 mg (niacinamide), 500% DV |
| Vitamin B6 | 75 mg (pyridoxine HCl, pyridoxal 5′-phosphate), 4,412% DV | 20 mg (pyridoxal 5′-phosphate), 1,176% DV |
| Folate | 680 mcg DFE (L-5-MTHF calcium salt), 170% DV | 667 mcg DFE (400 mcg as L-5-MTHF), 167% DV |
| Vitamin B12 | 300 mcg (methylcobalamin), 12,500% DV | 600 mcg (methylcobalamin), 25,000% DV |
| Biotin | 300 mcg, 1,000% DV | 500 mcg, 1,667% DV |
| Pantothenic acid | 50 mg (calcium D-pantothenate), 1,000% DV | 45 mg (calcium pantothenate), 900% DV |
| Calcium | not listed | 52 mg (calcium bisglycinate chelate and other forms), 4% DV |
| Iodine | 150 mcg (potassium iodide), 100% DV | 75 mcg (potassium iodide), 50% DV |
| Magnesium | 100 mg (magnesium oxide), 24% DV | 20 mg (magnesium bisglycinate chelate), 5% DV |
| Zinc | 25 mg (zinc citrate, L-OptiZinc), 227% DV | 15 mg (zinc bisglycinate chelate), 136% DV |
| Selenium | 200 mcg (sodium selenite, SelenoExcell, Se-methyl L-selenocysteine), 364% DV | 200 mcg (L-selenomethionine), 364% DV |
| Copper | not listed | 750 mcg (copper bisglycinate chelate), 83% DV |
| Manganese | 2 mg (manganese citrate, gluconate), 87% DV | 3 mg (manganese bisglycinate chelate), 130% DV |
| Chromium | 200 mcg (Crominex 3+), 571% DV | 400 mcg (chromium nicotinate glycinate chelate), 1,143% DV |
| Molybdenum | 100 mcg (amino acid chelate), 222% DV | not listed |
| Boron | 3 mg (amino acid chelate), no DV | 2 mg (Bororganic), no DV |
| Iron | not listed | not listed |
| Other listed ingredients | inositol 50 mg, alpha-lipoic acid 25 mg, mixed tocopherols 20 mg, quercetin phytosome 15 mg, trans-lutein 5 mg, trans-zeaxanthin 155 mcg, apigenin 5 mg, lycopene 1 mg | d-gamma tocopherol 24 mg, lutein 140 mcg |
Life Extension's column comes from DSLD 328754 (120 capsules, UPC 7 37870 23141 7, entered May 21, 2025), which matched the panel on lifeextension.com on October 29, 2026. Thorne's column comes from two labels with identical ingredient rows: DSLD 323076 (UPC 6 93749 00287 1, NSF Certified for Sport seal) and DSLD 328819 (UPC 6 93749 00684 8, NSF Contents Certified seal). We read all three through the DSLD API on October 29, 2026.
The two Thorne labels matter at the checkout. Basic Nutrients 2/Day is sold in more than one bottle, and the seal changes with the bottle: the 60-capsule VM2 carries NSF Certified for Sport, the 60-capsule VM2NC carries NSF Contents Certified, and Thorne also sells a 120-capsule size whose label we did not open. Check the seal and the UPC on the bottle in your hand.
What only one label has is the clearest difference. Thorne lists vitamin K (400 mcg), copper (750 mcg) and calcium (52 mg); Life Extension lists none of the three. Life Extension lists molybdenum (100 mcg) and a row of extras such as alpha-lipoic acid, quercetin, apigenin and lycopene that Thorne does not carry. Neither lists iron.
Where both list a nutrient, the amounts often differ by a factor of two or more. Life Extension gives more vitamin C (470 vs 250 mg), vitamin E (67 vs 16.5 mg), B6 (75 vs 20 mg), zinc (25 vs 15 mg) and magnesium (100 vs 20 mg); Thorne gives more B12 (600 vs 300 mcg), biotin and chromium. Vitamin D3 is identical at 50 mcg, and folate is close (680 vs 667 mcg DFE), both as L-5-MTHF.
The mineral forms differ too. Thorne's label lists most of its minerals as bisglycinate chelates; Life Extension's magnesium is oxide and its zinc is zinc citrate plus L-OptiZinc. This page does not grade forms against each other. If form is what you are shopping for, the panel tells you, and the table above copies it.
For reference, here are the adult Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (ULs) that the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements lists for four nutrients on these labels. These are reference lines from ODS fact sheets opened on October 29, 2026, not targets and not advice.
| Nutrient | Life Extension (2 capsules) | Thorne (2 capsules) | Adult UL, NIH ODS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin D | 50 mcg | 50 mcg | 100 mcg (4,000 IU) |
| Vitamin B6 | 75 mg | 20 mg | 100 mg (19 years and older) |
| Niacin | 50 mg NE | 80 mg | 35 mg from supplements (19 years and older) |
| Magnesium | 100 mg | 20 mg | 350 mg from supplements and medications only |
Both labels list more niacin than the 35 mg adult UL. The ODS niacin fact sheet says this UL is based on the levels associated with skin flushing and applies to both forms of supplemental niacin, and that it does not apply to people taking niacin under medical supervision. The figures for vitamin D, vitamin B6 and magnesium come from their own ODS pages; the magnesium UL counts only magnesium from supplements and medications, not from food.
Two nutrients are left out of that table on purpose. ODS sets the vitamin A UL for preformed vitamin A only, and Life Extension's label does not print how its 1,500 mcg RAE splits between beta-carotene and acetate, so the two labels cannot be lined up against it. The folate UL covers synthetic forms of folate from supplements and fortified foods and is given in mcg, not mcg DFE; the ODS section on too much folate does not mention 5-MTHF, the form both labels use.
Life Extension prints a vitamin D caution on the Two-Per-Day label, quoted here as written: "Individuals consuming more than 50 mcg (2,000 IU)/day of vitamin D (from diet and supplements) should periodically obtain a serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D measurement." Both multis contain exactly 50 mcg.
Magnesium glycinate, side by side
Life Extension does sell a magnesium glycinate, even though the NIH label database had no Life Extension glycinate label on October 29, 2026 (we searched by brand and by name). Its Magnesium Glycinate page, item 02535, shows 90 vegetarian capsules with 105 mg of magnesium per capsule from magnesium bisglycinate. That panel is the label source for the Life Extension row below.
Thorne sells two glycinate products. Its Magnesium Glycinate capsules (SKU M284) list 120 mg per capsule in a 90-capsule bottle, and its Magnesium Bisglycinate powder (DSLD 298074) lists 200 mg per 3.11 g scoop, 60 scoops to the tub. We found no DSLD label for the capsules, so that row rests on Thorne's own page, read October 29, 2026.
| Product | Form on the label | Magnesium per unit | Count | Label source | NSF listing, October 29, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Life Extension Magnesium Glycinate | magnesium bisglycinate | 105 mg per capsule | 90 capsules | lifeextension.com panel, item 02535; not in DSLD | not found |
| Thorne Magnesium Glycinate | magnesium glycinate | 120 mg per capsule | 90 capsules | thorne.com, SKU M284; no DSLD label found | NSF/ANSI 173, as Thorne Magnesium Glycinate |
| Thorne Magnesium Bisglycinate powder | magnesium bisglycinate | 200 mg per 3.11 g scoop | 60 scoops | DSLD 298074, Certified for Sport seal on the label | NSF Certified for Sport and NSF/ANSI 173, as Thorne Magnesium Bisglycinate |
| Life Extension Extend-Release Magnesium | magnesium oxide, magnesium citrate | 250 mg per capsule | 60 capsules | DSLD 328453 | not found |
| Life Extension Magnesium Caps 500 mg | citrate, oxide, succinate | 500 mg per capsule | 100 capsules | DSLD 328565 | not found |
| Life Extension Magnesium (Citrate) 100 mg | magnesium citrate | 100 mg per capsule | 100 capsules | DSLD 328564 | not found |
Capsule for capsule, the two glycinates are close: 105 mg of magnesium at Life Extension against 120 mg at Thorne, both in 90-capsule bottles. The bigger differences are format and listing. Thorne's powder carries more magnesium per serving and a Certified for Sport seal; Thorne's capsule shows up in the NSF/ANSI 173 listing; Life Extension's glycinate showed up in no registry we searched.
Life Extension's other magnesium products use different forms. Extend-Release Magnesium combines oxide and citrate, Magnesium Caps 500 mg blends citrate, oxide and succinate, and the 100 mg capsule is citrate alone; the company also sells a magnesium L-threonate (Neuro-Mag) and a magnesium acetyl taurinate (Calm-Mag). The oxide, citrate and blended capsules are different forms from glycinate, so their cost per 100 mg, worked out in the cost section, is not a like-for-like comparison.
If Thorne's powder is on your list, our Magnesium Breakthrough vs Thorne comparison weighs it against a multi-form blend. On this page we only line up labels, listings and cost math, not which form suits which reader.
B complex: BioActive Complete vs Basic B Complex
These two products do not share a serving size, so read the column headers. Life Extension's serving is two capsules; Thorne's is one capsule. The Life Extension column uses the panel on lifeextension.com (item 01945, UPC 737870194569) read on October 29, 2026; Thorne's uses DSLD 284189.
| Nutrient | Life Extension BioActive Complete B-Complex (2 capsules) | Thorne Basic B Complex (1 capsule) |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin (B1) | 100 mg | 110 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 75 mg (riboflavin, riboflavin 5′-phosphate) | 10 mg (riboflavin 5′-phosphate sodium) |
| Niacin (B3) | 100 mg NE (niacinamide, niacin) | 140 mg (130 mg niacinamide, 10 mg niacin) |
| Vitamin B6 | 100 mg (pyridoxine HCl, pyridoxal 5′-phosphate) | 10 mg (pyridoxal 5′-phosphate) |
| Folate | 680 mcg DFE (L-5-MTHF calcium salt) | 667 mcg (400 mcg as L-5-MTHF) |
| Vitamin B12 | 300 mcg (methylcobalamin) | 400 mcg (methylcobalamin) |
| Biotin | 1,000 mcg | 400 mcg |
| Pantothenic acid | 500 mg | 110 mg |
| Calcium | 50 mg (current panel; the 2020 DSLD entry lists 90 mg) | not listed |
| Choline | not listed | 28 mg (choline citrate) |
| Inositol | 100 mg | not listed |
| PABA | 50 mg | not listed |
The Life Extension label has a version gap worth knowing about. Its newest on-market DSLD entry, 232592, dates from August 2020; the panel on the brand's site on October 29, 2026 matches it row for row except calcium, now 50 mg instead of 90 mg. We used the brand's current panel.
Per serving as printed, Life Extension's B complex carries much more riboflavin, B6, biotin and pantothenic acid, while Thorne's single capsule has more thiamin, niacin and B12. Life Extension's panel adds a caution that reads "Temporary flushing, itching, rash, or gastric disturbances may occur." Both use L-5-MTHF for folate and methylcobalamin for B12.
On registries, the two Thorne B products split. Basic B Complex appeared in the NSF/ANSI 173 listing on October 29, 2026 but not in NSF Certified for Sport, which lists Thorne's B-Complex #6 instead. We found no listing for Life Extension's B complex in any registry we searched.
Fish oil and vitamin D3, side by side
These two products are simpler, one or two active ingredients each, so they share one compact table. Amounts are per serving as printed, and the NSF column shows the name each product was listed under on October 29, 2026.
| Product | Per serving on the label | Bottle | Label source | NSF listing, October 29, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Life Extension Mega EPA/DHA | EPA 720 mg + DHA 480 mg (1,200 mg) per 2 softgels | 120 softgels | DSLD 328568 | not found |
| Thorne Super EPA | EPA 425 mg + DHA 270 mg (695 mg) per gelcap | 90 gelcaps | DSLD 313923 (Certified for Sport seal) and 321972 (no NSF seal) | NSF Certified for Sport and NSF/ANSI 173, as Thorne Super EPA (EPA & DHA) |
| Life Extension Vitamin D3 | 125 mcg (5,000 IU) per softgel | 60 softgels | DSLD 232274 (2020 entry); brand panel matched on October 29, 2026 | not found |
| Thorne D-5,000 | 125 mcg (5,000 IU) per capsule | 60 capsules | DSLD 306268 (Certified for Sport seal) | NSF Certified for Sport and NSF/ANSI 173, as Thorne D-5,000 |
For fish oil, Life Extension's two-softgel serving carries 1,200 mg of EPA plus DHA against 695 mg in one Thorne gelcap, so per capsule the two are within about 100 mg of each other. Thorne sells Super EPA in a Certified for Sport bottle (DSLD 313923) and a bottle without that seal (DSLD 321972) with the same amounts. Life Extension also sells Super Omega-3, but its newest DSLD label dates from 2020 and we did not confirm the current panel, so it is not in the table. Our Thorne Super EPA review goes deeper on that product.
For vitamin D3 the labels are the same dose. Both deliver 125 mcg (5,000 IU) per unit, which is above the 100 mcg (4,000 IU) adult UL listed by NIH ODS. Life Extension's D3 panel, read on October 29, 2026, prints its own caution: "Do not exceed 10000 IU per day unless recommended by your doctor." Thorne's D-5,000 label (DSLD 306268) carries the Certified for Sport seal; Life Extension's D3 (DSLD 232274) carries no NSF seal, only the company's own "Non GMO, LE Certified" symbol.
Testing record, checked on October 29, 2026
This table records what each public registry returned when we searched it. A listing belongs to a product name under a company, not to a bottle or a lot, so "listed" means the name was there on that date. "Not found" means the search returned no match on that date; it is not a failed result.
| What we checked | Life Extension | Thorne | Source, date |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSF Certified for Sport | no listings found for “life extension” | listed, including Basic Nutrients 2/Day, Magnesium Bisglycinate, B-Complex #6, D-5,000 and Super EPA (EPA & DHA); Basic B Complex not in the list | nsfsport.com search, October 29, 2026 |
| NSF/ANSI 173 dietary supplement listing | No Matching Products Found for Life Extension or Quality Supplements | 216 products under the trade name Thorne, including Basic Nutrients 2/Day, Basic B Complex, Magnesium Glycinate, Magnesium Bisglycinate, Super EPA and D-5,000 | info.nsf.org, listings current as of October 29, 2026 |
| NSF GMP registration listing | Life Extension says it is NSF GMP registered; we could not find it in NSF’s public GMP listing on October 29, 2026 (no entry for Life Extension, Quality Supplements and Vitamins or Buyers Club) | entries at 620 and 558 Omni Industrial Boulevard, Summerville, SC | info.nsf.org GMP listing, current as of October 29, 2026 |
| USP Verified | not found | not found | USP verified products list, October 29, 2026 |
| Informed Sport and Informed Choice | not found in either search | not found in either search | wetestyoutrust.com searches, October 29, 2026 |
| openFDA recall records | 0 records for Life Extension or Quality Supplements | 2 drug records from 2014 (Captomer and Captomer-250, Class II, Terminated) | openFDA food and drug enforcement, data updated October 21, 2026, queried October 29, 2026 |
| FDA warning letters | Warning Letter 17-07, February 1, 2017, about website claims | none found in FDA’s search on October 16, 2026; the same search also missed the 2017 Life Extension letter | fda.gov |
| Certificate of analysis policy | a certificate of analysis for every product, on request | not mentioned on Thorne’s quality page; we found no published policy | company pages, October 29, 2026 |
You can rerun each search: NSF Certified for Sport for Thorne and for Life Extension, the NSF/ANSI 173 listing for Thorne and for Life Extension, the NSF GMP listing, the USP Verified products list, and the Informed Sport and Informed Choice searches. NSF's listings print the date and time they were current, so a screenshot is worth taking if a listing matters to you.
What do the NSF listings cover? NSF's page on dietary supplement certification describes NSF/ANSI 173 work as a label claim review, a toxicology review and a contaminant review, with annual audits and periodic retests. Its Certified for Sport program page adds screening for substances banned in sport, lot by lot, and says MLB, NHL and CFL clubs may only provide and recommend Certified for Sport products. For how the NSF, USP and Informed seals differ, see our guide to what supplement seals verify.
Life Extension's quality claims come from the company. Its quality FAQ says it is GMP registered with NSF International, "based on rigorous bi-annual audits of our distribution operations and quality systems", and that ingredients are verified with high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Its company story page says "We provide a Certificate of Analysis for every one of our products" and that "all you need to do is ask."
Two badges on Life Extension's site and labels are not registry listings. Life Extension's own footnote says its ConsumerLab ratings are based on ConsumerLab.com surveys of supplement users (the 2026 survey, with omega-3 ratings from 2025 and the multivitamin rating from 2024), and the "Non GMO, LE Certified" symbol on its labels is the company's own mark.
The FDA records are short and dated. FDA's Warning Letter 17-07, dated February 1, 2017, told Life Extension Foundation Buyers Club, Inc. that claims on lifeextension.com, including its "HEALTH PROTOCOLS" pages, made its products drugs; FDA had reviewed the site in December 2016. Thorne's two openFDA records are 2014 recalls of Captomer and Captomer-250 for being "Marketed Without An Approved NDA/ANDA," both now Terminated.
Cost per day: the honest math
Prices move, so this page does not print Amazon prices. Check the current price on Amazon and divide it as shown below. The formulas are simple: cost per day = bottle price / servings; cost per 100 mg of magnesium = bottle price / (units x mg per unit / 100); cost per 1,000 mg of EPA plus DHA = bottle price / (servings x grams of EPA plus DHA per serving).
| Multivitamin bottle | Servings (2 capsules) |
|---|---|
| Life Extension Two-Per-Day, 60 capsules | 30 |
| Life Extension Two-Per-Day, 120 capsules | 60 |
| Life Extension Two-Per-Day, 240 capsules | 120 |
| Thorne Basic Nutrients 2/Day, 60 capsules (VM2NC label, DSLD 328819) | 30 |
| Thorne Basic Nutrients 2/Day, 120 capsules | 60 |
The 120-capsule Life Extension bottle is the one whose label we read (DSLD 328754); we did not open the labels for the 60 and 240 capsule bottles or for Thorne's 120-capsule bottle. Thorne's Certified for Sport bottle (VM2) is not in the table; thorne.com showed it at $40 for 30 servings on October 16, 2026, about $1.33 a day.
| Product | Math | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Life Extension Magnesium Glycinate, 90 x 105 mg | price / (90 x 1.05) | cost per 100 mg magnesium |
| Thorne Magnesium Glycinate, 90 x 120 mg | price / (90 x 1.2) | cost per 100 mg magnesium |
| Thorne Magnesium Bisglycinate powder, 60 x 200 mg | price / (60 x 2) | cost per 100 mg magnesium |
| Life Extension Extend-Release Magnesium, 60 x 250 mg | price / (60 x 2.5) | cost per 100 mg magnesium |
| Life Extension Magnesium Caps, 100 x 500 mg | price / (100 x 5) | cost per 100 mg magnesium |
| Life Extension Magnesium (Citrate), 100 x 100 mg | price / (100 x 1) | cost per 100 mg magnesium |
| Life Extension BioActive Complete B-Complex, 60 capsules | price / 30 | cost per 2-capsule serving |
| Thorne Basic B Complex, 60 capsules | price / 60 | cost per 1-capsule serving |
| Life Extension Mega EPA/DHA, 120 softgels | price / (60 x 1.2) | cost per 1,000 mg EPA plus DHA |
| Thorne Super EPA, 90 gelcaps | price / (90 x 0.695) | cost per 1,000 mg EPA plus DHA |
| Life Extension Vitamin D3 5,000 IU, 60 softgels | price / 60 | cost per softgel |
| Thorne D-5,000, 60 capsules | price / 60 | cost per capsule |
Life Extension's other magnesium rows are oxide, citrate or blends, so read them as different products rather than as glycinate. The B complexes do not share a serving size, so the per-serving math compares the label's serving, not equal amounts of any one vitamin.
Whether Thorne's extras are worth it to you is your call. Our Thorne review looks at that across Thorne's range, and Thorne vs Pure Encapsulations compares Thorne with another brand.
Who should pick which
None of this tells you what your body needs; a clinician who knows your history does that. What the labels and listings can do is settle the practical questions below, each based on the tables above and dated October 29, 2026.
- You want the lowest daily cost for a two-capsule multi: check the current price of each bottle on Amazon and divide it by the servings in the cost table.
- You want vitamin K, copper or calcium in your multi: only Thorne Basic Nutrients 2/Day lists them (400 mcg, 750 mcg and 52 mg).
- You want molybdenum, or more vitamin C, E and B6 per serving: Life Extension's label lists more of each, and molybdenum appears only on its label.
- You compete under a sports program that accepts NSF Certified for Sport: Thorne had Certified for Sport listings on October 29, 2026 and we found none for Life Extension. Check that the bottle you buy shows the NSF Certified for Sport seal (VM2); the 60-capsule VM2NC bottle carries NSF Contents Certified instead.
- You want magnesium glycinate in capsules: both brands make one, 105 mg (Life Extension) or 120 mg (Thorne) per capsule.
- You want iron in your multi: neither of these lists iron.
If you are still deciding whether to take a multivitamin at all, start with our complete guide to multivitamins. For the drugstore end of the shelf, our Centrum vs One A Day comparison runs the same label-by-label method on two mass-market multivitamin lines.
What to look for when buying
The same product name can sit on bottles with different seals, counts and label versions. Before you pay, check these against the label you meant to buy:
- The seal on the bottle. Thorne sells Basic Nutrients 2/Day with an NSF Certified for Sport seal (VM2) and with an NSF Contents Certified seal (VM2NC). A registry listing covers a product name; the seal tells you which version you are holding.
- The UPC and the count. Our label reads were tied to specific UPCs (listed in each section). A different count can carry a different label version.
- The form names on the panel. "Magnesium oxide" and "magnesium bisglycinate chelate" are both magnesium, in different forms. The panel tells you which one you are paying for.
- What is missing. Neither multi lists iron, and only Thorne lists vitamin K, copper and calcium.
- The date of any registry check. Listings change. NSF's pages print when they were current; note the date if you rely on one.
- The price per day, not per bottle. Divide the bottle price by the servings in the cost table.
The three bottles below are the ones our tables describe. Life Extension Two-Per-Day, 120 capsules (DSLD 328754); Thorne Basic Nutrients 2/Day, 60 capsules, which Thorne sells as VM2 with the NSF Certified for Sport seal (DSLD 323076) and as VM2NC with the NSF Contents Certified seal (DSLD 328819); and Thorne Magnesium Bisglycinate powder, 60 scoops (DSLD 298074, with the NSF Certified for Sport seal on its label). Check the seal on the bottle you receive.
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FAQ
Is Thorne better than Life Extension?
Neither label wins every line. Thorne's multi adds vitamin K, copper, calcium and chelated minerals, and held NSF listings on October 29, 2026; Life Extension's has more vitamin B6, C and E, plus molybdenum. Pick by the lines that matter to you.
How do Thorne and Life Extension compare on cost?
Prices move, so we do not print them. Divide each bottle's current price on Amazon by its servings, using the counts in our cost table. Thorne's label uses chelated mineral forms, and its products held NSF listings on October 29, 2026.
Is Life Extension NSF certified?
We did not find it. On October 29, 2026, NSF's Certified for Sport search, its NSF/ANSI 173 listings and its public GMP listing returned no match for Life Extension; the NSF/ANSI 173 and GMP listings had none for Quality Supplements and Vitamins either. Life Extension says it is GMP registered with NSF, based on audits of its distribution operations and quality systems.
Who makes Life Extension and Thorne supplements?
The labels say different things. Life Extension labels read "Manufactured for: Quality Supplements and Vitamins, Inc." Thorne's Basic Nutrients 2/Day label says manufactured by Thorne Research, while its Super EPA (DSLD 321972) and Magnesium Bisglycinate labels say manufactured for Thorne Research. On August 4, 2026, Thorne announced an agreement to be acquired by Procter and Gamble.
Does Life Extension make a magnesium glycinate?
Yes. On October 29, 2026, lifeextension.com listed Magnesium Glycinate, item 02535: 90 capsules, each with 105 mg of magnesium from magnesium bisglycinate. It was not in the NIH label database that day. Thorne's Magnesium Glycinate capsule lists 120 mg of magnesium per capsule.
Do these multivitamins contain iron or vitamin K?
Neither label lists iron. Only Thorne Basic Nutrients 2/Day lists vitamin K: 400 mcg per two capsules, split into 200 mcg of K1 and 200 mcg of K2 as MK-4. Life Extension Two-Per-Day has no vitamin K row on its label (DSLD 328754).
The bottom line
Thorne Basic Nutrients 2/Day adds vitamin K, copper and calcium, uses bisglycinate chelates for most minerals, and held NSF Certified for Sport and NSF/ANSI 173 listings on October 29, 2026. Life Extension's label gives more vitamin C, E and B6 and adds molybdenum, and the brand showed up in none of the registries we searched.
The two magnesium glycinate capsules were close on dose (105 vs 120 mg). Skip both multis if you want iron, because neither label lists it, and recheck any listing or price before you rely on it, since ours are dated.
Sources and corrections
Every check below was made on October 29, 2026, unless another date is given.
- Labels, NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD API v9): 328754, 323076, 328819, 298074, 284189, 232592, 328568, 313923, 321972, 306268, 232274, 328453, 328565, 328564.
- Brand label panels: Life Extension Magnesium Glycinate, Life Extension BioActive Complete B-Complex, Life Extension Vitamin D3, Life Extension Two-Per-Day, Thorne Magnesium Glycinate.
- Registries: NSF Certified for Sport, Thorne and Life Extension; NSF/ANSI 173, Thorne and Life Extension (listings current as of October 29, 2026); NSF GMP listing (current as of October 29, 2026); USP Verified products; Informed Sport; Informed Choice.
- NSF program pages: Dietary Supplement and Vitamin Certification and Certified for Sport Program.
- FDA: openFDA drug enforcement, Thorne (data updated October 21, 2026); openFDA food and drug enforcement for Life Extension and Quality Supplements (no records); Warning Letter 17-07 (February 1, 2017); FDA warning letter search for Thorne (October 16, 2026).
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheets, with each page's own update date: vitamin D (June 27, 2025), vitamin B6 (June 16, 2023), niacin (November 18, 2022), magnesium (January 6, 2026), vitamin A (March 10, 2025), folate (November 30, 2022).
- Company pages: Life Extension about page, quality FAQ, company story, FAQ page footnote on ConsumerLab ratings; Thorne quality page, Thorne press release of August 4, 2026.
- Prices: Thorne VM2 price from thorne.com, October 16, 2026.
Published November 12, 2026. Label versions and registry listings checked October 29, 2026.
Corrections: none so far. If you find an error, tell us through our contact page and we will correct it within 7 days, with a dated note here.
