A healthy, balanced diet is normally enough to meet most of your nutritional needs. But it's still difficult to get all the essential vitamins and nutrients recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for quality, long-term health. Adding the best supplements for men to your nutritious diet, from multivitamins and minerals to products such as omega-3s and probiotics, can help to keep you in great health.
5 Key Vitamins and Supplements for Men's Health
Due to genetics, lifestyle, location and food availability, we all have unique nutritional needs. For instance, some wh consumes leafy greens regularly might have enough potassium yet lack vitamin D if they hardly ever get any direct sunlight. For this reason, we recommend a more personalized approach to get the right supplementation for your individual health profile.
Plenty of factors help determine the nutritional supplementation you need, such as exercise level, stress levels, family history, etc. There are (literally) thousands of products on the market offering a vast array of nutrients. The essential vitamins and supplements men of any age should consider include:
- Vitamin D boosts testosterone levels in men and improves heart and bone health in older men.
- Magnesium maintains many bodily functions and overall wellness in A1 condition.
- Boron supports brain function, bone health, sexual health and a more resilient immune system.
- Omega-3 fatty acids support brain health, heart health, joint health, lower inflammation and much more.
- Saw Palmetto Extract is a traditional remedy for prostate health.
We highly recommend that you always check with your personal practitioner to ensure your regimen is safe and suits your needs. Here's our roundup of the best men supplements for overall better health and wellbeing:
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If you want a supplement that provides most of the required nutrients you might be lacking, a multivitamin is a great addition to your daily diet and routine. The Rainbow Light is a solid natural multivitamin that contains vitamins A, B, C, D3, E, selenium and zinc. It also contains an energy-boosting supplement made from the extract of spinach, kale, beets and dandelion.
It's a vegetarian formula, certified by the Non-GMO Project, meaning you're getting top-quality ingredients. With no artificial ingredients, the One Multivitamin is formulated to boost men's cardiovascular and sexual health while also improving immunity. The recommended dosage is just one tablet per day, which is remarkably gentle on your stomach. Plus, each tablet has a blend of probiotics, ginger and digestive enzymes to support digestive wellness.
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Probiotics are an excellent choice for men who want to boost their immunity and support optimal digestive health. The Garden of Life Dr. Formulated Probiotics for Men, formulated by Dr. David Perlmutter-a human-microbiome expert, is great for improving intestinal health and immune response. These shelf-stable capsules are not only good for colon health but may also protect against colon cancer.
The formulation is made from a combination of over 50 billion live cultures and 15 raw probiotic strains for each capsule. The capsules are hypoallergenic and vegetarian; they contain no fillers, flavors or artificial colors. The recommended dosage is just one pill per day.
On the downside, the quality is a bit hazy since this supplement is not Certified Vegan, NSF Certified Gluten-Free or Non-GMO Project Verified.
Pros
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Omega-3 fatty acids, mainly derived from fish oil, have long been known to improve heart health. The Nordic Naturals' Ultimate Omega is formulated with high-quality ingredients, including the potent omega-3s, from sardines and anchovies 100% caught in the wild. The soft gels are very easy to go down since it has no fish aftertaste; instead, they contain a fresh lemon taste.
Each serving of two soft gels contains 1280mg of total omega-3s with 450mg DHA, 650mg EPA and 180mg of other omega-3s. Like all other fish oil products from Nordic Natural, this one is certified by the Ultimate Omega is Friend of the Sea, tested for purity by third parties and backed by more than 50 research studies. This non-GMO verified supplement is also available in liquid form if you don't like swallowing pills.
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The body naturally produces vitamin D from exposure to the sun. Adding Nature Made's D3 can help to improve your immunity and edge you closer to meeting the recommended daily dosage of 600IU. Furthermore, a vitamin D supplement is essential for stronger bones and minimizing the risk of fractures, specifically for men as they age.
Nature Made is well-known for formulating affordable and effective vitamins. There's no doubt the USP-Verified D3 is budget-friendly but just as high in quality as other more expensive products. Each soft gel contains 2,000 IU of vitamin D3, and they're very easy to swallow.
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Magnesium is a key mineral for several body functions. In its highly bioavailable form, magnesium citrate, it's easily absorbed into the body to replenish magnesium levels and induce its natural laxative effect. Pure Encapsulation, well-known and trusted in the industry, provides superior quality magnesium supplements.
Each magnesium citrate capsule contains 150mg of magnesium. They are fairly easy to swallow and hypoallergenic, making this product ideal for men who suffer from allergies. Apart from being free of common allergens, this supplement is also free of magnesium stearate, artificial colors, sweeteners and even hydrogenated fat.
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Factors to Consider in the Best Supplements for Men
1. Nutritional Needs
Most men take supplements to make up for or avoid nutritional deficiencies in their diet. Therefore, it's best to consult with your personal health care provider before you start any supplementation. These professionals will identify your nutritional deficiencies or any specific health conditions that can benefit from additional nutrients.
It's also crucial to keep in mind supplements are meant to improve nutrition on a rather healthy diet rather than replace a poor one. Furthermore, more is not always better when it comes to some specific vitamins and minerals. Consuming too many supplements can easily spiral to a serious health risk.
2. Health Goals
You'll also want to consider your personal health and wellness goals when you're looking for supplements. For instance, if you're looking to improve your bone health, a blend of vitamin D, calcium and magnesium is an excellent option. Similarly, if you're want to boost your mood, you'll find several supplements formulated for this specific purpose. At the end of the day, it all boils down to what you wish to achieve and the appropriate supplementation considering your personal nutrition needs.
3. Supplement Form
Supplements come in various forms to accommodate individual preferences. If you're the kind of person who doesn't particularly lean towards taking a pill daily, you can opt for supplements that come in liquid form, gummy, tablets or lozenge. Always check the ingredients list to be completely sure the product contains the necessary nutrients levels and is low in sugar.
4. Price
No matter what you're buying, the price of a product is always an essential thing to consider. The same applies to the best supplements for men, especially since you'll buy them regularly. But that said, your health probably doesn't come with a price tag; fortunately, most supplements tend to be reasonably priced for the average consumer.
Furthermore, the rise of e-commerce websites has made it easier to access a wide array of supplements at reasonable prices. You might even be lucky enough to score a few good deals and offers. But always buy from a certified and trusted seller.
5. Trusted Brand
When looking at the best supplements for men, you'll probably focus mostly on safety, effectiveness and expense. But it's just as important to go for a product from a well-known and trusted brand. This assures you of getting an excellent product, but also better customer support in case something comes up.
Supplements don't go through the same level of scrutiny and restrictions for labeling as food does. As such, there's always the chance that some supplements may not contain what's labeled or may contain ingredients that you should avoid. Fortunately, some third-party groups like NSF International and U.S Pharmacopeia (USP) test out supplements to make sure they don't contain any banned substances. Look out for their certification on the product label before you buy.
6. Reviews
You can also consider checking out product reviews to have a clearer picture of what you're getting. Plenty of customer reviews expound on benefits and downsides, which can be really helpful in finding the best supplements for men. Start from Amazon reviews and work your way up to more detailed reviews.
Supplements and Safety
Nutrition experts concur there's no harm in taking a multivitamin daily. But it's easy to go over the tolerable upper level (UL) for a couple of nutrients, especially if you consume a lot of fortified foods and drinks. This increases the chances of side effects, from mild ones like nausea to more serious ones like bleeding.
Dietary supplements, at high doses, are drugs. Since they aren't regulated like medicine, there's no definitive way of knowing exactly what they contain. We, therefore, reiterate that you should always let your doctor know what you're taking.
The following supplements ask for a bit more extra caution:
- Beta-carotene and vitamin A - high doses increase the chances of lung cancer for smokers. Vitamin A in retinol form can lead to birth defects in pregnant mothers.
- Antioxidants - overusing vitamin C and E may trigger the growth of tumors and also affect cancer treatments.
- Vitamin B12 - newer supplements contain higher doses which can cause side effects like dizziness, headaches or anxiety if you take too much.
- Vitamin D - too much vitamin D may lead to a calcium buildup, hypercalcemia, which may cause kidney stones.
Nowadays, the pressure to improve ourselves using certain products is pretty real. As such, you really have to be smart about deciding whether or not a particular supplement is the right choice for you. If you happen on any obstacles or would like more information on a product you want to take up, do not hesitate to talk to your doctor.
Frequently Asked Questions about Supplements for Men
1. How do supplements work?
Supplements 'work' in the sense they plug in gaps in your diet. There's still no conclusive research and evidence that supplements prolong lives or protect against chronic illnesses: but this is not to say they can't or don't work, just that we don't really know yet. If there's one thing we are quite confident of, vitamin and mineral supplements with a balanced, nutrition-dense diet help to keep you in great health.
2. What supplements should vegans take?
In theory, a well-planned and balanced vegan diet should provide all the essential nutrients you need. However, some vital nutrients can only be obtained from animal source foods. Therefore, vegans should go for multivitamin and mineral supplements for nutrients such as vitamin b12, iron, iodine, zinc, calcium and plant-based omega 3.
For protein powder, you'll undoubtedly find plenty of options on the market that are exclusively sourced from plant foods.
