Top 10 Supplements For Men

Man up your supplement regimen with these key guy-friendly nutrients.

- Vera Tweed

Nutrients are gender-neutral—they don’t discriminate. But because the male and female incarnations of our species are not identical, nutritional benefits can differ somewhat between the sexes. Among the dozens of supplement choices, these 10 offer some clear perks for men.

MULTIVITAMINS

The contents of multiscan differ dramatically, from a handful of ingredients to a few dozen, with a variety of dosages. Consequently, it’s difficult to study multivitamin effects, and research results have not been consistent. But large, longer-term trials that compared specific supplement formulations with placebos have found less incidence of cancer, heart disease, and early death, and overall healthier aging, among men who supplement with a multi.

A French study of more than 13,000 men and women compared the effects of a placebo and a daily supplement containing a combination of antioxidants typically found in multis. After 7 years, researchers found that the supplement reduced risk of cancer and all causes of death in men, but not in women. The antioxidant supplements contained 120 mg of vitamin C; 30 mg of vitamin E (equivalent to 45 IU natural vitamin E or 67 IU of a synthetic form); 6 mg (10,000 IU) of beta carotene; 100 mcg of selenium; and 20 mg of zinc.

In another 11-year study, male physicians who were age 50 or older at the outset were given either a placebo or a once-daily multi with relatively low doses of essential vitamins and minerals. Researchers also estimated nutrient intakes from food. They concluded that the multivitamin lowered risk of cancer and, among men who consumed higher amounts of vitamins B 6, B 12, and D from food, risk of heart disease and death.

VITAMIN D