How to Find the Right Multivitamins for Men
Vitamins and dietary supplements are taken by nearly 50 percent of adults in the U.S. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a dietary supplement consists of one, or a combination, of vitamins, minerals or herbs.
Store aisles and websites offer a multitude of different types — some marketed for men, some for women, some for those 50+ years of age, and more. With more than 85,000 different dietary supplements available that make all sorts of claims of health benefits, it's important to understand what goes into all these pills you may be taking.
What are vitamins and why are they important?
Vitamins are essential to help your body grow, resist infections, get energy from food and help your blood flow properly. The right amount of vitamins you need can't be produced by your body alone-your diet is key in making sure you get the right nutrients you need. There are 13 types of vitamins: vitamins C, A, D, E, K, and the B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, B6, B12, and folate).
Minerals like calcium and iron are just as important and serve many different roles in the body, including bone growth. Some minerals, like iodine and fluoride, are only needed in very small quantities. Others, such as calcium, magnesium and potassium are needed in larger amounts.
Should you take a multivitamin/multimineral product?
If you're like me, think of a multivitamin/multimineral product as an "insurance policy" for eating a less-than-healthy, balanced diet. However, the best way to get needed nutrients is through a proper, balanced diet — and most adults can meet their vitamin and mineral needs by eating properly. The vast majority of research studies indicate little to no benefit from multivitamin supplementation in preventing diseases among healthy adult men.
But for certain groups of healthy people, especially those whose diet has nutritional gaps, a multivitamin may help. If you have a medical illness or are taking prescription medications, check with your doctor or pharmacist for personalized advice. Diseases and medicines can alter vitamin and mineral utilization, where more or less of a vitamin may be required.
Older men and women who may have a reduced appetite or can't absorb certain nutrients well may benefit from taking multivitamin/multimineral products. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends that a vitamin/mineral supplement may be needed when you are eating less than 1,600 calories per day, an older adult (50+), a vegetarian or vegan, or have a medical condition that limits your food choices.
What about calcium supplements?
We need to have a sufficient amount of calcium in our diet for strong bones and teeth, and vitamin D is needed for calcium absorption. Low calcium intake throughout life is associated with low bone mass and high bone fracture rates. While many multivitamins contain 100 percent of most recommended vitamins and minerals, the daily multivitamin that I take contains only 22 percent of the daily recommended intake of calcium. Getting enough calcium in a diet should be on every man's list. There are also special recommendations for older people who are at risk for bone loss.
What about safety?
There can be too much of a good thing, especially with vitamins. Some vitamins and minerals can be harmful if taken in large amounts. For example, too many fat-soluble vitamins — vitamins A, E, and K — can cause health problems. Excess amounts of water-soluble vitamins are eliminated by the body in urine, but extra fat-soluble vitamins are stored by the body, mostly in the liver. Too much water-soluble vitamin C can cause kidney stones, while very high doses of fat-soluble vitamin A can play havoc with your liver. Getting too much calcium from dietary supplements has often been associated with kidney stones, while excessive vitamin D can damage the kidneys and heart. Always avoid so-called "mega-doses" of vitamins and minerals.
Read the label and ask questions.
Check labels to ensure the supplement meets United States Pharmacopeia (USP) standards. USP verified indicates that a product has been verified for purity, strength, safety, dissolvability, and manufacturing quality by the USP, an independent standards setting authority for the drug and dietary supplement industries.
Your doctor and pharmacist are also excellent sources of information.
Be well, stay well!
Pharmacist Andy
Andy Stergachis, Ph.D., R.Ph. is the Director of the Global Medicines Program at the University of Washington in Seattle and a subject expert on public health and pharmacy-related topics.