Multivitamins for Men Explained: Exploring the Ingredients

Quick Health Scoop

• Even the most well-rounded diet may be lacking in certain key nutrients
• Each man’s age, lifestyle, and eating habits affect his nutrition needs
• A men’s multivitamin can be a daily addition to fill nutritional gaps
• When choosing multivitamins for men, look for key ingredients such as Vitamin D, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, and Magnesium

Nearly a third of Americans are taking a multivitamin.[1] But, how do we know if we are taking the right multivitamin?

A person’s nutrition requirements depend on several factors including gender, lifestyle, and diet. Men have different nutritional needs than women. Choosing a multivitamin for men involves selecting a supplement with important nutrients for men such as Vitamin D, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, and Magnesium. Let’s explore essential ingredients that make quality men’s multivitamins and share our top recommended multivitamins.

Multivitamins for Men: Key Ingredients

A balanced diet emphasizes lean meats, beans, nuts, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats.[4] Food should be a primary source of vitamins and minerals, but even the most meticulous meal plan may not meet every nutritional need each day.

The right multivitamin for men should include the main dietary vitamins and minerals to supplement a balanced diet. Taking a daily multivitamin can be a way to ensure that you are getting essential vitamins and minerals. Finding the right multivitamin starts with first considering the nutrition needs of the individual.

Men and women have different nutritional needs. For example, women need more Iron to accommodate for menstruation and those Iron needs go up during pregnancy. One study of dietary intake suggested that men were able to meet their Iron needs with food alone, unlike their female counterparts.[2][3] For this reason, most men’s multivitamins do not include Iron, as there is a potential for getting too much and having toxic health effects.

A multivitamin can pick up where the diet cannot provide enough. But, is important to note that a multivitamin should not be used to correct diagnosed vitamin deficiencies. A true deficiency should only be diagnosed and treated with help from a medical professional.

Let’s explore the five key multivitamin ingredients for men, Vitamin D, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, and Magnesium.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, is one of the few vitamins that the body can produce. The sun’s rays prompt chemical reactions in the body to create a usable form of Vitamin D. This is good news during warm summer months when sun exposure is high. For most adults, this effect is not enough to maintain acceptable Vitamin D levels during winter months.[5]

There are a few food sources of Vitamin D such as oily fish, cod liver oil, egg yolks, and liver. It is not widespread in foods and nearly 40% of adults are deficient in vitamin D.[6]

Having adequate Vitamin D levels is associated with supporting  immune health^†.[5] The current Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for Vitamin D is 600 IU per day for men, although the Endocrine Society suggests that levels as high as 1,500 to 2,000 IU per day may be needed to maintain a normal blood level.[7]

Vitamin A

Vitamin A, also known as retinol or retinoic acid is important to support healthy vision and a healthy immune system.[11]^†

Dark leafy greens and orange foods like carrots and butternut squash are sources of Vitamin A. Additionally, Vitamin A can be found in animal foods such as dairy, fish, eggs, and meats. The RDA for Vitamin A for men is 900 mcg RAE per day.[7]

Men who follow a vegetarian diet or are not including daily sources of dark green and orange vegetables may not be getting sufficient sources of Vitamin A.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid is an antioxidant that has long been associated with supporting health.[8] Vitamin C  is not only an antioxidant that supports your immune system, but it also increases iron absorption from food and is needed for collagen synthesis to support overall skin health. ^†

Vitamin C is an essential vitamin, meaning the body cannot produce it and we must get it from the foods we eat. The RDA for Vitamin C is 90 mg per day for adult men.[7] Citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruit, bell peppers, strawberries, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower all contain Vitamin C.

Calcium

Added Calcium isn’t just for women, men need Calcium to support strong bones.^† The RDA for Calcium is 1,000 mg per day for men.[7] Calcium can be found in dairy foods, canned bone-in fish, almonds, leafy greens, and some soy foods such as edamame and tofu.

Calcium is a mineral that works in partnership with Vitamin D. Ideally, men’s multivitamins should contain both Vitamin D and Calcium since Vitamin D is needed for the absorption of Calcium.

Magnesium

Magnesium is an important mineral involved in numerous chemical processes in the body. Most notably, Magnesium is an essential mineral required for more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the body.^†

The Magnesium RDA is 420 mg per day for men.[7] Foods such as leafy greens, nuts, and seeds provide dietary Magnesium. Whole grains are also an important source of Magnesium, but often the Magnesium is lost during the processing of whole grains to make flour. Adults with diets that included a significant amount of processed foods are at risk of inadequate Magnesium intake.[9]

Learn More: Supporting Men’s Health: The Best Vitamins for Men

Nature Made Multivitamins for Men

Taking a daily men’s multivitamin is a quick and easy way to help ensure that you are getting a variety of vitamins and minerals each day. Several Nature Made® multivitamins are third party tested with the trusted United States Pharmacopeia (USP) label. This label ensures that each

men’s multivitamin ingredients meet quality standards.

Nature Made Multi for Him Tablets

What is in a men’s multivitamin? Nature Made® Multi for Him is a multivitamin with 22 vitamins and minerals to support muscle, bone, and immune health as well as cellular energy metabolism.^† It features Vitamins D, A, C as well as Calcium and Magnesium. The Multi for Him  Tablet vitamin is gluten free, and does not contain any added colors or artificial flavors.

Multi for Him Gummy

Multi for Him Gummy vitamins are delicious solution. A variety of essential vitamins and minerals to support men’s health comes in  These gummies have more of the nutrients you want and are free from gluten, no synthetic dyes, artificial flavors and high fructose corn syrup.^†

Nature Made Multivitamin for Men with Omega 3

Getting a daily dose of heart healthy omega 3 fats can be done with Nature Made® Multi + Omega 3 gummies.^†

Multi + Omega 3 for Him Gummy

Two Multi + Omega 3 for Him gummies per day provide a serving of both EPA and DHA omega 3 fats along with 22 vitamins and minerals. These gummies are free from synthetic dyes, or artificial flavors, only natural fruit flavors provide the great taste.

Nature Made Multivitamin for Men Over 50

Our nutrition needs change as we age. Seniors are at a higher risk of vitamin deficiencies, especially Vitamin B12.[10]

Multi for Him 50+ Tablets

The Multi for Him 50+ tablets have all the 22 nutrients that the Multi for Him vitamins, but are specially formulated for men over 50. Multi for Him 50+ has 25 mcg of Vitamin B12 which may help provide daily additional Vitamin B12 support.

The Bottom Line

No diet is perfect. Taking a daily multivitamin can help provide vitamins and minerals missing or lacking from the diet. Four key nutrients for men’s health are Vitamin D, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, and Magnesium. Men’s multivitamin ingredients should include these four nutrients along with a combination of B vitamins and essential minerals to support men’s health and cellular energy metabolism.^†

If you are looking for the a multivitamin for men, Nature Made® has four varieties of multivitamins with 22 essential vitamins and minerals perfect for men’s unique nutrition needs.

Learn More about Multivitamins for Men

• Multivitamin Benefits: How to Choose the Best Multivitamin for You
• When is the Best Time to Take Vitamins and Supplements
• Men’s Health: What Vitamins Should Men Take Daily at Different Ages

Follow @NatureMadeVitamins on Instagram for new product news, healthy tips, and more.

† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

References

1. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements. Multivitamin/Mineral Supplementation. Updated: October 11, 2022. Accessed December 15, 2022. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/MVMS-HealthProfessional/
2. Maddock, Jay. Public Health: Social and Behavioral Health. InTech; 2012. Accessed December 15, 2022. https://books.google.com/books?id=ocqgDwAAQBAJ&lpg=PA83&ots=-zgWGnc_YV&dq=gender%20difference%20in%20dietary%20intake&lr&pg=PA84#v=onepage&q=gender%20difference%20in%20dietary%20intake&f=false
3. Gan W, Mohd Nasir M, Zalilah M, Hazizi A. Gender Differences in Eating Behaviours, Dietary Intake & Body Weight Status of Students.Mal J Nutr, 2011;17(2): 213 - 228.
4. USDA. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025. 9th ed. Accessed December 15, 2022. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf
5. Pludowski P, Holick M, Grant W, Konstantynowicz J, Mascarenhas M, Haq A, Povoroznyuk V, Balatska N, Barbosa A, Karonova T, Rudenka E, Misiorowski W, Zakharova I, Rudenka A, Łukaszkiewicz J, Marcinowska-Suchowierska E, Łaszcz N, Abramowicz P, Bhattoa H, Wimalawansa S. Vitamin D supplementation guidelines. The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 2018; 175:125-135. doi:10.1016/j.jsbmb.2017.01.021.
6. Amrein, K., Scherkl, M., Hoffmann, M. et al. Vitamin D deficiency 2.0: an update on the current status worldwide. Eur J Clin Nutr.2020; 74:1498–1513. doi:10.1038/s41430-020-0558-y
7. National Institute of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Fact Sheets for Health Professionals. Accessed December 15, 2022. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/list-all/
8. Lykkesfeldt, J, Poulsen H. Is vitamin C supplementation beneficial? Lessons learned from randomised controlled trials. British Journal of Nutrition, 2010;103(9):1251-1259. doi:10.1017/S0007114509993229.
9. Zhang X, Li Y, Del Gobbo LC, et al. Effects of Magnesium Supplementation on Blood Pressure: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trials. August 2016.
10. Wong CW. Vitamin B12 deficiency in the elderly: is it worth screening? Hong Kong Med J. 2015 Apr;21(2):155-64. doi: 10.12809/hkmj144383.
11. Huang Z, Liu Y, Qi G, Brand D, Zheng SG. Role of Vitamin A in the Immune System. J Clin Med. 2018;7(9):258. Published 2018 Sep 6. doi:10.3390/jcm7090258