Lifestyle

Best Vitamins For Men: Secrets To Aging Gracefully

December 1, 2021

It’s no secret that guys go through significant changes as we grow older. Although the severity of these changes varies depending on the person, aging has an impact on everything from your physical appearance to your sex drive.

Until someone finds the Fountain of Youth or one of these new "longevity" companies makes some headway, there isn’t much to be done about reversing the aging process. However, you might be able to slow it down with some changes to your diet and lifestyle. Placing an emphasis on some key essential vitamins and nutrients can be beneficial to your health and sexual function.

What Do Nutrients Do For Your Body?

Nutrients are the compounds in foods and supplements that are essential to life, providing energy, building blocks for repair and growth, and the substances necessary to regulate normal chemical systems.

Your body relies on six different groups of nutrients to function properly, including carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, vitamins, and water. Most of these essential nutrients are found in your food, but they can also be ingested in the form of supplements.

Regardless of the delivery method, your body breaks down food or supplements and absorbs these nutrients as they travel through your digestive system.

Proper nutrition is important to your health, and deficiencies in your vitamin and mineral intake can lead to health conditions and complications. If you have gaps in your diet, a daily multivitamin may be able to ensure your body has everything it needs.

What Vitamins and Minerals Are Most Beneficial For Men’s Health?

The list of essential vitamins and minerals is a long one, and it might seem overwhelming to figure out a diet plan that gets enough of these essential nutrients. The good news is, most people who eat a balanced diet are getting most of their necessary nutrients and minerals already. However, there are some foods that contain large amounts of multiple vitamins and minerals that are especially important for men.

These are the most important vitamins and minerals to eat for men, what they do for you, and the foods that contain the most of them.

Calcium

Calcium is extremely important for your bones and teeth. In fact, your teeth and bones are 99% calcium, so maintaining optimal calcium levels can help to prevent them from deteriorating with age and end up being easily broken. Calcium also plays a role in blood flow as it helps your muscles to contract, your blood to clot, and your heart to beat in rhythm.

Foods that are high in calcium include:

Cheese
Collard greens
Kale
Milk
Spinach
Yogurt (which also contains probiotics that support gut health!)

Coenzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10 plays a crucial role in heart health and helps to regulate blood sugar levels. It might help to prevent certain cancers and can reduce oxidative stress that damages your skin, brain, lungs, and muscles.

Although Coenzyme Q10 is naturally produced by your liver, its production rates naturally decrease as you age. As a result, you’ll have to start getting more of it from the food that you eat or via supplements as you get older.

Foods high in coenzyme Q10 include:

Broccoli
Cauliflower
Herring
Kidneys
Lentils
Liver and other organ meats
Pistachios
Sesame seeds
Soybeans
Spinach
Trout

Magnesium

Magnesium helps your body to create energy, as well as helps with muscle and nerve function. A magnesium deficiency might play a role in erectile dysfunction and other sex-related issues.

Foods high in magnesium include:

Almonds
Black beans
Cashews
Peanuts
Pumpkin seeds
Soymilk
Spinach
Wheat cereal

Potassium

Potassium helps your body in many of the same ways that calcium does, specifically helping your nerves, muscles, and heart to function properly. It also helps to counteract the effects of too much sodium in your blood and remove waste from your cells.

Foods high in potassium include:

Apricots
Bananas
Broccoli
Grapefruits
Milk
Mushrooms
Prunes
Pumpkins
Raisins
Spinach
Yogurt
Zucchini

Selenium

Selenium is crucial for your immune system and protecting your cells from damage. It also helps your thyroid to function properly and contributes to repairing DNA.

Foods that are high in selenium include:

Baked beans
Bananas
Brazil nuts
Brown rice
Cashews
Dairy products
Fish (which are also high in omega-3 fatty acids!)
Lentils
Mushroom
Oatmeal
Pork
Poultry
Spinach
Sunflower seeds

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is an antioxidant that plays a role in the growth and division of your cells and helps maintain vision, reproduction, and the immune system.

Foods that are high in vitamin A include:

Black-eyed peas
Broccoli
Carrots
Liver
Red peppers
Spinach
Sweet potatoes

Vitamin B

There are actually three B vitamins that are essential to men's health. Vitamin B6 helps you to create energy and fights off harmful pathogens; vitamin B9 helps with cell growth and helps prevent stroke and even some forms of cancer; and vitamin B12 helps with the nervous system and blood cell production. Riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), thiamine (B1), and biotin (B7) are also key B vitamins that work to support your health.

Foods high in B vitamins include:

Beef
Collard greens
Eggs
Legumes
Liver
Milk
Poultry
Salmon
Spinach
Yogurt

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that's important for metabolism and your immune system. It helps with creating, growing, and repairing the tissues needed by your major organs, and is found in most fruits and vegetables.

Food that are high in vitamin C include:

Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Cantaloupe
Kiwi
Oranges
Peppers
Potatoes
Strawberries
Squash
Tomatoes

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is used by your body to help with muscle function, nerve function, and immune system strength. A deficiency in vitamin D3 can lead to sexual issues such as erectile dysfunction. It’s important in helping your body to break down and absorb calcium as well.

The best source of vitamin D is direct sunlight, but you can also get it from the following foods:

Cod liver oil
Egg yolks
Herring
Mackerel
Milk
Mushrooms
Oatmeal
Orange juice
Salmon
Sardines
Tuna

Zinc

Zinc is necessary to help support your immune system and metabolism function. It’s also important to your sense of taste and smell while aiding in wound healing and producing testosterone.

Foods high in zinc include:

Beans
Crab
Dairy
Lobster
Nuts
Oysters
Poultry
Red meat
Whole grains

Are Multivitamins an Effective Way To Get Essential Nutrients?

The use of multivitamins is common, especially in older adults — it’s hard to beat the convenience of taking a pill that provides all your essential nutrients in one. However, some studies have suggested that multivitamins aren’t an effective method of getting your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals because much of the time, their form in supplements are not as absorbable and usable as your body requires.

While they're better than vitamin or mineral deficiencies, they may not be equivalent to dietary intake in reducing the risk of heart disease, cancer, or mental decline. Ideally, get your nutrients from a healthy and well-balanced diet.

The Takeaway

Getting enough vitamins and minerals can be an effective way to slow the effects of aging, especially when taken in whole foods or through supplementation when necessary.

There isn’t much you can do to stop time from marching on, but placing a strong emphasis on getting enough of these key vitamins and minerals can help to limit the effects of getting older and help you age more gracefully. The best way to get these essential nutrients is through your diet, but supplements can be a decent substitute. Using multivitamins is better than nothing to support men’s health, but is nowhere near as effective as a healthy diet.