Do Men Need a Multivitamin? What the Evidence Says

Men are the least likely group to take a supplement — but they have nutritional gaps too

Walk through the supplement aisle and the messaging is clear: women's multivitamins dominate the shelf space. Marketing budgets follow the same pattern. The result is a widespread assumption that men either do not need nutritional support or are somehow getting everything they need from food alone.

The data tells a different story. The National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS), the UK government's rolling assessment of dietary intake, consistently shows that men fall short on several key micronutrients. Not dramatically, in most cases — but enough that the gap between what they consume and what their bodies require is meaningful over time.

The question is not really "do men need a multivitamin?" It is: which nutrients are men most likely to be low in, and does a generic one-size-fits-all tablet address those gaps effectively?

Which nutrients are men most commonly low in?

The NDNS data highlights four nutrients where men's intake frequently falls below recommended levels:

Magnesium — 16% of men aged 19–64 have intakes below the Lower Reference Nutrient Intake (LRNI), with higher shortfalls in younger age groups
Vitamin D — the UK government recommends that all adults consider supplementing during autumn and winter, and many men have insufficient status year-round
Selenium — UK soil is naturally low in selenium compared to other countries, and intakes have declined steadily over recent decades
Zinc — men following plant-based or restricted diets are at particular risk of inadequate intake, compounded by losses through sweat during exercise

These are not exotic micronutrients. They are foundational minerals and vitamins with well-documented roles across dozens of biological processes — and each carries specific authorised health claims under EU Regulation 432/2012, retained in UK law.

Zinc: the mineral most relevant to men's health claims

Zinc is the nutrient most directly associated with male-specific authorised health claims. Under EU Regulation 432/2012, zinc carries the following claims:

Contributes to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood
Contributes to normal fertility and reproduction
Contributes to the normal function of the immune system
Contributes to normal protein synthesis
Contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress

The testosterone claim is worth understanding in context. Prasad et al. (1996) studied the relationship between zinc status and serum testosterone in healthy men. Dietary zinc restriction in young men was associated with a significant decrease in serum testosterone concentrations after 20 weeks. Zinc supplementation in marginally zinc-deficient elderly men was associated with an increase in serum testosterone. The relationship between zinc status and testosterone is real — but it operates through correcting deficiency, not through pharmacological enhancement.

This distinction matters. Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels. It does not "boost" testosterone above normal physiological ranges. Any supplement claiming otherwise is making an unauthorised claim.

For a detailed comparison of zinc supplement forms and absorption, see our guide to zinc supplements: forms, dosing and what the evidence shows.

Magnesium: commonly depleted by the things men do most

Magnesium is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions and carries several authorised health claims relevant to men:

Contributes to normal muscle function
Contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue
Contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism
Contributes to electrolyte balance
Contributes to normal protein synthesis

Two factors make magnesium particularly relevant for men: exercise and stress.

Bohl and Volpe (2002) reviewed the relationship between magnesium and exercise, finding that physical exercise may deplete magnesium through increased urinary and sweat losses, and that marginal magnesium intake combined with regular training may impair energy metabolism efficiency. Men who train regularly — whether running, cycling or lifting — have higher magnesium requirements than sedentary individuals.

The stress connection is equally significant. Pickering et al. (2020) revisited the concept of a magnesium-stress vicious circle: stress increases magnesium loss through urinary excretion, which in turn makes the body more susceptible to further stress. Low magnesium status has been reported in several studies assessing people suffering from psychological stress.

If you experience poor sleep alongside stress and exercise, magnesium becomes triply relevant. See our guide to magnesium for sleep for the clinical evidence on magnesium and sleep quality.

Vitamin D: the UK-wide recommendation that applies to everyone

The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) recommends that all UK adults consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms (400 IU) of vitamin D during autumn and winter. For people who spend limited time outdoors or cover most of their skin, supplementation is recommended year-round.

This recommendation is not gender-specific — it applies equally to men and women. But men are less likely to follow it.

Vitamin D carries authorised health claims for:

Maintenance of normal bones
Normal function of the immune system
Normal muscle function
Maintenance of normal teeth
Normal absorption and utilisation of calcium and phosphorus

Shraim et al. (2025) analysed vitamin D status in 369,626 UK Biobank participants and found significant rates of severe deficiency, with particularly high prevalence among certain ethnic groups. The UK's latitude means that from October to March, UVB radiation is insufficient for cutaneous vitamin D synthesis regardless of time spent outdoors.

For a comparison of vitamin D3 versus D2 supplementation, see our guide to vitamin D supplements: D3 vs D2.

Selenium: the overlooked mineral with male-specific claims

Selenium is rarely discussed in the context of men's supplements, yet it carries one of the most directly male-relevant authorised health claims:

Contributes to normal spermatogenesis
Contributes to normal thyroid function
Contributes to the normal function of the immune system
Contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress

The spermatogenesis claim reflects selenium's essential role in sperm development. Qazi et al. (2019) reviewed the evidence for selenium and selenoproteins in male reproductive function, concluding that selenium is essentially required for spermatogenesis and male fertility. Selenoproteins are incorporated into the mitochondrial capsule of sperm during the later stages of development, and selenium deficiency is associated with impaired sperm motility and morphology.

UK selenium intakes have declined over the past several decades, partly because UK-grown wheat — which replaced selenium-rich North American imports — contains less selenium due to the lower selenium content of UK soils. This makes selenium a nutrient where geographical factors create a population-wide risk of suboptimal intake that cannot easily be corrected through dietary choices alone.

What most "men's multivitamins" get wrong

The mainstream men's multivitamin market has several systemic problems:

Unauthorised testosterone claims. Many products marketed to men use language implying they will "boost" or "increase" testosterone. Under UK food regulations, the only authorised testosterone-related claim is that zinc "contributes to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood." Any product claiming to raise testosterone above normal levels is making a medicinal claim without a licence.

Unnecessary mega-doses. Some products contain 500–1,000% of the NRV for certain B vitamins, apparently on the assumption that more is better. For water-soluble vitamins, excess is excreted. For fat-soluble vitamins and minerals, excess can be actively harmful. As Lönnerdal (2000) demonstrated for zinc, high doses of one mineral can inhibit absorption of others.

Cheap ingredient forms. Zinc oxide, cyanocobalamin, and magnesium oxide are cheaper to manufacture but have demonstrably lower bioavailability than chelated or methylated forms. Wegmüller et al. (2014) showed that zinc absorption from zinc oxide was significantly lower than from zinc citrate or zinc gluconate. The dose on the label is irrelevant if most of it is not absorbed.

One-size-fits-all dosing. A generic men's multivitamin gives identical doses to every man regardless of age, diet, activity level, or health goals. This guarantees that some men get too much of nutrients they do not need and too little of those they do.

Compressed tablets with competitive inhibition. When zinc, iron, and other minerals are compressed into a single tablet, they dissolve simultaneously in the stomach and compete for the same absorption pathways. You end up absorbing less of everything.

Why personalisation matters more than a generic formula

Consider two men:

Man A is 28, training for a marathon, following a plant-based diet. He sweats heavily, restricts calories periodically, and is under work stress. His likely gaps: magnesium (exercise and stress depletion), zinc (plant-based diet plus sweat losses), iron (endurance training increases requirements), and vitamin D (limited outdoor time during winter training).

Man B is 60, largely sedentary, eats a varied diet but has noticed declining energy. His likely gaps: vitamin D (reduced cutaneous synthesis with age), vitamin B12 (absorption efficiency declines with age), CoQ10 (endogenous production decreases after 40), and selenium (UK soil depletion).

A single generic tablet cannot serve both of these men well. Man A needs higher magnesium and zinc. Man B needs more attention to B12 and CoQ10. Giving both the same formula means neither gets what they actually need.

PARTICULAR's questionnaire captures the factors that determine your individual nutritional requirements — diet type, activity level, age, health goals, lifestyle factors, and existing supplementation. Your personalised blend is then formulated as vegan microgranules — each nutrient in its own individually coated granule, released independently along the digestive tract to avoid the competitive absorption issues that compromise conventional tablets.

One daily scoop. The right nutrients, in the right forms, at the right doses for you — not for a hypothetical average man.

Key takeaways

Men are less likely than women to take supplements, yet UK dietary data shows meaningful gaps in magnesium, vitamin D, selenium and zinc intake across the male population
Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood — an authorised EU health claim supported by clinical evidence linking zinc status to serum testosterone. It also contributes to normal fertility and reproduction
Magnesium is depleted by both exercise and stress, creating a vicious circle that is particularly relevant for active or high-stress men. It contributes to normal muscle function and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue
The UK government recommends all adults consider vitamin D supplementation during autumn and winter — a recommendation men are less likely to follow
Selenium contributes to normal spermatogenesis — an authorised claim — and UK intakes have declined due to low soil selenium levels
Most generic men's multivitamins rely on cheap ingredient forms, unauthorised marketing claims, mega-doses and one-size-fits-all formulas that ignore individual variation
A personalised approach based on your diet, activity level, age and health goals delivers the right nutrients in bioavailable forms — via microgranule technology that prevents the competitive mineral absorption that compromises conventional tablets

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