Many men take a multivitamin to make sure they’re getting all the “essentials” while optimizing their best lives.
It’s arguably one of the better daily habits a man can have.
With men’s multivitamins, it’s important to know:
- Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins to target as a man. These vitamins are great for your immune system and help your muscles move to their greatest extent. Athletic men will thus be interested in getting their daily values of this vitamin more than many others.
- Folate is critical. It’s also one of the B vitamins, and it’s needed so your body can make protein, form healthy red blood cells and DNA for other cells, and ensure your sperm is healthy.
- Calcium is just as important as Vitamin D. It helps with the absorption, and prevents weak bone as you age.
BestHealth.org and their advisory panel have researched the market to find the 10 best multivitamins for men of 2020.
Our Winners
Best overall: Performance Lab Whole-Food Multi for Men
Best multivitamin for men over 40: Thorne Basic 2/day
Best multivitamin for men over 50: Xtend Life Total Balance Men’s Multi
Best multivitamin for men over 60: Performance Lab Whole-Food Multi for Men
Best multivitamin for men for bodybuilding: Legion Triumph
Best multivitamin for men (gummies or chewables): Smarty Pants Adult Complete
Best Overall
1. Performance Lab Whole-Food Multi for Men
Calibrated for men and packed with a complete collection of key nutrients, this supplement is even easier to absorb thanks to whole-food cofactors included in every capsule. It’s free of almost all allergens and includes everything in a prebiotic capsule to help promote a healthy gut flora.
Performance Lab is the ultimate choice if you are looking to double down on your health.
2. Thorne Basic 2/day
Thorne has the prolific brand profile that makes the best vitamins. Their 2-per-day Basic Nutrients supplement is one of the trendier options in the men’s multivitamin class.
It’s also NSF-certified for sport, making safe for even the most elite of men.
3. Legion Athletics Triumph For Men
Legion’s multivitamin contains 21 key vitamins and nutrients with an additional 14 herbs and amino acids. Every ingredient comes at clinically effective dosages, in addition to them being thoroughly backed by peer reviewed science.
A little pricey, but worth it – especially for men who train.
4. Onnit Total Human
This collection of daily vitamin packs ensures that you never take more than you need; and every pack is specifically designed for daytime activity, nighttime rest, or workouts.
5. Opti-Men
Opti-Men is optimal for daily use, featuring over 75 crucial ingredients and enough of Vitamins D, C, and E to boost your immune system – a perfect collection for guys whose bodies are starting to slow down.
6. Life Extension 2/day
Life Extension can do just that, thanks to including over 50x more key vitamins than competing multivitamin bottles. It also includes hefty doses of proven anti-aging vitamins like biotin, which is a key nutrient that reduces skin discoloration and wrinkle formation.
One of the best choices for the gracefully aging male.
7. Animal Pak
Animal Pak has all the high-quality vitamins and minerals you need to become an elite athlete, including digestive enzymes to help you process protein so you can get to your next workout at the top of your game.
8. Controlled Labs Orange Triad
This athlete approved multivitamin can boost your compromised immune system and replenish your depleted muscles for quicker and more effective recovery sessions.
9. Garden Of Life Vitamin Code For Men 50 And Wiser
This once daily multivitamin is specifically formulated to provide support to your prostate and other major organs; you’ll feel healthier and suffer from fewer maladies as you age gracefully.
10. Battle Ready Fuel
Battle Ready Fuel is a hardcore multivitamin that provides a wide range of vitamins, minerals, and trace minerals, to supercharge the male hormonal system for optimal functioning in your golden years.
11. Rainbow Light Men’s One
Your health will thank you for this multivitamin that’s packed with zinc and several other key vitamins to boost digestion and overall body function.
12. MegaFood Men Over 40
This multivitamin is specifically designed for guys over 40, featuring key nutrients as well as whole food elements to ensure you get all the nutrition you need to remain fit and strong.
Best Multivitamin for Men Over 40 (Winner)
1. Thorne Basic 2/day
With powerful vitamins, engineered to take twice a day, your body will get all the key nutrients it needs to function properly and boost your daily health over the years to come. It’s also NSF-certified for sport, making safe for even the most elite of men.
It takes top spot in the best multivitamin for men over 40 category for providing lesser known ingredients that support declining testosterone production, like boron.
Best Multivitamin for Men Over 50 (Winner)
1. Xtend Life Total Balance Men’s Multi
This comprehensive multivitamin features 77 key active ingredients, in addition to several anti-aging nutrient supplements like saw palmetto and nettle extract for superior testosterone production. The broad vitamin list is excellent for the aging male who wants to thrive in his golden years.
Xtend Life takes top spot in the best multivitamin for men over 50 category for providing prostate support in the form of stinging nettle extract – something not seen in other competitors for this category.
Best Multivitamin for Men Over 60 (Winner)
1. Performance Lab Whole-Food Multi for Men
Performance Lab provides one of the best absorbed multivitamins for men on the market, thanks to the whole-food cofactors included in every serving. They include everything in sleek NutriCaps: digestive friendly capsules that can help improve absorption and results.
Performance Lab takes top spot in the best multivitamin for men over 60 category for providing a better absorbable product that is also full of age-defying compounds.
Best Multivitamin for Men for Bodybuilding (Winner)
1. Legion Athletics Triumph
This men’s multivitamin has 21 vitamins and minerals plus 14 additional herbs; all these synthesize with one another to improve your health and well-being and enhance your energy levels.
Triumph by Legion Athletics takes top spot in the best multivitamin for men for bodybuilding category because it provides mega doses of the most essential exercise vitamins and nutrients – ensuring that even the toughest athletes will be properly nourished.
Best Chewable Multivitamin for Men (Winner)
1. Smarty Pants Adult Complete
These non-GMO, premium multivitamins are tasty and easy to take, featuring no artificial sweeteners or flavors and 17 essential nutrients your body needs for daily health and regeneration.
Smarty Pants Adult Complete takes top spot in the best chewable multivitamin for men category because it contains a wide range of beneficial vitamins, delivered in a delicious gummy flavor that’s low in sugar and without any artificial sweeteners.
Who Should Use a Multivitamin for Men?
Multivitamins are great for men of all ages and help to cover any nutritional gaps in a diet. They also provide substantial doses of vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients to keep the body thriving.
Multivitamins for men are specifically engineered to support male testosterone levels, and should not be used by women or children.
Multivitamins for men don’t tend to have any major interactions with drugs. Brands that contain iron (which is rare for a men’s multivitamin)can interact with certain medications and antibiotics. Folic acid can also interact with anti-seizure medications. If you are unsure about any of the medications you are takings and their potential interactions with multivitamins for men, consult your primary healthcare professional before starting a supplement regimen.
Men with IBS issues or liver problems should also be cautious and speak to their doctor before taking a multivitamin for men.
Methodology
Clinically Effective Dosages: One of the first things we looked at when formulating our rankings was the dosages of individual ingredients. A lot of times, multivitamin manufacturers put a lot of one vitamin and a little of another due to costs. We sought out the products that allowed provided the correct dosages for each ingredient, backed by science.
This is why Legion Athletics and Performance Lab rank as some of the best supplements on our list, in more than one category.
Male Specific Ingredients: Since this is a multivitamins for men ranking, we wanted to look for ingredients that are specifically beneficial for men metabolisms. Specifically, we looked for multivitamins that included proven ingredients to boost testosterone and support male hormonal health.
High doses of zinc and magnesium were at the top of our list, but we also looked for less proven ingredients such as Rhodiola rosea, that could help further support testosterone levels.
Bioavailability: Vitamins and minerals can come in different forms, some easier absorbed than others. For example, zinc can come as zinc gluconate or zinc oxide, with the latter being easier absorbed in the body. Products that went the extra mile to include these more bioavailable ingredients were rewarded.
Adaptogens: Put bluntly, adaptogens help the body adapt to stress. What makes them so beneficial for men is that they help to improve testosterone levels by combatting cortisol. This is why we looked for mens multivitamins that specifically included proven adaptogens like ashwagandha to further support the male hormonal system.
Benefits
Multivitamins for men that include magnesium are crucial for human health. Although it isn’t needed in very large amounts, magnesium is necessary for over 300 biochemical reactions that take place in the human body every day. Magnesium can help support your immune system, help your heart maintain a steady beat, help your bones keep their strength over the long-term, and help you maintain normal muscle and nerve function.
Furthermore, magnesium can help your body produce energy, and help adjust your blood glucose levels (1).
Multivitamins for men that include calcium, are crucial to sustain healthy bones and teeth in your aging years. Calcium’s primary function in the human body is to help us build bones and maintain their health over the years. But calcium also allows blood to clot properly and helps the muscles contract during regular movement.
Calcium plays a role in your heartbeat and can help your teeth maintain their density and strength, as well. Such a mineral will diminish your likelihood of cavities to some extent, though good dental hygiene is needed as well (2).
Multivitamins for men that include potassium help to regulate muscle contractions, nerve signals, and fluid balance throughout your organs. It can also reduce blood pressure and stop you from retaining too much water. Potassium is also known to protect you against stroke and prevent the development of both kidney stones and osteoporosis (3).
Multivitamins for men that include selenium can improve metabolic functioning and testosterone production. Its primary purpose is found in the metabolic process, as it helps your body break down food for fuel and ensures that you don’t store too much food. It also affects how your thyroid functions and can defend your body from damage caused by oxidation and stress-related injuries (4).
Multivitamins for men that include zinc help with proper cell division and growth. Zinc helps your body break down carbohydrates, your primary energy source in most cases, and can help your body heal from wounds. Just as importantly, studies show that zinc is required for your senses of smell and taste to work properly (5).
Multivitamins for men that include fish oil help to reduce disease. Fish oil is a rarer but still frequently seen multivitamin component in many multivitamins for men. As an omega-3 fatty acid, it can lower the risk of certain types of cancers like prostate cancer, and it can help lower your body’s collection of high-density proteins, which in turn lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke (6).
High quality male multivitamins, like Performance Lab, will include all of the above elements, providing each of the benefits or helping you avoid the deficiencies that might come from not having enough of any of those vitamins or minerals.
Multivitamins for men can be very useful tools when they are consumed by an undernourished population or if one’s diet does not allow them to get enough of the vitamins and minerals. Multivitamins provide convenient ways to hit daily nourishment requirements without having to consume specific food items or alter one’s daily schedule or cooking routines. Thus, it’s often easier for busy populations or those who can’t access specific food items to consume multivitamins than it is to get a particular vitamin from a specific source.
A 2019 discussion of available literature found that most multivitamin supplements are now used to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, usually when the origins of those diseases are complex. The review found that the consumption of multivitamin supplements was most effective in populations that had nutritional deficiencies in the first place. Notably, populations that have easy access to the majority of the vitamins and minerals discussed earlier don’t usually need to take multivitamins unless there are pre-existing conditions (7).
Multivitamins for men can potentially prevent cancer in individuals that have poor or suboptimal nutritional intakes. Some cancers are known to be linked to poor diets or other nutritional deficiencies. It follows that consuming multivitamins that correct these deficiencies could lead to lower cases of chronic cancer in those populations.
A 2006 review of several studies and articles found that data was consistent with multivitamin and mineral supplement use preventing cancer in individuals that already have suboptimal nutritional statuses. The study also found that the effects were most noticeable in high-risk individuals, rather than men that were generally but only temporarily underfed (8).
Multivitamins for men that include antioxidants can increase the semen parameters of infertile men and potentially help them to impregnate their partners. Many cases of male infertility are due to DNA damage present in sperm cells. Antioxidants naturally defend against DNA damage caused by free radical oxygen molecules, correcting infertility derived from the above cause.
A 2016 review of available studies on male infertility found that men with enough nutritional sources of antioxidants, be they multivitamins or natural sources like fruits or green tea, had higher sperm counts with healthy DNA signatures compared to men that did not. Furthermore, the review found that studies with men who took multivitamins containing antioxidants had healthier semen than those who did not (9).
Multivitamins for men can lower the overall risk of cardiovascular disease. While short-term effects are not observed, men who consistently take multivitamins over 20 years or more have much lower incidences of cardiovascular disease events. This is likely because multivitamins lower the likelihood that they’ll experience undernourishment in any significant way, preventing cardiovascular damage from building up over time. However, the argument could be made that men who take multivitamins also lead healthier lifestyles.
A 2016 study investigating over 18,000 male physicians over 20 years found that those who had taken multivitamins had much lower incidences of cardiovascular disease events compared to those who did not (10).
Multivitamins or men may reduce the risk of several types of cancer. While it’s unlikely that multivitamins themselves directly reduce the lethality of cancer cells, it is more likely that proper nutrition, which can be achieved through the consumption of multivitamins, reduces the likelihood of cancer cells cropping up in the first place.
A 2018 study of available literature and several observational studies found consistent results in populations of male test subjects where they took multivitamins for short and long periods. In most cases, males who took multivitamins had lower incidences of cancer and certain types of cardiovascular disease. There is no link between multivitamins and cancer cell death – it’s all connected to lower cancer cell numbers in general (11).
The above results were also bolstered by another trial comprised of 2669 men with confirmed cancer. This trial followed up with the men for over a decade as they took daily multivitamins. The collection of men who took daily multivitamins had statistically significant reductions in the incidence of their total cancer compared to men that took placebo pills. This indicates that multivitamins may even affect how cancer spreads once it has taken hold of the body. Also, multivitamins for men may have beneficial effects related to boosting overall bodily health and its ability to fight off cancer of varying types (12).
Multivitamins for men may provide you with mood-boosting benefits. Certain multivitamins may cause lower homocysteine levels, which is a hormone associated with stress, in addition to increasing blood B-vitamin levels. Both of these markers are associated with significantly improved moods.
A 2015 study, set up as a four-week double-blind and placebo-controlled trial with 58 healthy adults, found the above results. Those who took multivitamins with heavy B-vitamin levels had significantly higher moods than those who took placebo pills, indicating that it was not merely the act of taking medicine that boosted their moods but the content of the pills themselves (13).
Multivitamins for men can also be helpful among male populations who are physically overtrained, like soldiers or professional athletes. Multivitamins can facilitate the recovery of psychological and physical abilities in men who otherwise take ordinary diets but whose bodies are subjected to extreme stress for the purpose of professional development or disaster.
A 2013 study involving 240 male Chinese field artillery personnel found that, when they took randomized multivitamin supplements or placebos for one week, the group who took the multivitamins had significantly better thyroid function, better testosterone levels and immunological functions, and significantly increased somatization. This indicates, again, that multivitamin consumption boosts total bodily health and produces better results and better activity across the board (14).
Multivitamins for men should include a wide range of vitamins for optimal results. The vitamins and minerals present in most male multivitamin products are often essential for human health and, when taken the correct dosage, can correct for health deficiencies and provide benefits. A 2005 review of available literature, collecting data from medical journals regarding the use of both multivitamins and how vitamins play critical roles in human health, details how many of these vitamins and minerals are needed every day (15).
Recap
Multivitamins for men are specifically designed to support the male hormonal system and provide essential nutrients for optimal functioning. They are also great for plugging any vitamin hole’s in a person’s diet, providing a nutritional insurance policy for individuals who decide to take them.
Men of different ages and backgrounds will need different levels of vitamins and minerals, so it’s best to pick the one tailored to your lifestyle factors. This is especially important for older men and athletes who require substantially more vitamins and minerals.
For BestHealth’s #1 recommended multivitamin for men, click here.