5 Essential Vitamins Needed by Every Man to Stay Healthy

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We all know the rules of healthy living—exercise, a balanced diet, and good sleep! But do we really follow them?

Don’t worry; we are not in a lecture session! Here in this article, we have put together some essential vitamins that every man should take. You may wonder why for only men? Don’t get me wrong; there is a well-established reason.

A proper balance of macronutrients (carbs, fats, and proteins) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) is key to better health for both men and women. But bodies of men’s and women’s have very different needs.

Well, this article is dedicated to vitamins for men. Men require more or less of some vitamins than women to satisfy the need of their bodies. So, let’s get started.

 

5 Most Essential Vitamins for Men

Don’t forget to take vitamins—a phrase that doctors and experts commonly use. But what are vitamins? Vitamins are nutrients that our body needs to function properly and fight diseases.

There are 13 vitamins that every person should take to maintain their health. But the top 5 essential vitamins, especially for men, are the following:

 

1. Vitamin D

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin which means that Vitamin D gets stored in our fat cells. It enters our body through diet and sunlight. In fact, sunlight is the primary source of Vitamin D.

In a 2009 Scientific American article, it was written that 75% of American teens and adults suffer from Vitamin D deficiency? Fortunately, this is not the problem in India due to ample sunlight!

Besides sunlight, other rich sources of Vitamin D are:

  • Red Meat
  • Fish
  • Eggs
  • Fortified Milk
  • Soya Products
  • Cheese
  • Mushrooms

Vitamin D is also known for regulating the calcium and phosphate levels in the body. It is a vital vitamin for strong teeth, bones, and muscles.

Benefits of Vitamin D for men

  • Improves Testosterone Level (Testosterone is the male hormone that is responsible for reproductive traits).
  • Vitamin D maintains blood pressure.
  • It facilitates weight loss which leads to a reduction in the risk of heart diseases.
  • Reduces the risk of stroke

Recommended Dosage: The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of Vitamin D for:

  • People up to 70 years: 600 IU (15 mcg) daily
  • Older adults above 70 years: 800 IU (20 mcg) daily
  • You can spend 15-30 minutes in the sun every day to maintain the RDA of Vitamin D.

However, you should not intake more than 4000 IU of Vitamin D daily unless told by your doctor.

Lesser consumption of Vitamin D than recommended leads to Vitamin D deficiency that can further cause bone diseases such as rickets.

Source: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind-healthprofessional/

 

2. Vitamin A

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is also a fat-soluble vitamin that helps grow cell development, vision, immunity, male fertility, and so on. In shorter words, Vitamin A is considered highly beneficial for overall good health.

The richest source of Vitamin A is liver and fish oils. Other sources are:

  • Orange and yellow color fruits and vegetables such as lemon, carrots, etc.
  • Eggs
  • Whole Milk
  • Butter
  • Fortifies Margarine

Benefits of Vitamin A

  • Improves Vision (Lack of Vitamin A can lead to night blindness that is a problem in seeing at night)
  • Reduces the risk of lung and colon cancer

Recommended Dosage: RDA levels of Vitamin A for men is 900 mcg daily.

You should not take more than 3000 mcg of Vitamin A as it can pose some health risks. But if you suffer from Vitamin A deficiency should intake 15000 IU of Vitamin A.

 

3. Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)

Vitamin C

Vitamin C has received significant attention, and for a good reason. It may not cure a common cold, but it protects us from immunity-deficiency, heart, skin, eye problems.

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that is not stored in our body and needs to be replenished daily. Some rich sources of Vitamin C are:

  • Citrus acidic fruits such as oranges, grapes, strawberries, etc.
  • Potato
  • Tomato
  • Green and red chilies

Benefits of Vitamin C

  • Maintains Blood pressure and blood sugar levels
  • Excellent for skin
  • Boosts the immunity system
  • Protects against free radicals, thus protects us from cancer, heart disease, and joint pain.

Recommended Dosage: The RDA for adult men of Vitamin C is 90 mcg daily. The maximum limit is 3000 mg; beyond this limit can cause side effects.

 

4. Vitamin K

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is an essential fat-soluble vitamin required to clot blood and carry out protein synthesis and other related process.

The richest sources of Vitamin K are green and leafy vegetables such as broccoli, kale, spinach, etc. Other sources are:

  • Soya beans
  • Dairy Products
  • Meat
  • Nut and seeds

Benefits of Vitamin K

  • Responsible for clotting blood and healing wound
  • It helps in maintaining the blood pressure levels
  • Improve bones and reduces the risk of fracture

Recommended Dosage: The recommended daily consumption of Vitamin K for adult men is 138 mcg.

 

5. Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12

You should never ever even think of being Vitamin B12 deficient. It is an essential water-soluble vitamin that helps increase RBC production, supports building DNA structure, and improves sexual health for men.

Rich sources of Vitamin B12 are:

  • Dairy Products
  • Fish
  • Poultry
  • Meat

Benefits of Vitamin B12

  • It helps to improve the sperm count
  • Keep blood and nerves healthy
  • Improves Male Fertility

Recommended Dosage: The recommended daily consumption of B12 for men is 2.4 mcg.

 

Conclusion

We all need vitamins for the overall good functioning of our body—both men and women. Although the vitamins mentioned above are essential for men, it doesn’t mean they are unnecessary for women. Only that for men, they must be a top priority!

So, that’s all for today. We hope that you liked the article. If you have any further queries, then comment below.