6 Vitamins and Minerals all Men should be taking
Sean Ward provides an overview of the six essential minerals and vitamins men should take.
“May you live in interesting times”. This Chinese proverb is not a well-wishing prayer. Far from it, it is supposed to be a curse. Some people interpret it the following way: we live in the age of massive information access and opportunity, which is interesting, and yet, we are faced with glaringly ridiculous statistics when it comes to common-sense decisions.
One such area is our nutrition. Despite the enormous amount of research pointing to the dependence of human health on micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), it is astounding to realize that 95% of American adults are deficient in vitamin D and 61% are deficient in Magnesium, two of the most important micronutrients for the human body (according to a study by ewg.org).
For men, these deficiencies in essential nutrients directly affect the endocrine system, increase the susceptibility to erectile dysfunction, and lower the free testosterone in the blood.
Owing to the difference micronutrients can have on a man's sex life, it is a no-brainer to know about and incorporate vitamins and minerals for sexual health.
Vitamin D
95% of adults are deficient in a fundamentally required vitamin, which is shocking. According to a study submitted to the American Heart Association's annual meeting 2015, researchers found compelling evidence suggesting a link between low vitamin D levels and erectile dysfunction.
And yes, such a study was presented at a "heart association" because its deficiency raises the probability of stroke and heart attacks.
Furthermore, this vitamin is essential in maintaining the skeletal system's health and regulating cholesterol.
Vitamin D can be obtained from both plants and animal products. While plants like mushrooms can provide vitamin D2, animal products contain vitamin D3, which has a much stronger effect on raising serum vitamin D levels than vitamin D2.
But by far, the most potent and beneficial way to cater to a deficiency in this vitamin is to get enough sun every day without sunscreen. Half an hour would suffice.
A person must be careful not to end up with poor cardiovascular and sexual health in fear of skin problems from the sun!
Vitamin C
One of the most outstanding scientists to ever live, and one of only four people to have won more than one Nobel Prize, was also the most vocal admirer of vitamin C and its potential to save humanity from many ailments.
His name was Linus Pauling, and while the scientific community continues to research Pauling's claims, an undeniable mountain of evidence is piling up favouring what he proposed decades ago.
Vitamin C continues to be accepted as the go-to vitamin for boosting immunity against all kinds of diseases and nourishing the body with antioxidants that heal oxidative damage. It goes a long way, essentially slowing down the ageing process.
The protection from oxidative damage is not limited to blood vessels and organs but also hormones. In particular, vitamin C can heal damaged testosterone. And there is more good news for men.
Coupled with the fact that testicle tissues are protected by vitamin C, we have good reason to believe in this vitamin’s ability to make men’s sexual life shine.
Consuming vitamin C through diet should be a breeze. All citrus fruits, berries, and leafy greens like kale are abundant. And additionally, very cheap supplements are available almost everywhere.
While the body’s ability to absorb vitamin C from those supplements is low, it is still a suitable alternative if fresh veggies and fruits are unavailable.
Vitamin A
Although most commonly associated with eye health, this essential vitamin has much more to offer, making it an excellent vitamin for men.
First, vitamin A is a misnomer as it implicitly conveys that vitamin A is a unique compound.
Unlike vitamin C (a unique compound, ascorbic acid), vitamin A is the name of a group of compounds called retinoids, which occur naturally in plants and animals.
A chain of chemical processes relates vitamin A deficiency to plummeting testosterone levels. The diet requires particular fats for testosterone production.
These fats are only accessible by the body if the person has an adequate supply of vitamin A. Furthermore, vitamin A is required for the chemical basis of sperm creation.
However, while a person may experience a boost in T levels through vitamin A intake in the case of a deficiency, there is no reason to believe that excess over the recommended 3,000 IU for men would further increase serum T levels.
Zinc
Zinc deserves special mention in the mineral section of essential micronutrients due to the tremendous amount of research (like these papers: 1, 2, 3), that directly relating zinc to testosterone production.
A zinc deficiency has been clinically proven to lower testosterone levels, and the syndrome has been called hypogonadism.
12% of adults in the USA are deficient in zinc. Knowing how direct this has on testosterone production, the sexual lives of millions are subpar. With the 15mg RDA for male adults, one would expect it to be easy to have enough zinc in one's body.
And well, it is. Merely incorporating more meat, especially veal, can set a person to proper zinc intake. And for vegetarians, no sweat. Pure cacao is a great alternative.
Animal liver and oysters are other foods that contain zinc in a high amounts, but might be more challenging to obtain and incorporate.
Magnesium
Consuming meat and pure cacao pumps the body with another essential mineral, Magnesium.
Magnesium helps T levels in one fundamental way: lowering the amount of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), the chemical to which testosterone binds, reducing the amount of freely available testosterone.
A 2011 study published in Biological Trace Elements Research also suggested evidence of Magnesium's role in testosterone production.
Boron
Boron might not be a well-known or popular mineral, but this hidden gem has some nice tricks up its sleeve.
This mineral, too, acts similarly to Magnesium by lowering the SHBG concentrations. These effects of boron supplementation have been well documented in studies like this one.
While it may seem exotic and mysterious, it is easy to include in a person's diet.
Dried apricots, raisins, and the mighty avocado are some of the boron-rich, cheap, and accessible foods available almost everywhere.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while it might be tedious to keep track of all the micronutrients vital for a human body's optimal functionality, from the perspective of a disciplined male aiming to boost testosterone and overall sexual health, the incorporation of these six nutrients into his diet can go a very long way.
Page Reference
If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:
- WARD, S. (2017) 6 Vitamins And Minerals All Men Should Be Taking [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article253.htm [Accessed
About the Author
Sean Ward is the Founder of Naturally Boost Testosterone, a men’s health blog dedicated to providing natural ways for men to boost hormone levels. You can also find him on Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook.