Most men don’t need a long list of supplements, but a few fill genuine gaps that are hard to close with diet alone. The ones worth considering depend on your age, activity level, and what you’re actually trying to improve. Here’s what the evidence supports.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is one of the most common deficiencies in adult men, and it plays a direct role in bone strength, immune function, and how your body manages inflammation. About 23% of U.S. adults have levels that are either inadequate or outright deficient. The risk peaks in younger men: 7.6% of men aged 20 to 39 are at risk of deficiency, and the rates are dramatically higher for Black men (17.5%) and Asian men (7.6%) compared to white men (2.1%).
The recommended daily intake is 600 IU for men aged 19 to 70 and 800 IU for men over 70. If you work indoors, live in a northern climate, or have darker skin, you’re more likely to fall short. A simple blood test can check your levels. Anything below 12 ng/mL is considered deficient, and 12 to 20 ng/mL signals inadequacy.
Vitamin D is fat-soluble, so take it with a meal that contains some fat. A handful of nuts, eggs, or avocado alongside your supplement makes a real difference in absorption.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3s are the supplement with the strongest cardiovascular evidence for men. People who eat fatty fish a few times per week have roughly half the risk of dying from coronary heart disease compared to those who eat none. In the largest randomized trial on the topic, involving over 11,000 people with existing heart disease, daily fish oil capsules led to a 20% reduction in death from any cause and a 45% reduction in sudden cardiac death over 3.5 years.
Omega-3s work through several mechanisms: lowering triglycerides, raising HDL (good cholesterol), reducing blood pressure, decreasing inflammation, and making arteries more flexible. The recommended range is 0.5 to 1.8 grams per day of combined EPA and DHA, which are the two active forms found in fish oil. If you eat salmon or sardines two to three times a week, you may not need a supplement. If fish isn’t a regular part of your diet, a fish oil or algae-based supplement is a reasonable addition.
Magnesium
Magnesium supports muscle recovery, sleep quality, blood pressure regulation, and insulin sensitivity. Many men don’t get enough from food, especially if their diet is low in leafy greens, nuts, and whole grains.
The form you choose matters. Magnesium glycinate is bonded to an amino acid, which makes it easier to absorb and gentler on your stomach. It’s a solid choice if you’re taking it for muscle cramps, sleep, or general recovery. Magnesium citrate works well too, but it has a noticeable laxative effect, which can be a benefit or a drawback depending on your digestion. Magnesium oxide is the cheapest option on shelves, but your body absorbs it less efficiently than chelated forms.
Creatine
Creatine monohydrate is one of the most studied and effective supplements for men who exercise. It increases your muscles’ energy stores during high-intensity efforts like lifting or sprinting, and it supports lean muscle gain over time. Research shows it also activates factors that help muscle cells grow and differentiate into mature fibers.
There are two standard approaches. A loading phase involves taking 20 to 25 grams per day (split into smaller doses every few hours) for 5 to 7 days, followed by a maintenance dose of 3 to 5 grams daily. Alternatively, you can skip loading and just take 3 to 5 grams daily, though it takes a few weeks longer to saturate your muscles. Timing matters slightly: taking creatine after a workout appears to produce better body composition results than taking it before, based on studies in young men doing resistance training. Older adults also benefit. A 32-week trial in healthy older adults found that creatine taken right after resistance training led to greater lean muscle mass than training alone.
Zinc
Zinc is essential for immune function, wound healing, and testosterone production. Most men get enough through red meat, shellfish, and legumes, but vegetarians and men who sweat heavily during exercise are more likely to run low. If you do supplement, keep it moderate. The tolerable upper intake level for adult men is 40 mg per day. Going above that regularly can cause nausea, interfere with copper absorption, and actually suppress immune function, the opposite of what you’re going for.
Ashwagandha for Stress and Hormones
Ashwagandha is an herbal supplement that has gained attention for its effects on testosterone and stress hormones. In a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study of overweight men, eight weeks of supplementation led to a 14.7% increase in testosterone and an 18% increase in DHEA-S (a precursor hormone) compared to placebo. Both results were statistically significant.
The cortisol-lowering reputation of ashwagandha is more nuanced than social media suggests. In the same study, cortisol levels were 7.8% lower during supplementation, but that difference was not statistically significant. So while there’s real evidence for a modest testosterone boost, the stress-reduction claims are less firmly established. Ashwagandha is generally well tolerated, but it’s not a substitute for sleep, exercise, and stress management, all of which have larger effects on both testosterone and cortisol.
Supplements That Change After 50
Men over 50 face a few shifts that make certain supplements more relevant. Vitamin B12 is a big one. Your body needs B12 to maintain healthy red blood cells and nerve function, and the recommended intake stays at 2.4 mcg throughout adulthood. But as you age, your stomach produces less acid, which makes it harder to extract B12 from food. If you take acid reflux medication, absorption drops further. A B12 supplement or fortified foods can bypass this problem because the synthetic form doesn’t require stomach acid to be absorbed.
Vitamin D becomes slightly more important too, with the recommended intake rising from 600 to 800 IU after age 70. And if you’re doing any kind of resistance training to maintain muscle mass (which is one of the most impactful things you can do as you age), creatine remains effective for older adults, with evidence showing benefits over 32-week periods.
What to Skip
Saw palmetto is one of the most popular “men’s health” supplements, marketed for prostate support. But the evidence is clear: it probably doesn’t work. A 2023 review of 27 studies concluded that saw palmetto provides little or no benefit for urinary symptoms related to an enlarged prostate. Two NIH-funded clinical trials, including one that tested up to three times the usual dose, both came up empty. The type of extraction method didn’t matter either.
High-dose antioxidant supplements (large amounts of vitamins A, C, or E) are another area where the marketing outpaces the science. Research has not shown that megadoses prevent chronic diseases like heart disease or diabetes, and some studies suggest they can be harmful.
How to Time Your Supplements
Fat-soluble supplements, including vitamin D, need dietary fat to be absorbed properly. Take them with a meal. Water-soluble supplements like B12 are best taken on an empty stomach with a glass of water. If you take a multivitamin that contains both types, taking it with food is the better compromise since your body can still absorb water-soluble vitamins with food (just slightly less efficiently), while fat-soluble vitamins barely absorb without fat present.
Creatine doesn’t need to be timed precisely, but post-workout appears to be slightly better than pre-workout for body composition. Magnesium taken in the evening may support sleep quality, which makes it a natural fit for a nighttime routine.