Choosing a multivitamin after 40
Food still does the job a pill pretends to do. If you want a multi, shop for a boring formula with third-party testing — not a megadose with extra iron you may not need.
By How To Stops desk
Start from the gaps, not the billboard
A lot of men over 40 eat enough calories and still miss fiber, vitamin D, and plants. A multivitamin does not fix that plate. Use it as a backstop, not breakfast.
Look hard at iron
Many men do not need supplemental iron, and extra iron is not harmless. Unless a clinician found low iron, prefer a formula without it. The same caution applies to huge vitamin A.
Demand a tester you can name
USP, NSF, or an equivalent third-party mark means someone checked that the bottle matches the label. “Doctor formulated” does not.
Skip the kitchen-sink dose
B6, zinc, and selenium in large daily amounts cause real side effects. A multi near 100% of daily value for most lines is the uneventful choice. Vitamin D can be the exception if a blood test said you are low.
Watch for this
- Prostate, kidney, and heart histories change which extras are a bad idea.
- This is not a ranked shopping list and not medical advice.
When to get help
Ask your clinician before adding a multi on top of prescriptions, especially blood thinners and thyroid medicine.