Since specific vitamin requirements depend on age and gender, men should ideally take a multivitamin supplement specifically designed for their gender and age to ensure they are getting the right amounts. However, it is usually safe for a man to take a woman's multivitamin supplement in most instances. Men who are interested in taking a woman's supplement should compare the amounts found in the supplement to the recommended dietary allowances and tolerable upper intake levels established by the Institute of Medicine. This will determine if they would get too much or not enough of a certain vitamin or mineral if they were to take the supplement on a regular basis.
Safety
The Institute of Medicine establishes something called a tolerable upper intake level for each vitamin and mineral. This is the amount that is safe to take without increasing the risk of side effects or adverse reactions. The tolerable upper intake level for men is usually the same or greater than the tolerable upper intake level for women. Since most multivitamin supplements contain well below the established tolerable upper intake levels, men can usually take a multivitamin supplement designed for women without running the risk of surpassing this amount. Men can verify that a supplement is safe to take by checking the nutrition label and comparing the amounts in the supplement to the upper tolerable intake levels.
Tolerable Upper Intake Levels
Men over the age of 18 should not get more than 3,000 mcg of vitamin A, 2,000 mg of vitamin C, 100 mcg of vitamin D, 1,000 mg of vitamin E, 35 mg of niacin, 100 mg of vitamin B-6, 1,000 mcg of folic acid and 3.5 g of choline in one day. They also should not exceed 20 mg of boron, 10,000 mcg of copper, 10 mg of fluoride, 1,100 mcg of iodine, 45 mg of iron, 350 mg of magnesium, 11 mg of manganese, 2,000 mcg of molybdenum, 1.0 mg of nickel, 400 mcg of selenium, 1.8 mg of vanadium, 40 mg of zinc, 2.3 g of sodium or 3.6 g of choride. Men between the ages of 19 and 50 can get up to 2,500 mg of calcium in a day, but those over the age of 70 should not exceed more than 2,000 mg of calcium. Men between the ages of 19 and 70 can get up to 4 g of phosphorus in a day, but men over the age of 70 should limit their phosphorus intake to less the 3 g a day.
Considerations
Although the risk of a man getting too much of a certain vitamin or mineral by taking a woman's multivitamin supplement is small, some men may run the risk of not getting enough. Women's multivitamin supplements also may contain smaller amounts of certain vitamins or minerals than those designed for a man. Men who have a poor or restricted diet and those with certain medical conditions may have more difficulty meeting their vitamin requirements using women's supplements. These men may benefit from selecting a multivitamin supplement specifically designed for men of their age group instead. Men should review the recommended daily allowances for their age group to determine if they are meeting their requirements.
Recommended Daily Allowances
The IOM guidelines state that most men should consume at least 900 mcg of vitamin A, 90 mg of vitamin C, 15 mg of vitamin E, 2.4 mcg of vitamin B-12, 120 mcg of vitamin K, 1.3 mg of riboflavin, 16 mg of niacin, 400 mcg of folate, 1.2 mg of thiamin, 30 mcg of biotin, 5 mg of pantothenic acid, 1.3 to 1.7 mg of vitamin B-6, 15 to 20 mcg of vitamin D and 550 mg of choline each day. Most men should also consume at least 8 mg of iron, 2.3 mg of manganese, 45 mcg of molybdenum, 700 mg of phosphorus, 55 mcg of selenium, 11 mg of zinc, 900 mcg of copper, 1,000 to 1,200 mg of calcium and 4.7 g of potassium each day. Keep in mind that these are just guidelines, and men with certain medical conditions may require additional amounts
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