The 6 Best Supplements for Men Over 60

As you age, your body may begin showing signs of wear and tear: Your joints might hurt, your hormone levels change, your memory may not function as well as it used to.

Your nutrient requirements change, too — and your body's ability to absorb nutrients from food may decrease. As a result, your doctor might recommend supplements that you wouldn't have needed when you were younger.

Take a look at recommended supplements for 60-year-old men, along with information about the changing nutritional priorities for people in this group.

A quick note on language: While we typically use more inclusive language, most supplement makers market their options toward either women or men, so we've used those terms here.

The FDA doesn't approve a supplement's safety and efficacy before a product goes on the market, but it does establish Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP) for supplements, which sets standards for things like preparation and storage.

We spoke to registered dietitians and included quality products that adhere to CGMP or have verification from independent quality organizations, such as:

• NSF
• ConsumerLab
• United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP)

This multivitamin is recommended for men over 50 in an April 2020 review of multivitamins and supplements from ConsumerLab, an organization that independently tests health and nutritional products.

It supplies 200 percent of your recommended daily value (DV) of vitamin D, which is important for bone health. It also contains calcium, another key to bone health.

This omega-3 supplement comes recommended by Amy Shapiro, RD, CDN and founder of Real Nutrition. It offers 1,280 milligrams of omega-3, including both EPA and DHA.

It also contains 125 percent of your DV of vitamin D3, which many people are deficient in, according to Shapiro. The manufacturer claims you'll avoid fishy burps (a frequent omega-3 supplement side effect).

This Consumer Lab-approved supplement from Life Extension has 320 milligrams of saw palmetto in each two-capsule serving. "Saw palmetto is important to support prostate health," Shapiro says.

It also contains beta-sitosterol, a plant compound that's linked to better urine flow, per Kaiser Permanente.

Bone health is important for older men. This vitamin contains both vitamin D3 and calcium, which can help maintain healthy bones. The dose for this supplement is one to two pills a day — note that you'll need to take each pill with food and water.

Each pill provides half of your DV of vitamin D3 and 46 percent of your DV of calcium.

Many older adults fall short on vitamin B12, as changes to the acids present in the stomach can make it hard to extract from food. This is one of the brands Shapiro recommends, noting that it's third-party tested.

If you, like many Americans, are falling short on magnesium, this supplement — highly ranked by ConsumerLab — will provide up to 100 percent of your DV, depending on how many capsules you choose to take. (The recommended dose is one capsule, four times per day, but you can get by with one to two, according to ConsumerLab.)

Your best bet is to get the vitamins and minerals you need through food, according to the National Institute on Aging (NIA). Still, dietary restrictions or an unbalanced diet can make taking a daily multivitamin a good idea.

Plus, older people can sometimes struggle to absorb vitamins, per the NIA, which may make supplements a good fit. Choose a multivitamin that contains the micronutrients that older men require — those include calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12 and potassium, according to the National Council on Aging.

Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat (considered a "healthy" fat). These types of fat may help ward off heart disease and stroke by reducing LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, according to Harvard Health Publishing.

Taking omega-3 fatty acids is good for brain and heart health, Shapiro says.

A diet high in omega-3s is linked to lower rates of cognitive decline, per the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. There's some debate over the benefits of omega-3 supplements, but Harvard Health Publishing notes they're recommended for people with a history of heart disease.

With age, it's common for the prostate to start to enlarge. This condition is referred to as benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and it can cause issues with urination and ejaculation, as well as an increase in urinary tract infections, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Saw palmetto might help offset some of these BPH symptoms, per Memorial Sloan Cancer Center.

Older adults may struggle to absorb vitamin D, which is important for healthy bones, according to the Mayo Clinic. Men between the ages of 51 and 70 should aim to get 600 IU a day, according to the NIA. Those over 70 should try to get 800 IU.

If you take a multivitamin, you will likely get the required amount, or more, and will not need an additional supplement.

When it comes to bone-supporting calcium, a multivitamin doesn't usually fulfill your entire recommended daily intake of 1,000 milligrams a day for men ages 51 to 70, according to the NIA.

It gets harder to absorb vitamin B12 with age, Shapiro says. That's because older adults may lack a certain acid in their stomach, which stops them from absorbing this important vitamin through food, per the ODS.

This vitamin helps keep your cells healthy. Aim to get 2.4 micrograms a day, according to the ODS. If you're taking a multi, you may get that amount of vitamin B12 through it and won't need additional supplements.

Most Americans don't get enough magnesium — that's particularly true for men aged 71 and older, according to the ODS.

"Magnesium is important if you are deficient to help with muscle and sleep," Shapiro says.

The recommended daily allowance for this mineral for men over age 51 is 420 milligrams a day, per the ODS. If you're taking a multi, it may not provide sufficient magnesium, so read labels carefully.

The vitamin aisle can be an overwhelming space and manufacturers may oversell their products with the claims on packaging. As you browse options, here are some considerations to keep in mind:

• ‌Choose reputable brands.‌ ​Look on the label to see if it's been tested by a third party, such as the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP).
• ‌​Avoid ingredients as needed.‌​ If you have a food allergy or dietary restriction, check the ingredient list to make sure the supplement doesn't contain anything that's off-limits.
• ‌Follow the dosage instructions.‌ Overdoing it on vitamins isn't good for your health, so follow the instructions on the label. It's also wise to check in with your health care provider before starting to take any supplements — in some cases, there can be interactions with other medications, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).