Which Vitamins and Minerals Need Men More Than Women?

Erik Van Tongerloo
Men and women need almost the same vitamins and minerals but there are differences in the quantity they need. The reason is that both sexes have a different body mass size, muscle mass and also the hormonal balances are different. Some diseases are typical female or male or it is possible some diseases develop more frequent by one kind of gender.

Men don't have periods of menstruation and they don't get babies and there are more biological differences which can declare the difference in the quantity of certain vitamins and minerals both genders need. Some cancers develop more often in men than women and contrary and there are also organs which only are present by one of the two genders, for example, only men can get prostate cancer.

Here are some vitamins and minerals which men need more than women:

*Vitamin B3

This vitamin is also called niacin and will provide more energy in your body. It is also important for your skin and the function of your nerves. Men need a little bit more of this vitamin because they have a higher muscle mass than women. (16mg is required for men, 14mg for women).

*Vitamin A

It is an important vitamin to strengthen our immune system and is helpful to prevent certain eye-diseases. This vitamin is also a necessity in our growth process and will maintain a good health of our skin, cells and bones. The required dosage is 900 mcg for men and 700 mcg for women.

*Vitamin C

This is a really important vitamin to fight against bacteria and viruses and is necessary to form collagen. We need these vitamin also for our bones, teeth and gums and is helpful to absorb iron and calcium and will fasten the process of wound healing. You need also more of this vitamin if you are a smoker because nicotine destroys many cells in our body. The required amount is 90 mg for non smoking men and 75 mg for women. A dosage of 125 mg is necessary for smoking men and 110 mg for smoking women. The body structure is the main factor why men need more of this vitamin than women. In the past, men smoked more than women but the differences are nowadays very small and was also a reason why often men needed more of this vitamin than women.

Protein and fiber

Men need more proteins and fiber because of the differences in muscle mass. Fiber is especially important because more the risk of heart diseases is higher by men than women. Men need daily more calories and that is the main reason why fiber is more necessary in the diet of men than women.

Men need also other vitamins and minerals but some of them are more necessary for women. Calcium, vitamin D and vitamin K are important because it is important for their bones. Women need a higher doses of these vitamins and minerals because the chance of getting osteoporosis is higher. Iron is certainly necessary but women need more during the period of menstruation and certainly if they are pregnant.

It is really important you eat a well balanced diet with the required dosage of vitamins and minerals. It can't hurt you if you eat more of these vitamins and minerals than necessary because too many of certain vitamins, for example vitamin C will flow out your body when you urinate. Drinking plenty of water is certainly a necessity to avoid dehydration and the health of your kidneys.

Published by Erik Van Tongerloo

I live in Belgium. My hobbies are travelling, watching movies, running, listening music, taking pictures. I enjoy writing and like to share this with everyone of the world.  View profile

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