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Vitamin D helps build strong bones, maintain a healthy immune system, and decreases inflammation. It’s essential for all of us, but it has unique benefits for men. Vitamin D benefits for men may include keeping testosterone levels in check, aiding with sperm production, and building strong muscles. It may even play a role in men’s mental health, hair growth, and weight loss.
Yet many men experience vitamin D deficiency, and may benefit from dietary and lifestyle changes that can increase low levels of vitamin D. Often, a vitamin D supplement for men may be necessary. Here’s what to know about the benefits of vitamin D for men, and what to do if you suspect you are deficient in this nutrient.
What are vitamin D benefits for men?
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays many important roles in your body. One of its main purposes is helping maintain bone health. “Vitamin D is essential to calcium absorption in the small intestine; it further helps maintain calcium and phosphorus levels, promoting bone growth,” says Aniruddha Gollapalli, MD, a family medicine physician at Memorial Hermann in Houston. That can prevent conditions like osteoporosis.
Additionally, vitamin D is a vital player when it comes to keeping your immune system in top shape, reducing inflammation in the body, and promoting healthy cell growth, neuromuscular function, and optimal glucose metabolism.
Vitamin D is important for both men and women, but there are some roles that vitamin D plays in men’s health that are of particular importance. Men who are low in vitamin D may experience issues with sperm production, low mood, low muscle tone, and other unwanted health effects.
Let’s take a look at the specific health benefits of vitamin D for men, and why it’s important for men to maintain healthy vitamin D levels.
1. Muscle development
Vitamin D isn’t just key for maintaining healthy bones, but can have an effect on muscle strength and durability. For example, studies have found that vitamin D plays a role in muscle regeneration and maintaining mitochondrial cell function. That means that vitamin D may assist with muscle recovery after exercise or exertion.
A study from 2020 published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition looked at the role of vitamin D specifically in men during exercise. The study researchers found that vitamin D supplementation meaningfully decreased muscle cell damage caused by exercise.
2. Testosterone levels
Vitamin D is important when it comes to testosterone production and male fertility, says Dr. Gollapalli. “Specifically in men, there have been some studies that have suggested a strong connection between vitamin D levels and testosterone levels,” he explained. For example, a 2011 study found that vitamin D supplementation may increase testosterone levels in overweight men going through a weight reduction program.
3. Erectile dysfunction
There is some evidence that men who experience erectile dysfunction are also vitamin D deficient. Improving vitamin D levels could help improve testosterone levels, in turn helping with sexual health, according to research. Your healthcare provider can assess how deficient you are with a simple blood test, then recommend the dosage you need to improve erectile function—up to 50,000 international units (IUs) a week.
4. Fertility
There is even stronger evidence regarding vitamin D for male fertility. “There have been numerous studies that have found positive association between vitamin D levels and total sperm count and motility,” Dr. Gollapalli explains.
One study from 2021 found that supplementing vitamin D helped boost sperm motility in men who had low vitamin D levels and decreased sperm motility. Another study, from 2022, found that men who experienced unexplained infertility also often had significantly low vitamin D levels, suggesting that vitamin D plays an important role in fertility and sperm health.
5. Mental health
Vitamin D benefits for mental health may include mood regulation and decreased depression, says Lindsay Delk, a registered dietitian nutritionist at Food and Mood Dietitian. “Studies have shown a link between low vitamin D levels and depression, as well as an association between boosting vitamin D levels and improved symptoms of depression,” Delk explains.
A review published in 2014 found that taking a vitamin D supplement had many of the same effects as taking an antidepressant, Delk pointed out. Of course, vitamin supplementation is not a substitute for mental health treatment, including medication.
6. Weight loss
The evidence for the role that vitamin D may play in weight loss is mixed. For example, a systematic review and meta-analysis from 2019 found that vitamin D supplementation reduced BMI and waist size in people who were overweight or dealing with obesity. However, no data was found regarding fat mass, fat percentage, or other body compositions. A 2020 study found that vitamin D supplementation didn’t affect BMI, waist circumference, or waist-to-hip ratios.
7. Hair growth
Not much is known about vitamin D and hair growth, says Dr. Gollapalli. “Vitamin D plays an unclear role in hair follicle health,” he says. Studies have shown that people with hair loss have lower levels of vitamin Dr. Gollapalli explains, suggesting that there is a relationship between vitamin D and hair loss.
“There also appears to be a higher occurrence of alopecia in patients with low vitamin D,” Dr. Gollapalli says. “But there have not been conclusive studies showing a clear relationship between vitamin D supplementation and stopping hair loss.”
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How much vitamin D per day does a man need?
The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin D varies based on age, but not on sex. The current recommendation is that men and women aged 19-70 supplement with 600 IUs of vitamin D. However, other organizations have different recommendations. For example, the Endocrine Society suggests that adults may need about 1500-2000 IUs per day to maintain a vitamin D level greater than 30 ng/mL.
Many healthcare providers don’t think the recommendations are high enough when it comes to increasing low vitamin D levels, says Delk. She suggests working with your healthcare provider to determine the best dosage for you.
Different providers will have different recommendations on how to supplement based on your unique health profile. “The dosage for supplementation depends on multiple factors, including baseline vitamin D levels and the specific individual’s capacity to absorb and thereafter metabolize vitamin D in their liver,” explains Dr. Gollapalli.
Although vitamin D dosage recommendations aren’t different based on your weight, some studies have found that vitamin D requirements might be higher in people who are overweight or obese, with obese people needing double or triple the recommended amount. Again, this is something to speak to your healthcare provider about.
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Vitamin D deficiency in men
About 35% of Americans are deficient in vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency in men has several main causes. Sometimes called the sunshine vitamin, your body produces vitamin D when you’re exposed to the sun. “If a man doesn’t eat vitamin D-rich food every day, doesn’t spend time daily in the sun, or uses sunscreen to protect his skin, he could be at risk for low vitamin D,” says Delk. Dr. Gollapalli emphasizes the role that diet can play in vitamin D deficiency, explaining that men who follow strict vegan diets are at particular risk.
Many people don’t have vitamin D deficiency symptoms, which makes it tricky to identify without a blood test. More severe vitamin D deficiency would have the following symptoms, according to Delk:
- Fatigue
- Bone pain
- Muscle aches
- Mood changes
- Increased vulnerability to broken bones
If you are concerned about your vitamin D status, you should visit your healthcare provider and ask for a blood test. “The only way to truly determine if you have low vitamin D levels is through a blood test,” Delk explains. “After seeing the results of your blood test, your doctor can recommend an appropriate dosage for supplementation.” Normal 25-hydroxy vitamin D blood levels are not uniformly agreed upon but typically range between 20 and 50 ng/mL.
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How to get more vitamin D
The best ways to get more vitamin D are through sun exposure, diet, and supplementation.
Sun exposure
Exposure to UV light from the sun is an important way to get vitamin D. Unfortunately, because of pollution, time spent indoors, and geographical location, many people aren’t able to get enough vitamin D from the sun. Sunblock can decrease vitamin D absorption by 90%. Additionally, people with darker skin usually have more difficulty absorbing vitamin D from the sun.
According to the National Institute of Health, the best way to safely get vitamin D from sun exposure is by spending between five to 30 minutes in the sun between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., at least twice a week and without sunscreen.
Diet
You can optimize your vitamin D intake by increasing the amount of vitamin D-rich foods in your diet. The following foods are great sources of vitamin D:
- Tuna
- Cod liver oil
- Swordfish
- Salmon
- Sardines
- Egg yolks
- Beef liver
- Juice fortified with vitamin D
- Milks (dairy and non-dairy) fortified with vitamin D
- Cereals fortified with vitamin D
- Mushrooms
According to Harvard Health, fish liver oils and different types of fatty fish are the best food sources of vitamin D.
Vitamin D supplements
Many men need to take vitamin D supplements in order to meet their vitamin D needs, especially if they find out that they are deficient in vitamin D. There are two forms of vitamin D out there, says Delk: vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). “Both D2 and D3 are well-absorbed in the gut, but vitamin D3 raises vitamin D levels in the blood higher and keeps them raised longer than vitamin D2,” she explains.
Dr. Gollapalli also recommends vitamin D3 supplements over D2 when it comes to supplementing. As for what kind of supplement to take (pills vs. drops) he says that it doesn’t really matter. “Pills and drops have been shown to be similarly effective in increasing vitamin D levels,” he describes.
As with everything else, you should consult your healthcare provider as to what the best supplement type is for you.
