So do men need ‘male’ health products?

From head to toe, there’s a health product for the male customer. Here we look at a selection aimed at men and ask the experts for their verdict.

SORE FEET

Scholl Gel Work Insoles for men, £15.99, boots.com ‘STUDIES have shown that men tend to have longer, broader feet with a lower arch than women,’ says Marion Yau, of The Harley Medical Foot and Nail Clinic in London.

‘These cushioning insoles are composed of two types of gel to absorb shock from the heel and forefoot and disperse the pressure across the sole. They’re designed to increase comfort rather than correct issues such as fallen arches. Other than size, there are no differences with women’s insoles.’

GUT HEALTH

Nature’s Plus GI Natural Probiotic men, 30 capsules, £19.40, ukiherb.com ‘PROBIOTICS are live microorganisms that can help to boost your gut bacteria, by colonising it and taking over from the less favourable bacteria,’ says Sophie Medlin, a London dietitian. ‘Men often need the same probiotic as women, but this one contains strains shown in rodent studies to reduce inflammation, which can be linked to prostate health. It’s also a good, broad-spectrum probiotic so it isn’t a bad choice for general health in men.’

SUN PROTECTION

LifeJacket Daily Protection moisturiser, 100ml, £15, lifejacketskinprotection.com ‘THIS moisturises and offers protection for the skin from the sun, both of which many men are not good at doing,’ says Dr Haytham Al-Rawi, a consultant dermatologist at Spire Little Aston Hospital, West Midlands.

‘A report by the UK’s National Cancer Research Institute in 2018 said men are 60 per cent more likely to die from skin cancer than women, partly as they do not use sun protection enough and present late with the symptoms which are harder to treat.

‘The maker says it is “made for men” because it is non-greasy, men’s skin is more greasy as it has more sebaceous glands. It says it’s absorbed through hair, I’m not sure how it achieves this as generally absorption is less on hairy compared to non-hairy skin. But men might prefer that it is more lightweight and is fragrance-free.’

GENERAL WELLBEING

Wellman original, £8.55, 30 tablets, vitabiotics.com SOPHIE Medlin says: ‘This does contain a good range of 29 vitamins and minerals such as vitamins B6, B12 and D. This product has been formulated with men in mind but there isn’t any convincing reason that men should take this supplement over a unisex one.

‘There is some research that co-enzyme Q10, which is in this product, may be of benefit for healthy reproductive health in men.’