His and hers multivitamins

Adam’s journal

My ever-curious girlfriend, Mary, was scratching her head the other day. She wondered why there are different formulations of multivitamins for men and women. Is there a legitimate health-related basis for this, or is it simply some sort of marketing ploy?

Dr. Prescott prescribes

There is, indeed, a rationale for having gender-specific vitamins.

Men and women have different dietary needs. Although they often don’t vary by much, they do vary, and that’s the basis of having “his” and “hers” multivitamins.

Still, products on the market aren’t always in sync with dietary guidelines. And they can contain nutrients that may not help much or could even prove harmful.

The best way to get nutrients is always from food. But a multivitamin provides a good backstop, ensuring that we get all the nutrients we need.

If you take a multivitamin, gender- and age-specific formulations make sense. When you look at the labels, the differences might appear small.

But they are based on our individual needs. And in the long run, they can have real consequences for our health.

Prescott, a physician and medical researcher, is president of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. Cohen is a marathoner and OMRF’s senior vice president and general counsel.