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Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood, selenium to normal spermatogenesis. Here you will find complexes for men with these nutrients and a hormone test for home use. Our pick: Optiolex Mask capsules. Read the guide ↓
Somewhere between 40 and 55, many men notice it: less drive, less enthusiasm for many things.
Whether that is down to everyday life, stress or hormones, no capsule will tell you. A hormone test for home use will. There are also EU-approved claims for three nutrients that concern men directly: zinc, selenium and vitamin B6. They are about testosterone, fertility, spermatogenesis and hormones, things men rarely talk about.
Here you will learn where these nutrients are found in food, how the complexes in our range differ and what pumpkin seed, saw palmetto and maca are all about. With figures instead of promises.
Symbolic image: AI-generated
Three nutrients with an EU claim for men
For food supplements, only what the EU has assessed and approved may be claimed. For men, that means four claims for three nutrients. The graphic shows how much of each is recommended per day and which foods are rich in them.
3
nutrients with a claim for men
11 to 16 mg
zinc recommended per day
70 µg
selenium recommended per day
25 mg
zinc per day: EFSA upper limit
Zinc
“Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood.”
“Zinc contributes to normal fertility and reproduction.”
Recommended per day: 11 to 16 mg (men)
Found in: oysters, beef, pumpkin seeds, oats, cheese
Curious fact: Oysters are among the richest sources of zinc of all foods.
Selenium
“Selenium contributes to normal spermatogenesis.”
Recommended per day: 70 µg (men)
Found in: Brazil nuts, tuna, herring, eggs
Curious fact: Just one or two Brazil nuts can provide the daily amount. The content varies widely, though, depending on the soil the tree grows in.
Vitamin B6
“Vitamin B6 contributes to the regulation of hormonal activity.”
Recommended per day: 1.6 mg (men)
Found in: chicken breast, salmon, chickpeas, potatoes, bananas
Curious fact: Vitamin B6 is not a single substance but a group of three closely related compounds.
Good to know: The claims speak of “normal” and “maintenance”, not of an increase. A complex with 25 mg zinc therefore gets no stronger claim than one with 10 mg. The difference lies in amount, combination and ingredients.
Zinc and selenium have further approved claims, for example for the immune system and hair. You will find more in our categories Immune system and Hair. Single-nutrient products are listed under Zinc and Selenium.
The men's plate: what your meals already cover
The foundation comes from your plate. A perfectly normal day might look like this:
Breakfast
Porridge with pumpkin seeds and banana
Zinc, vitamin B6
Lunch
Beef with potatoes and vegetables
Zinc, vitamin B6
Snack
One or two Brazil nuts
Selenium
Dinner
Herring or tuna with egg and chickpeas
Selenium, vitamin B6
Zinc gets harder when little meat and a lot of wholegrain end up on your plate. Phytate from cereals and pulses slows absorption. That is why the nutrition societies give a range: 11 mg with little and 16 mg with a lot of phytate in the diet.
Complexes for men compared: zinc, selenium and B6 in one capsule
These four complexes provide all three nutrients. The boxes show how much a daily dose contains, followed by the main additional ingredients with amounts.
Maca, saw palmetto, L-arginine: what is behind them
Many products for men rely on plants and amino acids. They often have a long tradition. We show you what is behind them so you can judge what you are buying.
Pumpkin seed and saw palmetto
Cucurbita pepo, Serenoa repens
The oil pumpkin is grown here in Styria, saw palmetto grows in the south-east of the USA. Both extracts are in the Hemp Prosta Complex, pumpkin seed also in Cosmoterra Naturo.
Maca and tribulus
Lepidium meyenii, Tribulus terrestris
Maca is a tuber from the high Andes of Peru and has been eaten there for centuries. Puncture vine grows around the Mediterranean. Both are in Optiolex Mask, together with zinc, selenium and B6.
L-Arginin
Amino acid
A building block of protein that the body also makes itself. Plentiful in pumpkin seeds, peanuts and meat. Cosmoterra Arginine Plus contains 1,000 mg and Optiolex Mask 510 mg per daily dose.
Our view: These ingredients may interest you, for example because you know them from tradition. If you want something backed by evidence, look for zinc, selenium and vitamin B6 in the ingredients list.
Hormone profile at home: knowing instead of guessing
If you want to know where your hormones stand, you can have them measured in saliva. You collect the samples at home in the morning, a laboratory analyses them and compares each value with the reference range.
The Medivere test measures five hormones at once: testosterone, DHEA, oestradiol, progesterone and cortisol. Only the free share of the hormones, not bound to protein, reaches the saliva. Shipping is only possible to Austria and Germany.
Fact: The nutrition societies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland recommend more zinc for men (11 to 16 instead of 7 to 10 mg), more selenium (70 instead of 60 µg) and more vitamin B6 (1.6 instead of 1.4 mg) per day.
Myth 2
“More zinc, more testosterone.”
Fact: The approved claim is that zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels. There is no mention of an increase. EFSA sets 25 mg zinc per day as the upper limit, from all sources combined.
Myth 3
“You get selenium from bread.”
Fact: European soils tend to be low in selenium, so cereals here provide little of it. Good sources are fish, eggs and Brazil nuts.
Good to know when taking supplements
✓
Add up instead of doubling
Cosmoterra Arginine Plus alone provides 25 mg zinc, which is the EFSA upper limit. Anyone also taking a zinc product will exceed it. For selenium, EFSA sets 255 µg per day, from all sources combined.
✓
Spread over the day
For some complexes the manufacturer recommends several portions: Optiolex Mask 1 capsule twice, Cosmoterra Arginine Plus 2 capsules three times, Cosmoterra Naturo 1 capsule four times a day.
✓
Zinc and copper
High zinc intake over a long period can impair copper absorption. Some complexes therefore contain a little copper, such as the Robert Franz Vitstoff Complex with 0.5 mg.
✓
Elixir with alcohol
The Cosmoterra Vitality Elixir contains 12.4 % alcohol by volume and is not suitable for children and adolescents. If you avoid alcohol, capsules are the better choice.
Which nutrients have an approved claim specifically for men?+
Zinc, selenium and vitamin B6. Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood and to normal fertility and reproduction. Selenium contributes to normal spermatogenesis, vitamin B6 to the regulation of hormonal activity.
How much zinc does a man need per day?+
The nutrition societies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland give 11 to 16 mg for men, depending on how much phytate from wholegrain and pulses is in the diet. The EFSA upper limit is 25 mg per day, from all sources combined.
How much selenium does a man need per day?+
The recommendation is 70 µg per day. EFSA sets 255 µg as the upper limit. Brazil nuts are very rich in selenium, but their content varies widely.
What is L-arginine?+
An amino acid, a building block of protein that the body can also make itself. It is found in pumpkin seeds, peanuts and meat, for example.
What does the hormone test for home use measure?+
The Medivere Hormone Profile Male Plus saliva test measures testosterone, DHEA, oestradiol, progesterone and cortisol from three saliva samples you collect at home in the morning. The GANZIMMUN laboratory analyses them, and results are usually available 4 to 7 working days after the sample arrives at the lab.
In short
For men there are three nutrients with an approved claim: zinc, selenium and vitamin B6. Meat, fish, eggs, pumpkin seeds and Brazil nuts already provide plenty of them.
Add up amounts, especially zinc: no more than 25 mg per day.
Note: Health claims refer exclusively to the nutrients named and comply with Regulation (EU) No 432/2012. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Do not exceed the recommended daily dose. Keep out of the reach of young children.
