Several vitamins and minerals play important roles in male sexual health, including zinc, vitamin D, magnesium, selenium, folate, vitamin C, and vitamin E. They can support testosterone production, blood vessel function, sperm health, and normal energy levels. However, taking more isn’t always better. Supplements appear most useful when they correct a deficiency rather than pushing nutrient levels far above normal.
Sexual health isn’t controlled by a single hormone or nutrient. Testosterone matters, of course, but so do blood flow, nerve function, energy levels, sperm production, and even cardiovascular health. That’s where vitamins and minerals come into the picture.
A poor diet or nutrient deficiency may contribute to problems such as low testosterone, reduced fertility, fatigue, and possibly erectile dysfunction. On the other hand, swallowing a handful of supplements won’t necessarily turn someone with an already good diet into a sexual superhero.
The goal should usually be to get enough of the nutrients your body needs. Here are some of the vitamins and minerals that deserve the most attention.
1. Zinc
Zinc is probably the mineral most closely associated with male reproductive health.
Your body needs zinc for numerous biological processes, including normal reproductive function. Research has also found a relationship between zinc status and testosterone. A systematic review concluded that zinc deficiency can reduce testosterone levels, while supplementation may improve testosterone when zinc levels are inadequate (1).
This doesn’t mean taking huge doses of zinc will keep raising testosterone. The benefit appears to depend partly on how much zinc you’re getting in the first place.
Zinc may also matter for semen and sperm production. That’s one reason the mineral frequently appears in male fertility supplements.
Adult men need about 11 mg of zinc per day. Good food sources include oysters, beef, poultry, eggs, dairy products, beans, nuts, and fortified foods (2).
If you want to explore this nutrient further, our guide to zinc benefits for men looks more closely at its effects on testosterone, fertility, and sexual health.
Just don’t go overboard. The tolerable upper intake level for adults is 40 mg per day, and regularly taking excessive amounts can interfere with copper absorption (2).
2. Vitamin D
Vitamin D has attracted a lot of attention in discussions about testosterone and erectile function, and there’s some reason for the interest. Vitamin D receptors are found throughout the body, and vitamin D has effects that extend far beyond bone health.
Research has found associations between vitamin D deficiency and erectile dysfunction. A 2025 systematic review involving more than 13,000 men found that observational studies generally linked lower vitamin D levels with moderate-to-severe or blood-flow-related ED (3).
Still, there’s an important catch. Association doesn’t prove that low vitamin D actually causes ED. Clinical trials testing vitamin D supplementation have produced inconsistent results. So taking vitamin D shouldn’t be viewed as a proven erectile dysfunction treatment.
Correcting a deficiency is a different story. Maintaining normal vitamin D levels makes sense for overall health regardless. You can read more about the hormone connection in our article on vitamin D and testosterone.
Sunlight helps your body produce vitamin D, while fatty fish, egg yolks, fortified milk, and certain fortified foods provide dietary sources. Men concerned about deficiency can also ask their doctor about a 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood test.
3. Magnesium
Magnesium doesn’t get quite as much attention as zinc, but it’s involved in hundreds of enzyme systems throughout the body. It contributes to normal muscle and nerve function, blood pressure regulation, glucose control, and protein production (4).
Those functions can indirectly matter for sexual health. For example, healthy blood pressure and metabolic function help support the cardiovascular system responsible for supplying blood to the penis. Magnesium is also frequently discussed alongside zinc in relation to testosterone.
That doesn’t mean magnesium supplements are a reliable testosterone booster. If your magnesium intake is already adequate, taking more may do very little for hormone levels.
Adult men generally need about 400–420 mg of magnesium daily (4). Nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains, spinach, and other leafy greens are good sources. Our article on magnesium and zinc for testosterone takes a closer look at whether combining these minerals offers any real advantage.
One thing worth remembering is that the 350 mg upper limit for adults applies to supplemental magnesium, not magnesium naturally found in foods (4).
4. Selenium
Selenium is needed in tiny amounts, yet it plays an interesting role in male reproductive health.
The body uses selenium for reproduction, thyroid function, DNA production, and antioxidant defenses (5). Severe selenium deficiency can even contribute to male infertility.
Selenium is also involved in sperm development. For that reason, researchers have studied selenium and other antioxidants in men experiencing fertility problems.
Results aren’t as clear-cut as supplement marketing sometimes suggests. A Cochrane review found that antioxidant supplements may improve some fertility outcomes in subfertile men, but the certainty of the evidence was low (6).
In other words, selenium is essential, but more selenium doesn’t automatically equal better sperm. Our guide to selenium benefits for male sexual health covers this subject in greater detail.
Brazil nuts are famously high in selenium, while seafood, meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products, and grains can also provide it. Be careful with high-dose supplements because excessive selenium can become toxic.
5. Folate (Vitamin B9)
Folate isn’t usually the first nutrient men think of when discussing sexual performance. It may deserve more attention.
Folate helps the body make DNA and supports normal cell division. Researchers have also examined folate because of its relationship with homocysteine and blood vessel function.
A meta-analysis involving 1,842 participants found that men without erectile dysfunction had higher folate levels than men with ED. Lower levels were also associated with greater ED severity (7).
Another review found that folic acid supplementation may improve erectile-function scores in some men, including when used alongside tadalafil (8). That’s interesting, but I wouldn’t interpret it as evidence that every man with ED should start taking folic acid. Larger and better-controlled trials would make that case much stronger.
Folate also appears relevant to sperm production. Research involving subfertile men has examined folate alone and in combination with zinc, with some evidence of improvements in sperm concentration and other sperm characteristics (9).
Leafy vegetables, beans, asparagus, avocado, citrus fruits, and fortified grains are useful sources.
6. Vitamin C
Vitamin C isn’t a testosterone booster, but it has another potential role in male sexual and reproductive health: antioxidant protection.
Sperm cells can be vulnerable to oxidative stress. Vitamin C helps neutralize free radicals and also helps regenerate other antioxidants within the body.
This has led researchers to investigate vitamin C as part of antioxidant combinations for male infertility. Some studies have reported improvements in semen parameters, although the overall evidence for antioxidant supplements remains uncertain (6).
Vitamin C also contributes to healthy blood vessels, which indirectly matters for erectile function. Rather than immediately reaching for a high-dose supplement, you can get plenty from bell peppers, oranges, strawberries, kiwi, broccoli, tomatoes, and other fruits and vegetables.
7. Vitamin E
Vitamin E works somewhat differently from vitamin C, but it’s another important antioxidant.
Because sperm membranes contain fatty acids that are susceptible to oxidative damage, researchers have studied vitamin E for sperm quality and male fertility. It’s commonly combined with vitamin C, selenium, zinc, or other antioxidants in fertility supplements.
Again, evidence that antioxidant supplementation improves actual pregnancy or live-birth outcomes isn’t particularly strong. Some men with fertility problems may benefit, while healthy men consuming enough nutrients may see little difference (6).
Nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, spinach, and avocado provide vitamin E naturally.
Vitamins and Minerals Aren’t the Whole Story
It’s tempting to reduce male sexual health to testosterone levels or a supplement stack, but things aren’t that simple.
Erections depend heavily on cardiovascular health and nitric oxide signaling. Libido can be affected by testosterone, sleep, stress, medication, relationship issues, depression, and overall health. Fertility adds another long list of variables.
That’s why basic habits still matter. Regular exercise, adequate sleep, maintaining a healthy body weight, avoiding smoking, limiting excessive alcohol, and eating a nutrient-rich diet can support several aspects of sexual health at the same time. Our broader guide to lifestyle changes for men’s sexual health and performance covers many of these factors.
Supplements can fill gaps, but they shouldn’t become a substitute for those basics.
Should You Take a Multivitamin?
Maybe, but don’t assume you need one. A basic multivitamin can provide some insurance when your diet isn’t ideal. Targeted supplementation may make more sense when blood testing or dietary habits point toward a specific deficiency.
The biggest mistake is assuming that if 10 mg of something is good, 100 mg must be ten times better. Nutrients don’t work that way.
Zinc, selenium, vitamin D, and several other nutrients can cause problems when taken excessively. Supplements can also interact with medications.
For men dealing with persistent erectile dysfunction, low libido, infertility, or symptoms of low testosterone, testing may be more useful than guessing. A healthcare professional can check hormone levels and, where appropriate, look for nutritional deficiencies or underlying health problems.
The Bottom Line
The best vitamins and minerals for male sexual health include zinc, vitamin D, magnesium, selenium, folate, vitamin C, and vitamin E. Each supports different parts of the picture, ranging from testosterone and sperm production to antioxidant protection and cardiovascular function.
But there’s an important distinction between preventing a deficiency and using supplements as a sexual enhancement treatment.
Research appears much stronger for maintaining adequate nutrient levels than for taking high doses in hopes of dramatically increasing testosterone, erections, libido, or fertility. If you’re deficient, correcting that deficiency may make a noticeable difference. If your levels are already healthy, adding more may accomplish very little.
A balanced diet, good sleep, exercise, cardiovascular health, and sensible supplementation probably offer a better long-term strategy than chasing megadoses of any single vitamin or mineral.