Are you getting enough?

It's not a uniquely male problem, but most of us know our diet isn't all it ought to be. There are the things we have to do – meet deadlines, study for exams, work more hours than we'd like, fight traffic – and then there are the things we want to do – play a little sport, rest, catch up with friends, or spend time with family. And somehow, between all these demands, there's never enough time to eat the way we should.

If we had all the time in the world, we wouldn't skip meals. We probably wouldn't eat so much highly processed convenience food, and we might take the time to ensure we were getting all the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients we know our body needs.

It's not just a poor diet that can take a toll on male health though. Millions upon millions of us live in a polluted environment, breathing in fumes from our crowded highways and airports, sometimes eating foods that have been treated with preservatives and pesticides. And even though the human body is a remarkably adaptable organism, environmental toxins do take a toll on us. Usually we cope quite well; every one of our bodies is constantly filtering through the chemicals we take in, keeping those that have nutritive value, and eliminating those that may be harmful.

But every potentially harmful molecule the body eliminates places a demand upon our nutritional resources – after all, our liver and other cleansing organs have to filter out the bad from the good, and the more work they have to do, the more nutrients they need, both as fuel and to keep themselves in good repair.

Modern living also takes its toll on our immune system. The fact that our cities today contain more people, more closely crowded together, means each of us is faced with more and more minor ailments every day. When did you last make it through winter without suffering from a cold?

The best answer would be to quit your job, move to the country, and eat nothing but fresh, home-made food for the rest of your long and relaxed life. Few of us have that luxury though! For most of us, the most we can do is try to ensure that we feed our bodies all the nutrients they need to maintain a healthy immune system, build and repair tissue throughout the body, and fight the effects of a sometimes damaging environment.

The fact is that stress depletes B vitamins, urban pollution increases our need for antioxidants like vitamin E, vitamin C, and selenium, and male reproductive health means we need a good supply of zinc. A daily multivitamin tablet isn't a guarantee of good nutrition, but it can be a great insurance policy.