Susan's Place Transgender Resources

So this might be a really dumb question, but what happens if a transboy takes mens vitamins? I was looking at vitamins today and i really wanted to get the one a days, and they had one a day mens and womens. Well, i sure as hell wasnt gunna get the womans, so i was wondering, what makes vitamins either for men or women? And, would it be bad to take a men's multivitamin? This may sound really stupid, but I'm curious and really have no idea ???

I take one a day vitamins for him, and i'm just fine. i started about two weeks ago..and nothing bad as happened..haha

Most of the multi-vitamins all have the same things.  the Bs, A, iron, etc.  Mens has things for prorate health, womens have things for breast health.  The two things that are major areas of health issues.

I would say that taking a multi-vitamin that is for the general populace could not hurt.  But using the other specific ones may have issues with a transperson's physiology.

I was told they're all the same things in both. They just have different levels of the amount of vitamins in them for different specific genders. I don't remember who told me that though... you could always ask someone from a vitamin shop if you have one nearby though. My uncle took women's vitamins for around 6 months because he said they were cheaper. Didn't hurt him any. 

There is not an iota of difference. It is a marketing pitch. The body only takes up as much as it needs and pees the rest out. In most of us on a healthy diet we pee out the lot (the exception is Vit A that can accumulate to toxic levels).
There are numerous studies demonstrating that having  a normal diet means you do not need Vit supps, and also helps with other diseases that Vits have no effect on.

However, be careful of herbal and menopausal medications that contain herbal products. Some of the herbal products can have nasty interactions with other medicines. If you are taking anti-depression medication do not take St John wort for example. There are also several herbs that interact with heart medications. Ask your pharmacist .

Cindy

When I first started T I took one a day teen advantage guys vitamins because supposedly its for guys going through puberty, healthy muscle function and all that.

I take men's one a day vitamins, have been since I started T which was over 5 years ago...nothing bad has come of it haha. So all in all I say go for it! Most multi-vitamins they make these days are pretty gender specific, although if you're worried they do make vitamins that aren't specifically for one gender or the other.

Generally vitamins have most of the same stuff regardless of target gender, but vitamins 'for women' have more calcium, iron and zinc, which the female body generally needs a lot more of than men. Female bodies generally make less bone than male bodies and lose it at a faster rate, and the female body seems to need much more calcium in general for a lot of reasons. I'm not sure how this effects transmen though, because the testosterone might effect the way their body uses calcium and how much they need.

If you are worried you might not be getting enough of certain essential vitamins and minerals you should probably ask your doctor about it, or maybe an endocrinologist? I'm not sure, but I don't think you will do much harm by taking the ones targeted male bodied folk.

Some companies add 'gender specific' herbs and supps to multis thus the marketing difference.

For example, Saw Palmetto (lowers DHT, protect prostrate) and Yohimbe (increases libido) may be added to male formulas whereas Black Cohosh (helps with menopause symptoms) and evening primrose oil (PMS symptoms) may be added to womens formulas.
Also the rate of metabolism of certain vitamins may be taken into account with it being presumed that men metabolize vitamins faster so need more (not necessarily true!).
Extra calcium may be added to women's formulas for bone health, extra zinc for men for sperm production....
So there is a somewhat plausible reason for the difference.......

The major scientifically-supported reason for the difference between men's and women's vitamins is that men shouldn't take as much iron as women. This is because men don't menstruate and also tend naturally toward a higher red blood cell count than women; too much iron can be dangerous for men. A higher dose is safe and often helpful for women, who are at higher risk for anemia and lower risk for iron overdose.

The other differences between men's and women's vitamins are fairly minor and have no safety implications - it's really all about the iron. While it is unsafe for a male-bodied person to take a women's vitamin long-term, the reverse isn't the case; it's perfectly safe for women and pre-T trans guys to take a men's vitamin. If you're on T, and especially if you're on T and your periods have stopped, you should definitely stick with the men's formulation.

(btw, I'm not at all sure what the recommendation would be for trans women on HRT. I suspect the women's formulation would likely be ok - if they did cause a problem with red blood cell count, you could just donate blood regularly to keep it down, or take a formulation for postmenopausal women.)

I take a men's vitamin ... nothing bad has happened to me thus far.  My doctor knows I take a men's multivitamin and she said it was fine

Thanks everyone! Basically overall its seems like your saying it really wouldnt hurt to take mens vitamins right now, and only to take mens vitamins after I started t. So I think im just going to go for it if its not going to hurt me.

Just so you know, there do exist ungendered vitamins.  I choose the "performance" or "maximum" (whatever is marketed as ungendered and for active bodies) because, pre-T, I think I need as much iron as I can get, but I don't want the women's vitamins either.  /-:  Use your best judgment when it comes to getting enough iron, especially if you still get periods.

In line with Cindy's post, I just have a balanced diet, including fruit and veg, and never have taken supplements. 
Eating an orange is far more of a sensory experience than taking a pill anyway.  If you are taking them and your urine is yellow, you are watching your money go down the loo as unused vitamins. :P