Especially for dad: these five supplements will keep your favorite guy healthy.

No one has to remind Shawn Talbott, PhD, to take his daily vitamins. As the author of A Guide to Understanding Dietary Supplements and the chief scientific officer for Supplement Watch (supplementwatch.com), he's convinced of their benefits. Unfortunately, most guys need prodding. "Men are notorious for not taking the supplements their bodies need," he says.

It's no wonder. With so many pills, potions and herbs competing for men's attention, it's easier to reach for a bag of chips. So we decided to make it easy: We asked nutritional experts to narrow the list to their five best choices for guys.

a multi

"A multivitamin is the most important men's supplement," says Keegan Sheridan, a Beverly Hills, CA, naturopathic physician. "It creates a healthy foundation and helps maintain metabolism, muscle mass and a quick mind. It provides essential ingredients that protect from stress and slow the aging process."

A good men's multi will contain these guy-friendly essentials for overall health: vitamins [B.sub.3] (niacin), [B.sub.6] and [B.sub.12], vitamin C, natural (tocopherol) vitamin E and vitamin K, as well as zinc/copper, magnesium and selenium. "Few men need iron supplements," says Alan C. Logan, a Connecticut naturopathic physician and faculty member of Harvard Medical School's Mind-Body Medical Institute. "High iron stores are associated with free radical damage, inflammation, cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's."

buyer's guide: Check that the multi contains all the ingredients above and natural-source (tocopherol) vitamin E.

how much to take: Take as directed on label.