Let’s face it, our fast paced lifestyle can leave you eating less than optimally. Throw the weekends out and it’s pretty safe to say that you aren’t getting all the nutrients that you need from food alone. Supplements are designed to fill the gap between what you get from food and what you need to perform at your best.
Standard Supplements: Baseline (20 year old+)
1. Multivitamin
Multivitamins don’t have the sex appeal of some of the other vitamins out there. This is one supplement where you probably won’t notice a drastic difference in your day-to-day life. What is important is what is going on inside your body. Multivitamins are the catch-all that ensures you are getting all the vitamins and minerals that you need. Some of the key nutrients you want to look out for are selenium and zinc. Selenium has been shown to possibly have cancer-protective effects and zinc helps with sperm creation.
2. Krill Oil
Krill is one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are crucial for many vital body functions including heart, brain, and joint health. Krill oil also naturally has choline which helps with brain function and astaxanthin which ensures that the oil is preserved. One side benefit is that krill is in phospholipid form which means it will mix in your stomach and not cause the fish burps.
3. Probiotics/Gut Health
The gut is now being considered your second brain. Poor gut health can be traced back to a host of disorders and diseases. Probiotics are good bacteria, naturally occurring in your intestines, that aid with overall gut health and can enhance your immune system. You can get probiotics in your diet by eating yogurt, fermented and unfermented milk, miso, tempeh, and other fermented food. Personally, my favorite is Kimchi (a Korean fermented food). It is recommended that on top of eating foods like this, you get a probiotic with at least 10 billion live bacteria (CFU) from one or more of the Lactobacillus family. On a supplement you will see it say CFU which stands for colony-forming units.
Add these as you get a little older (30s)
1. Vitamin D
Vitamin D is the vitamin you get from the sun. It is actually the best source of Vitamin D which is why sometimes you will hear people say “go out and get some Vitamin D”. When your skin is hit by sunlight, it makes vitamin D from cholesterol. The sun’s ultraviolet rays (UVB) hit naturally occurring cholesterol in your skin cells providing energy for vitamin D synthesis to happen. Studies have found that 40-70 percent of people are deficient in vitamin D. Vitamin D helps prevent many different health conditions, boosts bone health, and is vital for overall health. The recommended dosage is 400IU, but many people take 1,000IU or 5,000IU in areas with less sun exposure.
2. Glucosamine and Chondroitin
Glucosamine and Chondroitin are nature’s way of helping to heal your aching joints. Although naturally occurring, many people need to supplement to meet the demands of sports, lifting, and other strenuous activities. For many people, this is a supplement that you can actually feel the results. Personally, I feel a difference when lifting if I have not been taking my joint supplement containing these two compounds. Most joint supplements on the market have at least 1,000-1,500mg of these and other ingredients which should do the trick.
The Big 40: Take these in addition
1. Coenzyme Q10
CoQ10 has been shown to help improve overall heart health and blood sugar regulation, help with fertility, and possibly help with cancer cells. As you age, CoQ10 production decreases causing more oxidative damage that causes a host of different issues. The standard dose is 100mg.
2. Saw Palmetto
Prostate issues tend to show up in the 40’s and 50s for men. There is some exciting research that points to saw palmetto possibly helping to improve prostate health. On top of that, it may help to reduce inflammation, increase T levels, and help with a host of other issues. There are many great saw palmetto supplements out there and most are 500mg or more so one capsule a day should be good.
50 and Beyond: Add these
1. Phosphatidylserine
2. Aceytl L Carnitine
Acetyl-L-carnitine, also known as (ALCAR), is a mitochondrial boosting supplement that has been shown to improve memory and all-around cognitive function. Studies have shown that it can increase your endurance which helps in the gym. The standard dosage is 750mg- 1,000mg, but some people take 2,000mg for a nootropic effect.