Walk into any pharmacy and you’ll be greeted with an entire aisle (or more) dedicated to supplements. You’ll see tablets listing every vitamin in the alphabet, capsules containing ingredients you barely recognise, and powders with unknown benefits. In a market bursting at the seams, how do you know which nutritional supplements are right for you? Here’s our recommended list:
- Multivitamin
Start with the basics: a good multivitamin will ensure you’re getting everything you need to keep your body strong and disease-free. Your multivitamin should contain two key nutrients: selenium, which helps prevent cancer, and zinc, which helps you make sperm. Also, make sure it doesn’t have extra iron, which can increase some men’s risk of heart disease.
- Fish oil
This is the good stuff and, unless you’re munching fatty fish two to three times a week, you’re going to need the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA found in fish oil. These healthy fats boost HDL cholesterol, lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation (they’re great for injuries) and may lower your risk of colon and prostate cancers.
- Magnesium
Even if you’re eating magnesium-rich foods, such as nuts and leafy greens, it’s likely that you’re not getting enough of this magical mineral, since the soil these foods are grown in are often depleted of it. Supplementing your magnesium intake will help to regulate everything from your metabolism to your sleep cycle and blood pressure. It’s also great for muscle aches, anxiety, migraines and insomnia.
- Vitamin D
If you’re not getting enough vitamin D, you’re increasing your risks of heart disease, brain function and even cancer. This great immune-boosting vitamin also helps you to absorb calcium, so preventing bone loss that can start in your thirties. Make sure you pick up vitamin D3, not D2, which takes longer for the body to convert to a useable nutrient, and take it with food.
- Probiotics
While you may think of these as something you take only while you’re on antibiotics, probiotics are good to take normally when you’re not sick too. It’s been said that gut health is the secret to overall health, and a good probiotic can help protect the healthy bacteria that occur naturally in your intestine. You can get these from food by eating things like yoghurt or soy, but a probiotic supplement means you don’t have to overload on these to get the same amounts.
In the right doses, supplements can improve the functioning of your heart, muscles and bones, they can boost your brain and they can even enhance your sex life. They come with a warning, however: supplements need to be taken in the right quantities for your particular body, and you need to be aware of how they might interact with other medication you’re currently taking. If you’re unsure, chat to your doctor first.
Sources:
- Men’s Fitness: http://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/supplements/supplements-every-guy-needs and http://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/supplements/supplements-every-guy-needs
- Men’s Health: https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/the-top-10-supplements-for-men and https://www.menshealth.com/health/best-supplements-men/acetyl-l-carnitine/slide/12
- Men’s Journal: http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/the-only-three-supplements-you-need-20121011
