Supplements For Better Health
A multi-billion dollar industry is capitalizing on our need to get fit. Steer clear of the noise with this short list.
Good Morning!
I hope your week is off to a great start.
The world is, even if just marginally, gravitating toward more of a focus on physical health. This is a great thing.
With this comes an increase in spending on healthy living, and by proxy, an increase in the convenience-style methods of improving health.
Enter supplements.
Dietary supplements are becoming all the rage as the shift in focus toward health has fueled a fast-track toward immunity from disease, extra energy, and every other possible perk you might think of.
Fitt Insider notes that the supplement industry is set to balloon to a $505 billion market cap by 2028. Fueling this craze is the staggering fact that poor nutrition kills roughly five hundred thousand people per year.
But since the turn of the century, confusion about what supplements to take and what dosages to ingest clouds our judgment. One news story may come out, saying “40% of Americans are deficient in vitamin D,” leading us to rush to Google about where we can get vitamin D.
But Google searches about health don’t often lead to calming answers (thanks for telling me I’m going to die tomorrow, WebMD).
Scholarly studies on vitamins and supplements might also conflict with each other, leading to dismay about whether or not we need supplements at all.
Supplements For Better Health
Luckily, you’re subscribed to this newsletter, and I’ve spent weeks (yes, actual weeks) listening to podcasts (the good ones, I promise) and reading through journal articles about what supplements are actually necessary and which ones don’t matter.
Before turning to supplements, however, a caveat:
Identifying deficiencies in your diet requires a visit to your primary care physician and bloodwork. Your blood panels will tell you (nearly) everything you need to know about the current state of your health.
And even if you are deficient in something, I’m sure your doctor and I will be in agreement about one thing — look to whole, natural, non-processed foods for these vitamins and nutrients before those little gelatin capsules.
While I can empathize some jobs and workplaces may not lend themselves to a healthy and diverse selection of food, most dietary issues can be solved with a few more fruits and vegetables.
For those of you that are in between a rock and a hard place with nutrient deficiency and your schedule, I’ve got a short list of supplements below that can help (and a full E-book in the next hyperlink if you’re itching for more)!
Note: There will be cases where genetic dispositions will call for more supplements, but those are rare.
Supplement #1: Protein
Excuse my while I put my stereotypical personal trainer hat on, but protein is the first and most actionable supplement you can add to your diet. While my instinct is to tell you to add more meat, tofu, broccoli, mushrooms and cauliflower to your diet, that isn’t sustainable for everyone.
The Data
The latest research on lean muscle mass in older adults shows that protein becomes increasingly necessary in our diets as we age, and that the current recommended daily amount (RDA) of protein may need some revisions given this necessity.
In short, it’s possible many Americans are falling a bit short on protein intake.
Supplementing protein powder is one of the most efficient ways to achieve an optimal daily intake (the current standard is around 0.8 to 1 gram per pound of bodyweight).
For those who eat three meals a day, 25-30 grams of protein per meal is a good number to aspire for. Without protein powder, this would likely require a LOT of cooking.
Which leads to the conclusion that a scoop of protein — mixed in with oats in the morning, or in a shake with any meal during the day — could largely benefit most people who don’t cook every meal they eat.
For those with gastrointestinal issues or allergies, consider a vegan protein powder or other options with less additives.
Supplement #2: Ashwagandha
Try saying that supplement five times fast.
A consistent theme of this newsletter as a holistic wellness newsletter is stress. I’ve talked a lot about how stress — or more specifically, its hormonal agent cortisol — works for and against us in our fitness.
Ashwagandha, or Indian Ginseng, is an Ayurvedic root that lowers cortisol and anxiety levels. While these are it’s most common effects, some studies have shown that it can even improve physical performance, reproductive health, and boost testosterone levels.
The Data
The herb scores an “A” on Examine.com’s scoreboard for anxiety relief and mental health. Studies showed improvements on subjects after supplementation of roughly 600 mg per day.
This supplement is, like most others, not particularly necessary for anyone, but also can’t hurt to add.
For those who feel overwhelmed by high-stress environments, energy and libido can be sapped by chronically elevated cortisol. The reduction in cortisol could promote better mental clarity and reduce feelings of tension and uneasiness.
To save you the trouble if you’re interested — steer clear of the actual Ashwagandha root and get them in gummy form. Ashwagandha literally translates to “horse stench” in Sanskrit, so you might want to save your nostrils from that.
Gummies are also all the rage, apparently.
Supplement #3: Magnesium
Magnesium makes the short-list because as Americans, our current dietary habits (on average) cause us to miss our RDA of this absolutely essential nutrient.
This supplement has a wide range of benefits, but the most notable include:
Improved Bone health
Improved Cardiovascular Health
Protein Synthesis
Energy Production
Magnesium can be found in abundance in leafy greens, legumes, nuts and seeds, and protein-dense meats like steak, chicken and salmon. However, since many of us might miss out on those food groups in our busy day-to-day, supplementation may be warranted.
The Data
Low magnesium correlates with diabetes and high blood pressure. Supplementation can assistant in the regulation of blood glucose and insulin sensitivity — or better blood sugar and less cravings, in layman’s terms.
In smaller studies, it’s also been shown to modestly improve mood, anxiety, and even migraines.
There are cases in which it may even help with sleep and insomnia, though more data may be needed for this to be conclusive.
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