Top Ten for Men: Maximizing Health With Supplements
"The greatest wealth is health."~Virgil
I've learned through my years in retail that men want information they can use in a quick, concise format. If they can read it quickly and it makes sense to them, they are game! So here are the top 10 supplements that we recommend for men. Not every man should take each one of them, but rather can pick and choose based on their particular needs.
Foundational supplements are those we would argue that almost any man should take on a regular basis and they are...
1) A Multivitamin fills in the nutritional gaps that we all experience. If you are on the go constantly, you may need this more than anything. Multivitamins can also be found that offer herbal support for issues like prostate health, heart health, energy production, or stress relief-- an all-in-one solution.
2) Fish Oil, a form of omega-3 fatty acids, now has thousands of studies validating its benefits for health. These healthy fats help thin the blood, manage healthy cholesterol levels, keep the joints mobile, improve mood and focus, calm inflammation, and more. Krill oil can also be used for these purposes and is preferred by some.
3) Probiotics are the healthy bacteria that live in the intestinal tract. They fight pathogens, increase our resistance to disease, help us to digest our food, and enhance proper elimination. The use of probiotics can calm inflammation, reduce digestive issues, make us more resistant to disease, and improve mood. They are absolutely essential following a course of antibiotics, but almost anyone can benefit from them.
Depending on your particular situation, you may also want to take:
4) Prostate/Sexual Support: Saw palmetto is the number one herb for prostate support and is well-known for reducing the symptoms of BPH. Other herbs that improve the health of the prostate include pumpkin seed oil, pygeum, and lycopene. Combination formulas like Prostate 5LX and Pros-T are very supportive for prostate health. Zinc is also very important to the production of seminal fluid and testosterone.
5) Heart Health Support: New warnings on statin drugs for increasing blood sugar and dementia (in addition to the negative effects on the liver and muscles previously labeled) make Natural Cholesterol Support all the more attractive. Red yeast rice is a natural statin without the tremendous side effects of prescription statins. Like prescription statins, it does reduce the nutrient CoQ10 in the body, so CoQ10 must be supplemented along with it. Great combination formulas like Choles-T, Pro Omega LDL, or Cholesterol Success are available that include red yeast rice and other heart supporting nutrients.
For Blood Pressure that has begun to trend upward, turn first to magnesium. It relaxes the blood vessels and calms the nerves (stress is often a factor in high blood pressure). Grape seed extract and CoQ10 are important antioxidants that keeps the blood vessels clean.
6) Stress and Energy Support: Rhodiola, Ginseng, Ashwaganda and Maca are in a class of herbs called "adaptogenic" herbs. These herbs are fortifiers of the body and help it react better to stress, as opposed to stimulants that ultimately cause a crash in energy. Russian athletes have used rhodiola to improve performance for years, while panax ginseng has been used for the same purpose in Asia. Maca is a Peruvian herb known for sexual and overall vitality and ashwaganda is the premier ayurvedic herb for men. Note that herbs must be checked for interactions with any prescription medications you use.
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