When it comes to your health, you’re probably not doing everything you should. Most men don’t get enough of the nutrients they need, which is why you should be supplementing.
It’s not easy knowing what vitamins and supplements are worth your money. With so many inaccurate studies out there, you’ve probably been made to believe that supplements aren’t worth it. However, there are plenty of supplements for men that actually provide a number of benefits.
And as you get older, you’ll need to protect your body. The more you age, the most at risk you are for a number of different things, including cancers, joint issues, and other diseases. It’s never too late to start adding some supplements to your everyday routine. Here are the top supplements we recommend and why.
1. Glucosamine – for joint lubrication
As you get older, your joints lose their ability to remain fully mobile. This is due to a depletion of cartilage in your joints. You definitely don’t have the same amount as when you were younger and chances are, you can tell. In order to keep your joints nice and loose, you’ll need to prevent the loss of cartilage and start building it back up.
Glucosamine is perfect for that. Your body needs it in order to synthesize certain proteins and lipids (fats). Those proteins and lipids are then used to form specific tissues – including cartilage. Getting 1500mg a day will help reduce pain and stiffness in your joints.
2. Boron – for prostate health
As you age, your risk for prostate cancer grows and grows and grows. Men everywhere should be taking precautions to reduce that risk and taking a boron supplement is a great way to start. It was found that men who took a boron supplement cut their chances of getting prostate cancer by up to 64%.
The way boron work is by attacking prostate cancer specific cells while leaving the rest of the healthy cells unharmed.
3. Chromium – to keep diabetes at bay
Although you may know this as a muscle-building supplement, it’s also very effective at warding off diabetes, especially if they run in your family. Richard Anderson, Ph.D., a research with USDA states, “taking chromium is one of the best things you can do to help keep insulin levels where they belong.”
Since we know how important insulin levels are to regulating blood sugar, it’s crucial to maintain proper levels to avoid diabetes. Taking 35mcg (micrograms) a day will help reduce that risk.
4. Calcium – for bone health and weight loss
A grown man needs about 1,000 mg of calcium a day to maintain bone health. However, not nearly enough men are actually getting that. If you drink 3-4 glasses of milk a day, you’re probably fine since a single glass has up to 300 mg but if you don’t drink that much, you may need to start supplementing.
Men who get enough calcium a day are proven to weigh less than those who don’t. However, you’ll want to avoid consuming more than 2,500 mg in a single day as those doses can have negative effects.
5. Coenzyme Q10 – to increase your energy levels
By now, you’ve probably noticed that you’re not as energetic as you once were. You may think work, family, and other responsibilities are to blame but it’s actually a reduction in Coenzyme Q10 levels.
As you age, your body slows down its productions and since it’s responsible for helping to manage your body’s energy supply, you feel a little more tired. It also has positive effects on your health due to its high antioxidant content, as well. The recommended amount to take is 100mg a day to get your levels back up and help level out your energy levels.
6. Vitamin E – reduce effects of aging
No, it won’t turn back time and make you young again but it will slow down and reduce the effects of aging on your body. Basically, because Vitamin E is packed with antioxidants, it can reduce your risk of developing eye diseases, cancers, heart diseases, and even Alzheimer’s.
Getting up to 400 IU (international units) in a single day can be really beneficial to you. Since most people don’t get this much from their diet alone, supplementing with it is a great idea if you want to help reduce your risk of aging-related conditions.
7. Selenium – reduce the risk of cancer
You may not have heard of this supplement for men but it could be the most important one you take. Selenium is actually a mineral found in soils. Your water may contain small amounts of it and some foods have it. However, the levels usually aren’t enough to benefit you.
This mineral is vital to your metabolic health and it’s also full of antioxidants. Since those antioxidants protect your cells from becoming damaged, it can reduce the risk of cancer significantly.
It’s so powerful at cancer prevention that Gerald F. Combs, Ph.D., director of the USDA’s Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center has said, “No other single nutrient appears to prevent cancer more effectively than selenium.” If that doesn’t convince you to add this supplement to your diet, I don’t know what will.
If you take your health importantly, adding some supplements may mean the difference between an easy road ahead or a difficult one.
