What are the most essential supplements for optimal health? Here is our list of the top six types of supplementation that you should consider taking if you want to live longer and stronger.
It goes without saying that proper nutrition is essential to optimal health, slowing the aging process, performing at peak performance, and avoiding the diseases that are self-inflicted by not putting proper nutrients into our bodies.
We feel that supplementation is essential and is similar to performing routine maintenance on an car. If you put good things in regularly, you lower the likelihood you won’t have any issues down the road. However, if you fail to put fresh fluids in regularly, you are almost certainly going to have systemic breakdowns throughout the life of the car.
Now before we go into the list of essential supplements we would like to point out that supplements are no substitute for eating a proper diet. Every chemical process in our bodies uses a combination of fats, proteins, enzymes and minerals, so if you aren’t eating plenty of vegetables and healthy proteins you likely won’t realize the full benefits that supplements are designed to offer. Remember: supplements are designed to work synergistically with the foods you eat, not replace them.
Below is a list of essential supplements that everyone should be taking to optimize their health and performance.
#1: MULTIVITAMINS
A good multivitamin is one of the most important supplements for avoiding a wide range of nutrient deficiencies. If you take nothing else, this is a good place to start. But you need to ensure that you are taking a high quality supplement that can easily be broken-down and absorbed. Some cheap hard-pressed mutli-vitamins can pass through the entire digestive tract without being absorbed, causing you to essentially flush money down the toilet. Use a powder multi-vitamin that can be mixed with water or a powder in a gelatin capsule like the SilverWolf Essential Multi to ensure the stomach’s acids have a chance to break down and separate the nutrients.
#2: GREEN SUPERFOOD POWDER
Greens powders are made from condensed fruits, vegetables, algae and leafy greens which are dehydrated and then ground into an insanely nutrient dense powder that can easily be mixed with your favorite smoothie, juice, etc. None of us eat nearly enough vegetables and greens, which often lead to key nutrient deficiencies. Studies have shown that fruits and vegetables in addition to their nutrient content have an alkalizing effect on the blood, which can aid in workout recovery and may reduce the risk of getting certain types of cancers.
#3: PROTEIN POWDER
Regardless of whether you prefer Whey or Plant-based protein powders one thing is certain: we need protein. Every soft tissue in our bodies require protein to regenerate. If you workout frequently or are very active in general, chances are you need more protein than you think. Don’t worry about the bodybuilder suggestion of 1 gram per bodyweight or whatever, that advice is designed for guys who want to gain insane amounts of muscle. The average guy probably doesn’t train enough to create those sorts of metabolic requirements. Simply focus on getting some protein at every meal and you’ll likely get more than enough.
Tip: Having a protein shake in the morning with your greens powder is a great way to get a blast of nutrients and also help you avoid the garbage breakfast foods like oatmeal, toast, cereal or bagels, which usually cause breakfast to be the worst meal of the day for most people.
#4: TESTOSTERONE & ENDOCRINE SYSTEM SUPPORT
After the age of 27 our bodies begin a process known as “andropause” which is a state in which our testosterone begins to naturally decline as we age. Some researchers suggest that our bodies testosterone production can decline by as much as 1 percent each year until it bottoms out and levels off again in our 60s and beyond. This can lead to a whole slew of problems including erectile disfunction, high cholesterol, sarcopenia (muscle loss), lower sex-drive and more. Because of this, it is important to provide our testicles and pituitary glands with the essential nutrients needed to work optimally as long as possible.
Ginseng, Tribulus Terrestris, Pine Pollen and Cordyseps Mushrooms have all been shown to both stimulate the pituitary gland’s production of luteinizing hormone which signals the production of testosterone in the testicles or directly aid the testicles in producing androgenic hormones by supplying them with the nutrients essential to that process. It is because of this that we feel these type of supplements as essential to maintaining strength, slowing the aging process and maintaining a healthy sex-drive.
#5: MULTIMINERALS
Our bodies are like plants: they need water, sunshine and minerals to grow and flourish properly. Minerals provide structure to all of the bodies tissuesand are essential to maintaining healthy bones and teeth. Minerals also support your bodies acid-base which help with workout recovery and help negate the damage done by consuming too much coffee, soda and other acid forming foods. Additionally minerals play a vital role in the transmission of electrco-muscular impulses that are sent from your brain through your nervous system to the rest of your body. Without minerals, the transmission of energy can become inefficient and lead to muscle spasms, weakness and injury.
#6: MAGNESIUM
Magnesium may be the most important element to supplement with because it is responsible for over 300 chemical processes essential to proper function of our bodies. Magnesium regulates many other minerals including calcium and potassium and may be more important than calcium in preventing bone loss. Magnesium is natural muscle relaxant and is essential to proper muscle and nerve function. When paired with vitamin D3 it may also help to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression, while naturally boosting your overall mood and level of sleep.
Again, eating a healthy diet should be where most people start. If you aren’t eating a healthy diet, you should focus most of your energy on taking bad things away, not adding new things. However, if you are on the right path or getting there, proper supplementation can help you optimize your bodies performance and help you train harder and live better.
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