Do nutritional supplements just give you “expensive urine”? No, according to a study commissioned by the Dietary Supplement Education Alliance as reported in May 2007. The study focused on calcium-vitamin D combinations, folic acid, omega-3 fatty acids, and lutein-zeaxanthin combinations. The study updated the research conducted by The Lewin Group from 2004 and 2005. It included a systematic literature review of the most rigorous scientific research available. Researchers found that the U.S. could save healthcare consumers more than $24 billion over 5 years in costs related to conditions and complications that could be influenced by nutrition.
As a nutritionist certified by IAACN and an Anti-Aging Health Practitioner, one of the most frequent questions I get is "What supplements should I take?" So here’s a list of my top 5 recommended daily supplements for men and women in fairly good health. These are the minimum recommendations to maintain optimum health in this day and age. There are many others that could be helpful in particular conditions, but it is best to have one-to-one consultation to tailor supplements according to the person's conditions.
Due to the variability of quality, content and processing of different supplement lines, I have reviewed supplement brands that are available in many health food stores and online distributors with some at a discount. These recomended brands are purposely not professional line brands so that you can easily get them. This is not an exclusive endorsement over other potentially beneficial retail brands. I have recomended these brands based on the nutrient dosages and combinations for safety for individuals in fairly good health. However, each person should check with their health care provider before using the combinations, especially if using any other prescription or non-prescription medications.
Each recommended product is linked to its corresponding product page at iHerb.com, one of my favorite online stores, so you can view the product description. (The links work at that time this article is released, but I cannot guarantee they will work in the future. If you find any link that does not work, simply go to www.iHerb.com and type the name of the supplement in the search box. In addition, if you have never shopped at iHerb before and you want to do so, use referral code LAS262 at checkout to get $5 off your first order. Their items are 10-50% off retail.)
Men under 40
For men under 40, I recommend a multi-vitamin/multi-mineral combination, fish oil, Vitamin D3, a "green drink" and lipoic acid. A multi-vitamin/multi-mineral combination is necessary for everyone in this day and age with the depletion of nutrients from the soil due to poor farming practices. If the nutrients are not in the soil, they will not get in the vegetables. Fish oil contains the foundational essential omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA that have a multiplicity of benefits. Vitamin D3 should be between 40 ng/ml and 80 ng/ml for good health from the abundance of research in the last few years. To attain this level in the blood, most people must supplement with an additional 4000 to 5000 IU of vitamin D3. A concentrated dehydrated green vegetable and fruit powder drink is highly recommended for most men under 40 because the average man under 40 does not eat nearly enough dark green leafy and brightly colored vegetables to prevent significant oxidative damage from stressful lifestyles. Lipoic acid is a "super-antioxidant". It actually helps the other antioxidants, like Vitamin E, C, and the mineral selenium regenerate in the body. It also helps with blood sugar stabilization. On top of all that, it gets through the physiologic barrier of the brain called the blood-brain barrier to protect the brain from oxidative damage that predisposes to the development of dementia and Alzheimers disease.
The following are the recommended supplements for men under 40 with suggested brands:
Multi-vitamin/multi-mineral combination (Twinlab Men's Ultra Daily, New Chapter Every Man II, Carlson Super 2 Daily )
Fish oil with 2000 mg DHA and 3000 mg EPA (Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega Liquid Lemon Flavor, Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega 1000 mg, Carlson Labs The Very Finest Fish Oil Lemon Flavor )
Vitamin D3 in the cholecalciferol form, 4000 IU (Jarrow Formulas Vitamin D3 2500 IU, Carlson Labs Vitamin D 2000 IU )
A “Green Drink” (New Chapter Berry Green Powder, Amazing Grass Green Superfood Powder, Jarrow Formulas Green Defense Powder )
Lipoic acid (Jarrow Formulas Alpha Lipoic Acid Sustain 300 with Biotin, Solgar Alpha Lipoic Acid 600 mg)
Men over 40
For men over 40, I recommend a multi-vitamin/multi-mineral combination, fish oil, Vitamin D3, hydrochloric acid, and amino acids arginine, ornithine and glutamine. See reasons for the multi-vitamin/multi-mineral, fish oil and Vitamin D3 above in Men under 40. The actual cause of most of the cases of indigestion, heartburn and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is the decrease in the amount of hydrochloric acid (HCL) the stomach produces as we age. Not only are the symptoms disturbing, the result is more disturbing. With decreased HCL, B-vitamins and proteins are not digested and absorbed well. This results in decreased energy, and the common muscle atrophy seen in aging. Decreased digestion and absorption of proteins also predisposes to decreased immune system function since the immunoglobulins are made from absorbed dietary proteins. Decreased immune system function leads to all sorts of problems in the elderly from increased susceptibility to upper respiratory infections to altered immune function predisposing to the development of cancer. The three amino acids, arginine, ornithine and glutamine, taken in therapeutic dosages just before bedtime, help increase the output of our own body's growth hormone at night during sleep. As we age, our pituitary gland releases less growth hormone. Growth hormone released at night during sleep is essential for repair, regeneration and recovery of tissues and our entire system. Growth hormone output is also associated with testosterone levels. Not only will this help you to sleep better, but will improve your recovery from stress and injury, keep a man virile and help all your systems work at a younger biological age. Your chronological age is your actual age in years. Your biological age is a comparative age your body systems are functioning at. For instance if you are 60 years old, but your skin, muscle tone, energy, heart health, and brain function are comparative to a 40 year old, your biological age is closer to 40.
You may notice that the "green drink" and lipoic acid are not in the list for men over 40. Since I am recommending the top 5 for each age category and gender, I have prioritized the supplements by importance for maximum results, based on common health problems seen in my 20 years of practice, and recent research. In addition, the older we get, the better we take care of ourselves including eating more vegetables. If you are over 40 and you are not eating a lot of vegetables, consider taking the "green drink" and lipoic acid.
The following are the recommended supplements for men over 40 with suggested brands:
Multi-vitamin/multi-mineral combination (Doctors Choice for 50-Plus Men, Twinlab Mens Ultra Daily, New Chapter Every Man II )
Fish oil with 2000 mg DHA and 3000 mg EPA (Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega Liquid Lemon Flavor, Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega 1000 mg, Carlson Labs The Very Finest Fish Oil Lemon Flavor )
Vitamin D3 in the cholecalciferol form, 4000 IU (Jarrow Formulas Vitamin D3 2500 IU, Carlson Labs Vitamin D 2000 IU )
Hydrochloric acid (Twinlab Betaine HCL, Doctor's Best Betaine HCI Pepsin & Gentian Bitters ) - take at the beginning of your meal
Arginine, ornithine, and glutamine just before bedtime (Twinlab L-Arginine & L-Ornithine, Twinlab L-Glutamine 1000 mg)
Women under 40
For women under 40, I recommend a multi-vitamin/multi-mineral combination, fish oil, Vitamin D3, "green drink" and indole 3-carbinol. See reasons for the multi-vitamin/multi-mineral, fish oil and Vitamin D3 above in Men under 40. Many women under 40 are having babies, raising children and work outside of the home. Many are under a great deal of stress. Most Americans do not eat nearly enough dark green leafy and brightly colored vegetables to prevent significant oxidative damage from the stressful lifestyles. Therefore, a "green drink", which consists of concentrated dehydrated green vegetable and fruits, is highly recommended. Indole 3-carbinol is found in significant amounts in dark green leafy vegetables. It is included in the list for women under 40 because it increases the levels of protective estrogens and lowers the levels of harmful estrogens when taken supplementally in therapeutic dosages.
The following are the recommended supplements for women under 40 with suggested brands:
Multi-vitamin/multi-mineral combination (New Chapter Every Woman's One Daily, Jarrow Formulas Preg-Natal + DHA, Enzymatic Therapy Doctor's Choice Prenatal Formula )
Fish oil with 2000 mg DHA and 3000 mg EPA (Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega Liquid Lemon Flavor, Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega 1000 mg, Carlson Labs The Very Finest Fish Oil Lemon Flavor )
Vitamin D3 in the cholecalciferol form, 4000 IU (Jarrow Formulas Vitamin D3 2500 IU, Carlson Labs Vitamin D 2000 IU )
A “Green Drink” (New Chapter Berry Green Powder, Amazing Grass Green Superfood Powder, Jarrow Formulas Green Defense Powder )
Indole 3-Carbinol (New Chapter Broccolive Plus, Allergy Research Group Nutricology IndoleGard, Enzymatic Therapy Protective Breast Formula )
Women over 40
For women over 40, I recommend a multi-vitamin/multi-mineral combination, fish oil, Vitamin D3, hydrochloric acid, and combination of indole 3-carbinol, chrysin, isoflavones and resveratrol. See reasons for the multi-vitamin/multi-mineral, fish oil and Vitamin D3 above in Men under 40, and see reason for hydrochloric acid in Men over 40. Besides the benefits on estrogen metabolism of Indole 3-carbinol, chrysin, isoflavones and resveratrol, these indirectly provide hormonal balancing benefits for elderly women. Resveratrol, found in high amounts in red and purple grapes as well as other dark deeply colored fruits, also has very powerful antioxidant properties. These properties protect against the cumulative DNA damage over years of time, as is often seen in cell damage from aging. Chrysin, an extract from the blue passion flower (Passiflora caerulea), decreases the conversion of testosterone to estradiol (one of the 3 major estrogens). This is important in elderly women, not only for healthy balanced estrogen matabolism, but also because certain types of breast cancers are sensative to higher levels of estradiol. Isoflavones, derived from soy and other legumes, have shown promising benefits for decreasing the risk of certain cancers due to their effects on estrogen metabolism.
The following are the recommended supplements for women over 40 with suggested brands:
Multi-vitamin/multi-mineral combination (Enzymatic Therapy Doctor's Choice Multivitamins 45+ Women, Rainbow Light Just Once Women's One Multivitamin, Natural Factors Women's Plus MultiStart )
Fish oil with 2000 mg DHA and 3000 mg EPA (Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega Liquid Lemon Flavor, Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega 1000 mg, Carlson Labs The Very Finest Fish Oil Lemon Flavor )
Vitamin D3 in the cholecalciferol form, 4000 IU (Jarrow Formulas Vitamin D3 2500 IU, Carlson Labs Vitamin D 2000 IU )
Hydrochloric acid (Twinlab Betaine HCL, Doctor's Best Betaine HCI Pepsin & Gentian Bitters ) - take at the beginning of your meal
Combination capsule(s) of Indole 3-Carbinol, Chrysin, Isoflavones and Resveratrol (New Chapter Broccolive Plus, Now Foods Indole-3-Carbinol with Flax Lignans )
Final Comments
Optimal nutrient intake has a significant effect on each individuals health. According to the majority of well-designed research studies, nutritional supplementation is necessary in today's environment. For questions regarding this article, email Dr Husbands at inquiry@drhusbands.com.
Dr Husbands has been helping people resolve chronic health problems and improve their health for over two decades. He is a holistic healthcare physician in the San Francisco Bay Area. He graduated from San Francisco State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology/Human Physiology in 1983. In 1991, he graduated from Cleveland Chiropractic College of Los Angeles and became a Doctor of Chiropractic. In 1996, he earned his post-graduate board certification as a Certified Clinical Nutritionist with the International and American Associations of Clinical Nutritionists, and in 2000, he became a certified Anti-Aging Health Care Practitioner with the American Board of Anti-Aging Health Practitioners. In 2003, he completed training in Functional Medicine with the Institute for Functional Medicine. Dr. Husbands has been sought for expert opinion by national health magazines and been published in peer-reviewed journals. He has taught many classes and lectured extensively to a wide variety of audiences on natural health topics and functional medicine. He sees patients at the Athens Chiropractic Clinic in San Carlos, CA. He offers phone consultations for those who live outside of the area. Find out more about Dr Husbands at drhusbands.com. He can be contacted at drhusbands.com/contact.cfm.