At different stages in a man’s life, his priorities will change as will his physical and emotional needs. All these can affect the state of the man’s wellbeing, including the type of nutrition and dietary supplement he will require. Understanding this is a critical requirement for choosing the right diet supplement. We will try to examine this issue in some detail in this article.
What is a Diet Supplement?
A supplement is a product that is manufactured to compliment or beef up a person’s diet by providing some much-needed nutrients. These products are usually prepared and taken as pills, liquids or capsules.
They can be extracted from natural sources or they can be synthesized from other materials. They can also be produced as individual nutrients or a combination of different nutrients to provide a more complete dietary supplementation.
It is important to understand that supplements are only meant to supplement. They are not meant to replace a proper diet as your main source of nutrition. Giving your body what it needs through a balanced diet is always the best option.
What Diet Supplements Do Men Need?
Like we stated at beginning of this article, men’s dietary needs will change at every stage in their life. Supplements taken at any of these stages should therefore be based on those needs.
There are however some things that every man needs. Based on these, we shall look at diet supplements that men need based on three categories. These are: general needs, needs of middle-aged men and needs of older men.
General Dietary Supplement Needs
In an article which you can read here, top nutritionists noted that men appeared to record a deficiency in practically every category of nutrition. These are actually nutrients that they should usually get from the right diet.
However, according to the study, it was found that for American men (aged between 31 and 50) to hope to meet the dietary guideline as set by federal regulators, they will need to increase their daily consumption of fruits by 150% and vegetables by about 350%.
Since this can be regarded as wishful thinking, it is then important that this dietary shortfall is filled with the right supplement. According to the same study, it was found that the benefits of taking individual supplements were not very significant. This means they should be taken in helpful combos.
In general, there are three supplements that every man should go for. These are Multivitamins, fish oil and probiotics.
Multivitamins – These offer your body the much-needed vitamins that should have been supplied by all the fruits and veggies you fail to consume. Whatever multivitamin supplement you choose, ensure it contains selenium and zinc. Selenium helps in the prevention of cancer while zinc helps with the production of sperm.
Probiotics – These are important bacteria that help build your immunity while also maintaining the health of your gut.
Fish Oil – This is one of the greatest sources of omega-3 fatty acids. These are important for brain functions and a healthy heart. They also act as natural anti-inflammatory.
Dietary Supplement Needs of Mid-Aged Men
The supplements listed above are great for every man. As you cross to your 30s, you may need to add other supplements to the three listed above. Some important supplements you may need to add include: Glucosamine and chondroitin and vitamin D.
Glucosamine and Chondroitin – These substances are great for relieving joint pain. They can be of great help in managing sports injuries. They occur naturally in the body, but as you get older, you may need to supplement what the body produces with some external supply.
Vitamin D – This nutrient can be gotten from milk and sunlight. It is however likely that you may not be getting enough of it so popping in this supplement is important. This is because it can help prevent diabetes, multiple sclerosis, metabolic syndrome, and some other health issues. It also promotes bone health.
Dietary Supplement Needs of Older Men
Once a man hits 40 and above, his dietary needs evolve. In addition to all of the above supplements, it may become important to add a few others like alpha lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10, and saw palmetto.
Alpha Lipoic Acid – With age, your ability to make use of glucose becomes less efficient. This nutrient will help with blood sugar management. It also helps with brain health and is beneficial to the liver.
Coenzyme Q10 – This particular nutrient is particular needful as it provides your heart with the energy it needs to function. It also helps in the production of the main source of cell energy – the ATP.
Saw Palmetto – We all know older man have issues with peeing. This is the supplement you need to help you manage issues with the growth of your prostate which makes you go take a piss several times at night.
Crossing from the 40s to the 50s brings with it its own new challenges. In addition to what you have been taking, you may need to make some adjustments to ensure a sufficient supply of some much-needed nutrients.
Here are a few new possible supplementary needs: Selenium, B12, ginkgo biloba and phosphitadyl serine, glycerophosphocholine (GPC) and acetyl l carnitine.
Selenium – We already met this dude when we were discussing multivitamins above. You may however need to increase your intake of selenium to about 200micrograms every day. This is because your need for it has increased.
B12 – This is something you will usually have in good supply from your protein diet. However, with the aging process your body may not be able to absorb as much nutrients from food as it used to. As you get older, always have your physician check your B12 levels to know by how much you may need to supplement its supply.
Ginkgo Biloba – This is important for the protection of your brain cells.
Phosphitadyl Serine, GlyceroPhosphoCholine (GPC) and Acetyl l Carnitine – These nutrients are also very critical for proper brain functions.
It is important that every man takes note of what supplements he needs to take at any stage in his life. This is very important to ensure continued health and wellbeing.
