This series, entitled “The Supplement Symposium” will take a look at various supplements and which ones you can (or should) utilize for specific goals. In Part One, we discussed the debate of whole foods vs. supplements. Part Two covered the supplements everyone should be taking for good general health. Part Three took a look at the supplements that can aid in your quest to build strength and muscle mass. In Part Four, we talked about the supplements that can aid in your quest to lose those extra pounds and shed some fat. Now Part Five will examine various supplements that can aid you in your quest for a long life.
Everyone wants to live longer. One of the main goals of the health industry in general is to not only get people in better shape so that they can live longer, but to also improve their health so that they can enjoy a higher quality of life over their lengthened lifespan. Despite all the miracle pills and “fountain of youth” garbage there is out there, here are some supplements that will actually give you a little help with longevity.
The Standbys
I won’t go into much detail on these ‘cause there is plenty of information out there on the benefits of these two, but Omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin D have so many benefits that you should be taking them, period. Some interesting studies show that people with the lowest levels of Vitamin D have a 27 percent higher rate of death from any cause--be it cancer, car accident, choking on a protein shake blender ball, anything. If that isn’t a case for improved longevity, I don’t know what is.
Coenzyme Q10 & L-Carnitine
I group these two supplements together because they are often administered or prescribed as an energy/cardiovascular health “cocktail.” Hundreds of studies have been done that show the various benefits of these two compounds, such as increased energy, improved metabolism, cell protection, improved cardiovascular health, and possibly even weight loss among other things. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and L-Carnitine (Carnitine) both serve important functions in your body on the cellular level, specifically in the mitochondria of your cells (the energy powerhouses) and both are made naturally in the body while being somewhat difficult to obtain through diet.
CoQ10 - Coenzymes basically improve the functioning of enzymes in your body. CoQ10 is a vastly important coenzyme that not only works to maximize the energy output of the mitochondria in every cell in your body, but also serves as a powerful anti-oxidant to protect your cells from free radicals that get inside. Our body produces CoQ10 naturally, but as we age, that production declines precipitously. Taking CoQ10 as you get up there in years ensures that your energy levels and cell functioning stay where they should be. Most CoQ10 supplements utilize the compound ubiquinone, but recent research has shown that the reduced form ubiquinol is absorbed at a much higher rate, so look for one that uses the more efficient ubiquinol.
Carnitine acts as a shuttle to drive fatty acids into your cells to be burned for energy, which is particularly important for your heart, which burns energy constantly every second. Not only does carnitine show vast improvements in cardiovascular health, but it has also demonstrated benefits such as fighting osteoporosis, and anti-oxidant properties such as lipid perioxidation in phospholipid membranes (cell walls) and prevention of myocardial oxidative stress (stress on your heart). You can find carnitine in red meat and various other foods, but supplement forms are easy to find if you are one of those “non-red-meat-eating hippies.”
Adaptogens
This class of supplements comes from herbs and plants that have been used in traditional Eastern Medicines such as Ayurveda and Chinese herbology for millennia. These herbs typically contain compounds like phytosterols, lignans, flavonoids or saponins that have extremely high anti-oxidant properties. These herbs have shown an amazing ability to "normalize" your body conditions and help the body to “adapt” to things like fatigue, anxiety and all manner of physical, mental and emotional stresses. The mechanisms aren’t exactly known, but there are theories ranging from the anti-oxidant protection, to effects on endocrine hormones to even just immune system boosting. Some well known plants that are known adaptogens are Licorice, Panax Ginseng, and Rhodiola, but there are dozens of different types and they are easy enough to find. Since the bulk of adaptogens are derived from herbs, these need to be taken in supplement form. But if you are feeling frazzled or stressed, give these a try. I’m sure you can see why having to deal with less stress would help you to live longer.
Superfoods
Some of the biggest benefits of eating your fruits and veggies are derived from the natural anti-oxidants abundant in colorful, unadulterated produce. Scientists at the National Institutes of Health created the Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity (ORAC) scale to measure the ability of a compound or food to neutralize free radicals in the body. I won’t go into the boring specifics of how it works, and there is no real set number that the ORAC scale says you should aim for every day (it doesn’t really work like that), but generally the higher the ORAC score, the better. An ORAC scale score of around 400-500 is assigned to one serving of just about most fruits and veggies. The problem is that if you are like most average Americans, you are severely deficient in the amount of whole fruits and veggies that you are eating. “Superfood” supplements are usually some sort of concentrated fruit and veggie extracts that try to eliminate the inconvenience of eating all that food by isolating the various vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidant compounds while removing the flesh and liquid of the produce. “Superfood” supplements provide anti-oxidant packages that are equivalent to several servings of fruits and veggies and have an ORAC score in the 1000s--many including extracts from such ORAC superstars as your berries, acai, and even some of your less tasty veggies like kale and broccoli. Obviously I am all for getting your fruits and veggies, but taking a superfood supplement could help to ensure that you are getting a good foundation of vitamins and anti-oxidants regardless of what else you eat. You do need to watch out for products that add sugars and preservatives and all manner of other chemicals to their superfoods, but if you can find a good one it wouldn’t kill you to chug it down with your morning water.
Resveratrol
I saved the best for last. There might not be a more powerful anti-aging drug on earth than Resveratrol. Countless studies have been done on numerous life forms, on everything from fruit flies and mice, to strains of yeast cells. In every case, resveratrol has dramatically increased the lifespan of all organisms. Resveratrol can naturally be found in the skin and seeds of grapes, and its claim to fame might just be that it is the compound that makes red wine a healthy thing to ingest. Resveratrol comes from a class of compounds called phytoalexins, and has been shown to be an extremely powerful anti-oxidant. On top of that, resveratrol is an antimutagen that shows protective properties against things like cardiovascular disease, tumors and cancer. Of course you can try to simply integrate more wine and grapes into your diet, but if you want to avoid the alcohol and don’t really like grapes, you can certainly find resveratrol supplements to add to your list of pills and powders.
Peter Bauman – Peter is a chef first and personal trainer second. With a background in the biological sciences and degree in psychology, Peter knows how to make food that tastes great and keeps you lean and healthy.