Here are the top 10 supplements I feel are most essential.
1. Multi-Vitamin & Mineral: When I think think about it, I said
whey protein was the first supplement I ever used but the reality is
that Flintstones Chewable vitamins came first!
Most of us have used, use
and or will use a muti in our lifetime and for good reason; we
recognize the common inadequacies in our diets and want to fill in the
holes. Granted, some of us are more successful when it comes to
attaining nutrients naturally through the foods we eat but under no
circumstances should anyone become lax in their eating habits simply
because they believe a supplement will fix it. I think we can all agree
that it’s best to get as much nutrition as we possibly can through whole
foods and that a multi should be viewed as no more than a SUPPLEMENT to
an already strong foundation of good nutrition. A solid multi will
contain highly bioavailable forms of a broad spectrum of nutrients in
efficacious potencies. Beyond that, some EFAs and a whole food component
are great additions to any multi. Capsule vs Tablets? Either one can
work. However, depending on how they’re made, some tablets don’t break
down very well and can lead to difficult and or incomplete digestion.
Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, a good multi should never make you
feel nauseous or otherwise “bad”! I’ve gone through quite a few that
did exactly that. A good multi might not necessarily make you feel like
Superman upon your first dose but you are guaranteed to notice it’s
absence should you run out of it or suddenly stop taking it!
2. Fatty Acids. As is the case with most vitamins and minerals, we
must consume EFAs in order to sustain health. That being said,
unfortunately, we often fail to consume optimal amounts of EFAs through
the foods we consume. Many of us do eat foods like fatty fish, whole
eggs, avocados, nuts, flax and other healthful oils such as olive oil.
However, the consistency with which some of us do so can vary and really
it’s the same concept as taking a multi vitamin and mineral. In my
opinion, fish oil is the most potent and most cost effective option for
the Omega 3 fats EPA and DHA. While flax oil is loaded with the omega 3
fatty acid ALA from which the body can synthesize EPA and DHA, the
ability to do so is extremely limited in humans as I understand it. And
while Flax may be a healthful oil to supplement with, it seems as though
high EPA and DHA fish oils may be the most direct and efficient route
for omega 3 supplementation. A good fish oil supplement will contain the
maximum amount of EPA and DHA possible in each softgel. Compare brands
to see which offers the greatest potency for your dollar. For a standard
1000 mg fih oil softgel, you should expect a minimum 500 of those
milligrams to be from EPA and DHA per capsule. Also, be sure that the
brand you are considering certifies that the product is free of
contaminants such as lead and mercury. When it comes to omega 6
supplementation, evening primrose oil makes the most sense to me when it
comes to attaining GLA. Most high quality versions contain 1300 mg of
evening primrose oil per softgel providing at least 100 mg of GLA in
each. Two softgels each of both evening primrose oil and fish oil is
what I supplement with each day.
3. Ubiquinol/Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10)- Never forget that your heart
is, well, at the heart of things. Miss a beat and you’ve got a problem.
We all need to make sure that our heart continues to perform as it
should. Enter, ubiquinone (universally referred to as Coenzyme Q10) and
ubiquinol. Ubiquinol is the reduced and active form that acts as an
antioxidant in the body and helps the body produce energy. Stress,
intense training, sickness and anything else that taxes the body will
deplete the body of ubiquinol and compromise optimal functioning.
Ubiquinol has been shown to have a profoundly positive effect on heart
function and for that reason, I supplement with 200 mg 2x daily. Why not
use ubiquinone(CoQ10)? Because ubiquinone must first be converted to
ubiquinol before it is used by the body, it makes more sense to
supplement with the active form. And from what I understand, as we
approach our late 20s, the conversion of ubiquinone to ubiquinol becomes
less and less efficient. Look for this product in softgel form carrying
the Kaneka QH trademark.
4. Vegetable/Phytonutrient Drink Powder- As much as I feel that we
should all be EATING our fruits and veggies, the unfortunate reality is
that many of us are not consuming the quantity we should with enough
frequency. It’s my personal belief that we should be consuming
vegetables with every meal we eat; especially if that meal contains
animal proteins! Most vegetables are alkalizing and help balance the
acidity caused by consumption of animal proteins, grains, processed
dairy foods and the laundry list of foods that comprise the “Standard
American Diet”. Will fruit, vegetable or “green” drinks ever replace the
powerful benefit of fresh whole foods? Not even close. Can they help
fill in some gaps or otherwise, SUPPLEMENT your diet with phytonutrients
while helping to alkalize your body? If it’s a good formula, then yes!
Look for products with significant doses of fewer ingredients rather
than inconsequential amounts of a million things. Beware of products
that take up valuable milligram real estate with fiber or other
ingredients that are not fruits or vegetables! Fibers and gums are cheap
for manufacturers and consume valuable space that you’re paying for;
especially when you find them as part of a “proprietary blend”. Look
for products that contain USEFUL and POTENT ingredients. You want
ingredients that pack as much of a punch into the 5, 10, 15g serving
size as possible. Barley grass, wheat grass, kale, spinach, carrot, beet
etc: phytonutrient powerhouses. Apples, pears, bananas: filler. And
perhaps one of the most important things to keep in mind is the form of
the ingredients! Does the formula contain the whole fruit/vegetable or
does it contain juice powder? Obviously, products containing juice
powder(s) are MUCH MORE POTENT AND MUCH MORE COSTLY TO PRODUCE. Think
about it; it might take 10 whole carrots to produce 4 oz of juice. From
that juice, once the water is evaporated, you may only be left with 15g
of powder. Whereas, if you were to grind up and dehydrate 10 whole
carrots you would be left with a significantly greater amount of powder
due to the fiber not being removed. Whole carrots are great don’t get me
wrong. But when you are paying a premium for a supplement, the idea is
to pack the greatest amount of potency possible. Removing the
phytonutrient void fiber and creating a formula of concentrated juice
powders is the best way to accomplish this. You want phytonutrients, not
an overpriced fiber. Again, it’s the most costly so don’t be surprised
to find that it is not often done! A good vegetable/fruit formula can be
very beneficial. Just be sure to research before buying.
5. Vitamin D3: By now, you have likely heard some of the purported
benefits of D3 supplementation. Most of us had our first introduction
to D3 in being told that we must have enough of this nutrient to absorb
calcium. Recent findings have lead many to advocate for D3
supplementation as it may help battle everything from cancer to
depression while boosting testosterone, sex drive and immune function.
From personal experience, I can tell you that the $10 it costs me to
supplement with D3 on a monthly basis is money well spent. I feel more
energetic and positive when I supplement with D3 and definitely don’t
get sick as often as I used to. I think D3 is awesome stuff. Recently,
I’ve heard people say that we shouldn’t supplement with D3 or calcium
because it increases plaque formation and hardening of the arteries. In
my humble opinion, that sounds like ignorance and perhaps the real
problem is a lack of Vitamin K2 to direct calcium to the skeletal system
and away from the cardiovascular system! (Which leads me to my next
recommendation). When it comes to dosages, in my experience 1000 IU
daily is pretty much minimum. I supplemented with 10,000 IU daily for 3
months straight (despite reading how easy it supposedly is to
over-consume) and my D3 levels were still sitting below normal when
getting my blood tested. I’m not saying that D3 can’t be dangerous if
levels become to high. What I am saying is that based on my own
experience, it wasn’t very easy for my blood levels to become dangerously high. Currently, I take 5000 IU daily.
6. Vitamin K2: As I touched upon above, if you’re supplementing with
D3, you should be definitely also be supplementing with K2. K2 will help
direct calcium to the teeth and bones and deposit itself there rather
than in your arteries! Will you feel any different supplementing with
K2? I didn’t feel any different but maintaining my cardiovascular health
is something that is very important to me. For that reason, I invest in
a good vitamin K2 complex that includes 1000 mcg of MK-4, 200 mcg of
MK-7 and 1000 mcg of Vitamin K1 per softgel. I take one softgel daily.
7. Curcumin: Curcumin is extracted from turmeric root and purported
to have a laundry list of benefits. What interested me most in curcumin
is its potential to help regulate inflammation as well as the promise it
shows for promoting cardiovascular health and liver cell regeneration.
Per the reccomended dose, I began supplementing with 500 mg taken twice
daily with food. After two weeks of use I noticed a significant
reduction in back and knee pain. I also noticed that my breathing was
more effortless during training. Finally, I noticed overall better
digestion. What I have to make a point to mention is that curcumin is
allegedly poorly absorbed by the body. As a result, a number of
trademarked forms of curcumin have been developed. Meriva, Theracurmin
and BCM-95 are the main forms you will see. The first curcumin I used
was Meriva. Once that bottle ran out I tried a brand that uses
Theracurmin as their curcumin source and didn’t feel the same benefit. I
also tried BCM-95 and found that I felt better while using that than
the Theracurmin. In the end I went back to Meriva, felt the most benefit
again and have been using it ever since. I’m not saying that one is
definitively better than another. This is simply my experience with
them. There was enough research backing curcumin to prompt me to try it.
The positive effects I experienced were enough to make it a mainstay in
my daily supplement regimen.
8. Benfotiamine: This unique form of thiamine might not appear to be
the most sexy supplement but considering the potential protective
benefits it offers, I strongly believe that EVERYONE should be
supplementing with benfotiamine. The positive effects of benfotiamine
usage became known after administering it to diabetic patients for the
purpose of protecting against various neuropathies and tissue damage
from high and or uncontrolled blood sugar (glycation). Granted, you or I
might not be diabetic but over the course of a lifetime, damage caused
by glucose (glycation) is a very real threat to all of us. Studies have
shown benfotiamine to protect against glycation. It should make sense
that if glycation can be reduced, the chances for overall cardiovascular
health would be greatly improved. I strongly feel that ALL bodybuilders
should supplement with benfotiamine. The constant consumption of food
and carbohydrates that most bodybuilders practice make this product that
much more relevant. 250 mg twice daily is how I use it.
9. Probiotics: Here is a supplement that really takes some trial and
error to get right! I can’t tell you how many different probiotic
products I used before finding out which ones worked, which didn’t and
which ones made things worse! Probiotics are meant to replenish good
bacteria in the gut so that bad bacteria can be controlled. Considering
that many people fail to eat a proper diet, this is often an uphill
battle. Synthetic chemicals such as artificial sweeteners, fluoride,
chlorine, antibiotics, many prescription drugs, pesticides and many
more all kill good gut bacteria. To make matters, bad bacteria thrive a
thrive on some of the things we ingest. Sugar is one of them! FOS
(fructooligosaccharides) which is often added to probiotic formulations
as a “prebiotic” to help feed good bacteria is now being questioned
because critics say it may also feed bad bacteria! True? Who knows.
Throughout much of history, man has preserved foods using
lacto-fermentation methods and in turn, consumed significant amounts of
healthy bacteria by consuming those foods. Currently, most people living
in developed nations don’t eat a whole lot of fermented foods. Even
foods such as sauerkraut that are produced using fermentation methods
are most often pasteurized killing any good bacteria and negating any
would-be benefits. The consumption of good bacteria is now more
important than ever. The BEST way to improve gut health is with regular
consumption of fermented foods. Unfortunately, most people don’t eat
many raw fermented foods and instead opt for probiotic supplements. I
make it a point to do both! When it comes to finding the right probiotic
for you, it may be a matter of trial and error. Reading reviews might
also help. If a large number of people find success with certain
products then you might also. What can you expect from probiotic
supplementation? General improvement in bowel function should be
noticed. If you’re in serious need of a probiotic due to your gut flora
being severely imbalanced, you will likely even notice an improvement in
mood and mental clarity. I consume a total of 50 Billion CFUs (colony
forming units) by way of probiotic supplements daily.
10. Magnesium: Again, not the sexiest supplement out there but this
is one that can have huge benefits. Most of us don’t have enough
magnesium in our diets; especially athletes. Magnesium is needed for
hundreds of enzymatic reactions to take place in the body and is vital
for proper neuromuscular functioning. It also helps sharpen insulin
sensitivity and improve cardiovascular function. What do I notice with
magnesium supplementation? Markedly better performance in the gym in the
form of increased stamina, power and muscle pump. I also noticed
reduced subcutaneous fluid and I sleep better at night. What form is
best? I’ve noticed the best result with a glycinate/lysinate chelate at a
dose of 2 tablets twice daily. Citrate is common but is more likely to
give you diarrhea due to poor absorption.
Granted, there are other supplements that I use. However, I consider
these ten the most essential and most fundamental part of my regimen.
Stay tuned; next time I will address my top 10 picks for most essential
“sports” supplements. But just for the record, I truly believe that any
supplement that will help your body function most optimally, be it a
“health” or “sports” supplement, is a performance enhancing supplement
by default! - Evan Centopani
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