While a well-rounded diet remains the cornerstone of good health, certain dietary supplements can provide added support, ensuring your body receives all the necessary nutrients. This article explores some of the best supplements for men, focusing on their potential benefits and how they can complement a healthy lifestyle.
Understanding Dietary Supplements
Dietary supplements are products designed to supplement the diet, providing nutrients that may be missing or insufficient in a person's regular food intake. These supplements come in various forms, including vitamins, minerals, herbs, and amino acids. While they are widely available and often marketed as solutions for various health concerns, it's crucial to approach them with caution and awareness.
It is important to note that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate dietary supplements in the same way it regulates prescription drugs. This means that manufacturers are not required to prove the safety or effectiveness of their supplements before putting them on the market. The FDA can only take action against a supplement after it has been proven to be dangerous.
Key Considerations Before Taking Supplements
Before incorporating any dietary supplements into your routine, it's essential to consult with a healthcare professional. A doctor or registered dietitian can assess your individual needs, identify any potential deficiencies, and advise you on the appropriate supplements and dosages. This is particularly important for individuals with underlying health conditions or those taking medications, as certain supplements can interact with drugs or exacerbate existing health issues.
Horizon Weight Loss doctors consult with patients before taking any supplements to help avoid negative side effects and to be sure you get the most out of the recommended supplements.
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Top Supplements for Men
Vitamins and Minerals
Multivitamins
Multivitamins are a convenient way to ensure you're getting a wide range of essential vitamins and minerals. They can be particularly beneficial when following a restricted diet, such as during a weight loss program.
Horizon Weight Loss considers multivitamins an important part of any weight loss program and Research shows it can also help promote weight loss.
A study of obese women in China found that those who took a multivitamin lost an average of 3.5 pounds over six months, while those who took a placebo lost nothing. Another study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that obese men and women who took a multivitamin during a calorie-restricted diet lost the same amount of weight as those who took a placebo, but the women in the supplement group reported feeling less hungry.
How to take: Horizon Weight Loss recommends taking 2 per day, preferably one in the morning and one in the evening.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is crucial for bone health, immune function, and overall well-being. The body produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, but many people, especially those living in colder climates or with limited sun exposure, may not get enough. Vitamin D supplementation is particularly important during the winter months when sun exposure is reduced.
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Thunder, in an interview, said that anyone around 50 or older should really consider taking a vitamin D supplement. He is amazed at how many people he comes across who actually are vitamin D deficient. He recently just came across a 17-year-old who was vitamin D deficient. So definitely vitamin D.
Cymbiotika Liposomal Vitamin D3 + K2 + CoQ10 is a great way to support bone health, cardiovascular health, immune function, antioxidant protection, and energy production all in one. Liposomal formulation for vitamin D is crucial because it enhances absorption, protects against degradation, and can even reduce stomach discomfort. These benefits make liposomal options the most preferable when supplementing vitamin D.
Magnesium
Magnesium plays a vital role in energy production, muscle function, blood sugar control, and blood pressure regulation. Many people don't get enough magnesium from their diets, as it is primarily found in foods like green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Diets high in protein and fat, along with stress, can also deplete magnesium levels, making it an especially important nutrient for guys who work out.
Horizon Weight Loss suggests Pure Encapsulations Magnesium (Glycinate) contains 120 mg of magnesium glycinate to address potential deficiencies. Magnesium glycinate is an excellent choice for promoting mental and physical relaxation and improving sleep compared to other magnesium forms such as citrate and malate.
Chromium
Chromium is a naturally occurring mineral that is necessary for the body to metabolize carbohydrates. It is necessary for insulin to work correctly so we have the lowest insulin levels in our bloodstream possible. As we age we ingest more and more white carbs and we intake less chromium. Studies have shown that many overweight persons are low in chromium. This may contribute to insulin resistance and block weight loss. Many feel that chromium may help somewhat with sugar cravings.
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Horizon Weight Loss uses the form of Chromium called chromium polynicotinate. Chromium is bonded to the vitamin Niacin forming what is called Glucose Tolerance Factor.
How to take: Horizon Weight Loss recommends taking 2 per day, preferably one in the morning and one in the evening.
Essential Fatty Acids
Omega-3 Fish Oils
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential nutrients that the body cannot produce on its own. They are crucial for cell wall structure, metabolism, immunity, skin health, heart health, cholesterol control, and mood regulation. Studies suggest a correlation between low omega-3 consumption and high insulin levels, potentially leading to heart disease and obesity.
According to Horizon Weight Loss, the average American diet is low in Omega 3 EFA. The less we control our insulin the more EFA we need. Fish oil capsules supply our EFA needs.
How to take: Horizon Weight Loss suggests 2000 to 3000 mgs of fish oil capsules daily, 2 per day, preferably with a meal.
Gut Health
Probiotics
Gut bacteria play a crucial role in energy balance and weight gain, an internal ecosystem that helps your body to function. ‘Good’ bacteria is thought to work by reducing low-grade inflammation in the cells.
You’ve heard that probiotics contain all sorts of nutrients that help you stay healthy. And as it turns out, probiotics could help you lose weight, too, according to a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition.
For the study, researchers from Laval University in Quebec instructed 125 overweight men and women to follow a 12-week weight-loss diet, followed by a 12-week maintenance period. Half of the participants also swallowed probiotic pills every day, and the other half got placebo pills.
After the 12-week weight-loss period, the women who took the probiotic pills had lost 9.7 pounds, on average, while the women who took the placebos only lost 5.7 pounds. And then, after the 12-week maintenance period, the women who took the placebo pills maintained a stable weight-but the probiotics group continued to slim down, losing 1.8 more pounds, on average. By the study’s end, the women in the probiotics group also had less of the intestinal bacteria related to obesity in their systems.
How to take: Horizon Weight Loss recommends taking 2 per day, preferably with a meal.
Horizon Weight Loss suggests Ritual Synbiotic+ which is a comprehensive supplement that combines prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics all in one. It includes 15 milligrams of PreforPro, a prebiotic designed to eliminate harmful bacteria and make room for beneficial ones, 11 billion CFUs of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium animalis probiotic bacteria, and postbiotics like tributyrin, which support gut barrier function and colon cell energy.
Weight Loss Support
Lipotropic Nutrients
Lipotropic nutrients, such as methionine, inositol, and choline (MIC), play an important role in the breakdown and metabolism of fat in the body. These compounds enhance the liver and gallbladder's role by decreasing fat deposits and speeding up metabolism of fat and its removal. Lipotropic nutrients are also used to maintain a healthy liver.
Horizon Weight Loss consulted their pharmacy to develop MIC-Lipo capsules based on their observation of current weight-loss protocols which include MIC-Lipo treatments. MIC is short for Methionine, Inositol, and Choline. MIC-Lipo has been shown to significantly assist patients in fat loss that are eating a low calorie diet.
How to take: Horizon Weight Loss suggests taking 2 capsules daily. Preferably with your first meal of the day.
Starch Blockade - Kidney Bean Extract
White Kidney Bean extract is a carbohydrate blocker that works by inhibiting the digestion of starches.
By inhibiting their digestion, starches that are eaten are either left undigested in the gut or the amount of which is digested is reduced. These starches are either excreted and their calories not absorbed, or they are given to colonic bacteria to ferment (eat).
When given to people who are not otherwise on a diet (during their highest carb containing meal), white kidney bean extract is able to reduce body weight and body fat levels similar to simple caloric restriction. In cases of overfeeding, white kidney bean extract can alleviate the expected increase of body fat gain and blood parameters like triglycerides and Blood Glucose over time.
It is also possible that white kidney bean extract can protect against colon cancer in the same manner as soluble fiber.
How to take: Horizon Weight Loss recommends taking 2 per day.
Performance Enhancement
Creatine
Creatine exists naturally in our bodies and helps fuel our muscles, which is why some people take it as a supplement to boost their performance in the gym. Along with protein powder, creatine monohydrate is the only other supplement proven to help you build strength. This unflavored product is third-party certified through NSF.
Thunder, in an interview, said that creatine is one of those supplements that is part of an overall exercise plan for increasing muscle. Creatine is a tool that allows you to increase exercise, increase reps, for example, in weightlifting, have a little bit more physiological overload as part of your exercise than you normally could. And that extra bit of exercise is actually what helps with the muscle building. So it has to be part of a whole package.
Transparent Labs Creatine HMB is the way to go. Studies show that liquid creatine and creatine ethyl ester (CEE) are unstable and break down in your blood system.
Remember to take your creatine supplement with carbs to help promote better absorption. Transparent Labs' creatine has no taste, which means you can stir it into basically any carb-containing beverage: orange juice, sports drinks, your usual protein shake, beer.
Whey Protein Powder and Plant-Based Protein Powder
There are a total of 20 amino acids, 9 of which are essential, meaning the body cannot produce them adequately on its own and must get them from food. Whey protein contains all of them, Marie Spano, RD, sports nutritionist for the Atlanta Hawks, Braves, and Falcons, previously told Men's Health.
If you can tolerate dairy, go with whey protein isolate. It’s generally less expensive and the isolate form is extremely beneficial for muscle synthesis. Whey also contains a large amount of branched-chain amino acids such as leucine, which further supports muscle synthesis.
Horizon Weight Loss suggests Thorne Whey Protein Isolate which has somewhere 110 calories per 20 grams of protein, which is a good ratio for lean muscle building. This variety comes in chocolate and vanilla, both of which we've found aren't too sweet. The whey used in this product is non-GMO and comes from grass-fed cows.
For those who are vegan, Horizon Weight Loss suggests Vega Protein + Recovery Plant-Based Protein Powder is made from a blend of pea, pumpkin seed, sunflower seed, and alfalfa, offering a whopping 30 grams of protein in each 160-calorie scoop. "Whey protein contains all the amino acids in adequate amounts, making it a complete, high-quality protein," Abby Langer, RD, the owner of Abby Langer Nutrition, a Toronto-based nutrition consulting and communications company, previously told Men's Health. "If your plant-based protein powder has a mix of proteins, this takes care of that issue." This powder includes a full range of essential amino acids (making it a complete protein), including a whopping 2.9 grams of leucine, which is more than you’d find in many whey powders. It also includes ingredients with recovery-boosting potential like tart cherry extract and turmeric extract. We also appreciate that the product is NSF certified, meaning that a third-party agency has verified the ingredients match what's on the label."
Electrolytes
If you're traveling, feeling dehydrated, or just finished a sweaty workout, electrolyte packets come in handy. This blend of electrolytes and vitamins delivers big on replenishing key nutrients lost through sweat to maintain proper fluid balance and keep you hydrated and energized.
Men are supposed to drink a lot of water throughout the day, and these electrolyte hydration packets can also make hitting those goals easier. Plus, the added benefit of those additional ingredients.
Horizon Weight Loss suggests IQBar Yuzu Mango (20 Sticks) which is partnered with Michelin-star chef Thomas Keller (French Laundry, Per SE) to create this Yuzu Mango edition. Mix in water. Chug. Enjoy. Then get back to work.
Fiber
Fiber plays a vital role in digestion by adding bulk to stools and facilitating their movement through the digestive tract. It also contributes to stabilizing blood sugar levels, reducing cholesterol levels, and supporting a healthy gut microbiome. Adequate fiber intake can also promote a feeling of fullness, potentially aiding in weight management.
Horizon Weight Loss suggests Gainful’s Fiber Boost which contains expert-recommended amounts of beta glucan, a heart-healthy soluble fiber sourced from oats. Simply mix it into a protein shake, smoothie, or morning coffee to jumpstart your day and get things moving.
Other Supplements
Recovery Gummies
These bite-sized cubes are loaded with 480 milligrams of tart cherry powder, an amount shown in clinical research to help aid exercise recovery. Three gummies (one serving) contains only 10 calories and two grams of sugar, only one half of which comes from added sugars (it's naturally sweetened with pear juice concentrate, too).
Horizon Weight Loss suggests For Wellness Recovery Gummies which taste worlds better than other recovery gummies we've tried (and we've tried a lot). It's a post-workout snack that people actually look forward to, and they're much more convenient than having to knock back that much actual tart cherry juice.
The Importance of Lifestyle Changes
While supplements can offer valuable support, they should not be viewed as a replacement for a healthy lifestyle. Real, sustainable weight loss and overall well-being come from consistent habits, such as eating balanced meals, staying active, getting enough sleep, and managing stress.
Registered dietitians can provide expert advice on nutrition, create personalized meal plans, and offer tips for adopting healthier eating habits that are sustainable. Physicians can provide guidance on physical activity, stress management, and preventive care.
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