5 Oral Supplements you Should be Taking in Your FORTIES

Vitamin D: The Sunshine Nutrient

1. With many people in careers that have them indoor most of the day, most people are deficient in a necessary vitamin for optimal health: Vitamin D. 

   Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of many diseases including:

• difficulty losing weight

• weight gain

• thyroid issues

• cardiovascular disease (1)

• cancer (2)

• autoimmune disease  (3)  

• fractures and osteoporosis (4)

Magnesium: The Vital Nutrient in Disease Prevention and Health

It’s estimated that up to 80% of the population is not getting adequate magnesium (5). Magnesium deficiency is rampant. Unfortunately, its importance is not addressed frequently enough or stressed. 

Magnesium is one of those rare interventions that nearly everyone can benefit from. It's one of the top five nutritional supplements I recommend to patients, along with having supplemented with magnesium myself for years. 

Why you need magnesium

Magnesium is one hard working mineral. It’s necessary for cell signaling, detoxification, bone formation, muscle contraction, protein and DNA synthesis, and energy production. Magnesium is involved in more than 300 essential metabolic reactions in the body. 

Conditions that benefit from magnesium:

• Detoxification

• Cardiovascular prevention and disease 

• High blood pressure

• Asthma

• Pre-diabetes and diabetes 

• Muscle tension and cramps 

• Constipation

• Insomnia

• Anxiety and depression

• Female hormone imbalances, PCOS, and PMS

• Osteoporosis prevention and treatment 

• Migraines

Omega-3: Healthy Fatty Acids

Almost everyone has heard ‘take your fish oils’ as a suggested supplement. EPA, DHA, flaxseed oil, krill oil, and fish oil are all omega-3 fatty acids that have multiple, great benefits to the body.

What do omega-3 fats do?

• The simple answer is omega-3s are anti-inflammatory. Omega-3s exert their anti-inflammatory influence by competing for an enzyme called delta 5-desaturase. Most of the chronic diseases Americans suffer from are due to inflammation in the body. Nearly all of the health benefits described below are due to their anti-inflammatory effect. 

• DHA plays a role in visual and neurological development.

• Omega-3 allows for fluid cell communication. Our cell membranes (the outer part of the cell - think of it like the cell's container or skin) become more flexible when they contain sufficient levels of omega-3. Omega-3s are also an essential component of our cell membrane.

Omega-3 fats are great for:

• Everyone on the journey to optimal health – like you!

• Decreasing the dangerous fat around your organs (adipose fat) when incorporated with lifestyle/diet interventions (8)

• Autoimmune conditions like psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, among others

• Asthma (9) and allergies 

• Skin problems like anti-aging, sun damage, skin cancer, acne (10), rosacea, psoriasis, and eczema.

• Moms should be taking DHA during pregnancy and for the duration of breastfeeding. DHA is essential for the development of the baby’s vision and brain.Fetal health during pregnancy and your baby's health while breastfeeding. 

• Boosting brain function (especially DHA) and improving poor memory

• Mood disorders such as anxiety, depression, and bipolar

• Treating cardiovascular disease including dyslipidemias (11), high triglycerides, and high blood pressure, and improving cardiovascular health 

• Pain conditions, such as menstrual cramps and joint pain.

Flavonoids: Support Your Body's Natural Defenses Against Environmental Toxins

Flavonoid studies show that it can help inhibit DNA damage (7). It provides additional DNA protection. 

Benefits at a Glance:

• Green vegetable extracts for additional DNA benefits

• Flavonoid are shown to help inhibit DNA damage

• Encourages the body's natural defenses against environmental toxins

• Provides robust nutritional support for healthy DNA function

Polyphenols: Micronutrients that Naturally Occur in Plants

Plant-derived compounds are known to be used in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine for its dietary properties. Polyphenols can be found in plants, herbs, vegetables, and fruits. A diet such as fruits and vegetables has a high content of polyphenols which includes quercetin and resveratrol.

• Quercetin is a naturally occurring polyphenol flavonoid which is rich in antioxidants. It is great for treating and preventing acute allergies. It also inhibits tryptases, meaning it calms an allergic response once it’s started (6). Quercetin stabilizes mast cells making it helpful in preventing allergies. 

• Resveratrol offers support for antioxidant defenses, neurocognitive and cardiovascular health, inflammatory balance, and cellular function. It is ideal for those who want powerful antioxidant protection for healthy aging and heart health. Resveratrol supplementation promoted AMPK, SIRT1 and PGC-1a activity, indicating support for cardiometabolic health as well as blood flow, adipose tissue lipolysis, hepatic lipid content, healthy inflammatory balance, and mitochondrial function. 

A lifestyle that promotes vitality and feeling amazing is often attainable by incorporating simple and easy things into your life. We find that our patients often come in feeling overwhelmed with all of the noise out there in the health space, so we keep it simple. Together, we go through a step by step process to understand where you are on your health journey, where you want to go, and how we can get there using multiple health therapies (conventional/holistic) that are comfortable for you and your lifestyle.

Let’s work together toward optimal health.

References:

1. Brøndum-Jacobsen P, Benn M, Jensen GB, Nordestgaard BG. 25-hydroxyvitamin d levels and risk of ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, and early death: population-based study and meta-analyses of 18 and 17 studies. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2012 Nov;32(11):2794-802. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.112.248039. Epub 2012 Aug 30. PMID: 22936341.

2. Bilinski K, Boyages J. Association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and breast cancer risk in an Australian population: an observational case-control study. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2013 Jan;137(2):599-607. doi: 10.1007/s10549-012-2381-1. Epub 2012 Dec 14. PMID: 23239153.

3. Munger KL, Levin LI, Hollis BW, Howard NS, Ascherio A. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and risk of multiple sclerosis. JAMA. 2006 Dec 20;296(23):2832-8. doi: 10.1001/jama.296.23.2832. PMID: 17179460.

4. Holick MF. High prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy and implications for health. Mayo Clin Proc. 2006 Mar;81(3):353-73. doi: 10.4065/81.3.353. PMID: 16529140.

5. DiNicolantonio JJ, O’Keefe JH, Wilson W Subclinical magnesium deficiency: a principal driver of cardiovascular disease and a public health crisis Open Heart 2018;5:e000668. doi: 10.1136/openhrt-2017-000668

6. Mlcek J, Jurikova T, Skrovankova S, Sochor J. Quercetin and Its Anti-Allergic Immune Response. Molecules. 2016 May 12;21(5):623. doi: 10.3390/molecules21050623. PMID: 27187333; PMCID: PMC6273625.

7. Alcaraz M, Olivares A, Achel DG, García-Gamuz JA, Castillo J, Alcaraz-Saura M. Genoprotective Effect of Some Flavonoids against Genotoxic Damage Induced by X-rays In Vivo: Relationship between Structure and Activity. Antioxidants (Basel). 2021 Dec 30;11(1):94. doi: 10.3390/antiox11010094. PMID: 35052599; PMCID: PMC8773379.

8. Du S, Jin J, Fang W, Su Q. Does Fish Oil Have an Anti-Obesity Effect in Overweight/Obese Adults? A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. PLoS One. 2015 Nov 16;10(11):e0142652. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142652. PMID: 26571503; PMCID: PMC4646500.

9. Adams S, Lopata AL, Smuts CM, Baatjies R, Jeebhay MF. Relationship between Serum Omega-3 Fatty Acid and Asthma Endpoints. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018 Dec 25;16(1):43. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16010043. PMID: 30585204; PMCID: PMC6338947.

10. Jung JY, Kwon HH, Hong JS, Yoon JY, Park MS, Jang MY, Suh DH. Effect of dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acid and gamma-linolenic acid on acne vulgaris: a randomised, double-blind, controlled trial. Acta Derm Venereol. 2014 Sep;94(5):521-5. doi: 10.2340/00015555-1802. PMID: 24553997.

11. Mark C. Houston, Sergio Fazio, Floyd H. Chilton, Dan E. Wise, Kathryn B. Jones, Thomas A. Barringer, Dean A. Bramlet, Nonpharmacologic Treatment of Dyslipidemia, Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, Volume 52, Issue 2, 2009, Pages 61-94, ISSN 0033-0620, doi: 10.1016/j.pcad.2009.02.002. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0033062009000140)