Supplements and Men's Health

Don't Substitute Food with Supplements

Foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, low-fat or fat-free dairy products, nuts, seeds, beans and healthy fats should be your primary source of nutrients. Consuming a balanced meal, with foods from each food group is the best way to get the nutrients like protein, vitamins and minerals into your body.

Improper diet plans, lack of sleep and irregular exercise may lead to unbalanced energy levels. Not eating a balance diet can affect your immune system resulting in trouble fending off illness which indicates the requirement of dietary supplements for nutritional boost. It is better to talk to your healthcare expert/dietitian & nutritionist before starting on supplements about the necessity and safety of these pills.

Take Precautions before Starting on Supplements

Take precaution while choosing supplements. While foods and drugs have stringent food regulations, dietary supplements have no such safety rules. Action is taken to remove or restrict the sale of these supplements only after they have been proven unsafe after sale in the market.

Even Fortified Foods are a Form of Supplement

Supplements are available not only in bottle form. Foods like cereals, breads, pastas, energy bars and drinks are fortified with vitamins, minerals, herbs and amino acids (building blocks of protein). Supplements should be consumed after considering the food habits of a person as consuming too much of any single nutrient can cause serious health threats. Speak to a nutritionist/dietitian at www.firsteatright.com before starting on supplements to provide you with an individualized nutrition plan.

Some reasons for the need of supplements in men include:

Bone Health: Calcium and vitamin D are essential for strong bones. If you find yourself lacking in any of these nutrients, it is better to take supplements apart from the regular multivitamin, since these multivitamins do not have enough calcium to meet the recommended levels.

• Men need 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day. Men older than age 70 need 1,200 milligrams a day, and teens need 1,300 milligrams a day.
• Men also need 600 IU of vitamin D each day. After age 80, this increases to 800 IU of vitamin D.

Eye Health: Carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin are good for your eyes. Eat more of fruits and vegetables such as kale, spinach, carrots, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes and broccoli for sparkling and healthy eyes.