There are plenty of reasons to take supplements as a man. Perhaps you are trying to increase your muscle mass, energy levels, and testosterone levels, or maybe you just think that you could be in better shape overall or want to be healthier.
Statistically, men live shorter lives than women. This is partially due to chronic illnesses such as heart-related problems and cancers. On top of that, men also have to worry about their lifestyle when inevitably their testosterone levels drop due to age-related reasons.
Luckily, many of these problems can be somewhat dampened, to a certain point, through the use of supplements. But not just any supplement will do; you need the right type of supplements.
The problem is that choosing the right supplement for whatever you are looking to improve can be a challenge. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of different male-targeted supplements out there, and each company has their own definition of what type of ingredients these supplements should contain.
10 Supplements Types For Men
We have done some work to get you started on the right track. Here are some of the more popular and commonly used supplement types that men can benefit from. Each of them is unique in its own way, so choosing the right one might be not as easy as you think, but we have provided enough information for you to make a good choice.
1. Protein Powder
One of the go-to supplements that many men take advantage of is protein powder. These powders are capable of not only giving you the ability to gain more muscle quicker than before but for those who are looking to lose some weight, protein also happens to be a pretty helpful weight loss supplement.
Generally, when you do cardio exercises you lose a lot of muscle mass alongside fat. Consuming protein-based supplements helps you to retain as much muscle weight as possible while you shed all of those extra pounds purely from fat. Furthermore, protein powders are also perfect when used to keep your hunger under control. You stay satiated much longer when you add protein powders to your diet.
2. Green Tea Extract
Fighting free radicals and inflammation is another key focus that many men should concentrate on. Green tea extract is one of the best anti-inflammatory substances on earth, and its antioxidant powers keep oxidative damage under control.
To put it into perspective, drinking about ten cups of tea per day would roughly get you close enough to the number of benefits you would get from just one single pill of green tea extract.
Besides its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, green tea extract is also a super powerful fat burning supplement which can greatly improve your weight loss capabilities. This supplement is pretty impressive, and you are successfully covering three different categories which most men should be concerned about. These categories are chronic disease, aging, and fat. Using green tea extract should be a no-brainer.
3. Probiotics
Some say that your gut is at the center of everything and literally can affect pretty much any other part of your body. To be a bit more precise, we are actually talking about the microflora found inside of your gut. This bacterial biome determines how healthy you are and keeping it in shape is only possible through probiotic consumption.
Probiotics are the labeled good bacteria which reside in your stomach and have a symbiotic relationship with your body. Yes, its bacteria that keep us healthy. We know this sound odd, but it’s true.
A good example of this microbiome found in your gut is brought into light when gut bacteria between obese people and healthy people are compared, and the difference is very vivid. This can be taken even further. If you transplant the bacteria from a healthy person into a person who is obese, you will see weight loss start occurring nearly instantly.
4. Green Superfood Drinks
Remember your mom telling you to eat all your vegetables? Well, she did it for a good reason, but it seems many of us didn’t get the message. The CDC, or the Center for Disease Control, estimated that only 20 percent of all adults actually meet the minimum suggested daily intake amount of vegetables and fruits. These fruits and vegetables should come from a variety of different sources, meaning that eating apples and kale for the rest of your life just doesn’t cut it.
The problem is that we live super busy lifestyles and they aren’t exactly healthy. No one has time to sit down and eat 10 serving of fruits and vegetables per day. Luckily, there is an answer, and that answer is green superfood drinks. It’s essentially a cocktail of all the necessary nutrients that come from a variety of recommended fruits and vegetables, and it comes in the form of a drink.
So all you have to do is pick up one of these supplements, add a few scoops to your favorite shake, smoothies, or even just a simple glass of water, and then drink it all up. The result is that you will get everything you could possibly need from all of those missed servings of vegetables and fruits.
5. CLA
Some types of fat that you end up gaining throughout life aren’t as easy to deal with as we think. Yes, going to the gym and controlling your diet is the best way to get your weight under control, but there is this stubborn type of fat that often develops as men get to the middle ages. There is, however, an answer to this problem. It is known as conjugated linoleic acid, and more commonly known as CLA. Adding it to your supplemental routine can make a huge difference in losing that stubborn middle-aged fat.
If you find your diet lacking in foods like milk, eggs, or beef, it might be a very good idea to start supplementing with some CLA. This supplement has a natural ability to improve your weight loss capabilities as well as give you the ability to keep your muscle mass at the right level.
6. Fish Oil
This supplement is probably a no-brainer. You might not know exactly what it can do for your body, but we are pretty sure you have heard of fish oil as a super important and powerful supplement. Essentially, if we had to choose one supplement that the whole world would have to partake in consuming, we would most likely choose fish oil.
The studies around fish oil and its ability to drastically reduce your chances of developing chronic diseases are very prominent and extremely promising. Fish oil can definitely reduce your chances of developing heart disease as well as reduce the risk of cognitive decline. This isn’t a theory, it’s a fact.
If you would rather not cook fish on daily basis or choose to up the chances of developing mental conditions and chronic disease, perhaps simply taking a bit of fish oil will do.
The one exception to this may be the alternative choice of using krill oil instead. Many studies have shown that krill oil can provide you with all of the benefits of fish oil in addition to a few of its own benefits, and it has a much lower risk of being contaminated by mercury and other common contaminants.
7. Testosterone Boosters
A low testosterone level is something that almost all middle-aged men have to deal with. We are almost 100 percent positive that if you are a man, chances are someone has already told you about how important your testosterone level is.
Increased fat mass, muscle deterioration, loss of strength, frequent fatigue, and to some most important, impotence, libido loss, erectile dysfunction, and various other sexual problems can all occur due to low testosterone levels. There is only one thing you can do to fight these problems, besides regular exercise and a healthy diet, and this is the use of a testosterone booster.
These types of supplements are designed to get you back into the right T levels and eliminate the above problems once and for all. Testosterone boosters are one of the musts, especially if you are middle-aged or older.
8. Nootropics
It’s not difficult to argue that our brain’s health should probably be one of the most focused on aspects of our overall health as we age. Luckily, our scientists have been slowly but steadily moving forward with supplements which are related to our cognitive functions. Some of the nootropics out there are capable of improving your brain function far beyond what a regular healthy diet can do.
If you are looking to increase your puzzle-solving capabilities, your memory, or just want to be able to learn faster, then you should definitely make nootropic supplements a staple in your daily supplemental routine.
There has even been research which has proven that some nootropics are capable of successfully delaying and in some cases even preventing cognitive deterioration as you age. All you have to do is take a few supplements on a daily basis.
9. Vitamin D
“Why don’t you go out and get some sun?”
Does that little phrase sound familiar? It should because vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins out there and chances are that you are deficient in it unless you live somewhere on the equator.
Vitamin D is pretty much connected with every single function of your body. Starting from depression and ending with chronic pain, being deficient in vitamin D is a really bad thing.
It is truly amazing how many people are deficient in vitamin D. Everyone who has a day job indoors, people who have darker skin, and anyone who lives in far north or south of the equator is probably deficient in vitamin D. Fixing this deficiency with a simple vitamin D supplement is very easy and should be considered thoughtfully. The benefits of not being vitamin D deficient are simply too great to not worry about it.
10. Multivitamins
Let’s face it; your diet is not at all at the level it should be at. You eat junk food and fast food far too many times per month. This means that your vitamin intake is greatly hindered. Think of multivitamins as an insurance policy which ensures that you are getting all the vitamins your body needs to be healthy.
Even those who don’t touch any junk food or fast food at all may be vitamin deficient, at least in one shape or form. How often do you change the type of food that you eat? Have you had some sort of chicken-based meal four times in a row this week? We know how easy it is to fall into eating the same types of food over and over again, and we also know that this isn’t the best way to get all the vitamins your body needs to keep going strong and healthy.
Even if your diet is pristine and your chances of developing vitamin deficiency are low, there is no reason not to vitamin proof yourself, especially since multivitamins are rather inexpensive. There is nothing wrong with adding them to your daily routine.
The Known Benefits And Side Effects Of Supplements For Men
You can’t simply take every known beneficial supplement under the sun and move on with your life. Choosing the right supplements for you and determining your supplement routine is an extremely important step. Knowing what hormonal changes you will inevitably face and planning ahead of time to counteract the side effects of said changes is absolutely vital.
The big difference for men is that their health is very strongly influenced by the male hormone testosterone. This hormone mediates many male body functions, including sexual health, mental wellbeing, and muscle mass, which are all influenced by male testosterone levels.
Another reason why choosing the right supplements is such a huge deal is because men already have shorter life spans than women and are more likely to become victims of chronic illnesses. Heart attacks, cancer, and strokes are all at a much higher risk of occurring in males than females. So ensuring you can prolong your lifespan with the help of supplements is pretty important.
Benefits
Men will face many obstacles in their lives and many of them are related to aging. You can counter these obstacles by picking out a few supplements which are proven to be effective.
Choosing the right types of dietary supplements can help any man drastically reduce the risk of developing chronic inflammation, greatly reduce damage caused by oxidation, and help gain control of age-related problems such as the decrease in testosterone levels. Most of these problems start occurring when men get to their midlife, but counteracting them should be a priority well before that.
The above-mentioned fish oil or krill oil is on the list of one of the best supplements that men can take. The main reason for this is that these oils actually target a wide variety of issues, most of which are problems that many aging men will be faced with.
The evidence for fish and krill oil’s supplemental capabilities is pretty reliable. The American Heart Association was one of the first organizations to relay the importance of consuming fish oil and how drastically it can reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular problems amongst not just men but also women. Fish oil can effectively reduce this risk by about half.
The risk for sudden death caused by heart attacks can be cut down by two-thirds if you consume fish oil frequently. The main ingredients which are found in fish oil that are capable of such amazing results are the omega-3 fatty acids.
The same could be said about mental health. The effects of omega-3 supplements on cognitive functions and depression are out of this world. There isn’t as much research about the effects of omega-3 on the brain, but the results are pretty clear. This means that we don’t exactly know why there are so many positive benefits, but we can clearly see vast improvements in mental functions.
Green tea is yet another extraordinary supplement which should be considered by everyone. If you decided to take both green tea extract and fish oil supplements, you will effectively be covering not only heart-related improvements thanks to fish oil but also cancer-related improvements which are due to green tea extract. Research which was done in Japan, where many people consume green tea in much higher quantities than in other countries, has shown that the chance of developing cancer is drastically reduced amongst frequent green tea consumers.
Moving away from reducing the risks of cancer and heart disease, other potential issues which will most likely surface are greatly related to testosterone levels. Most men have reduced testosterone levels when they hit their middle age, and this often results in a few sensitive issues developing.
Erectile dysfunction, loss of libido, and loss of sexual performance are all problems that occur due to low testosterone levels, and dealing with these problems can be detrimental to some men. Furthermore, declines in physical performances and fatigue are additional issues which are also related.
All of these problems are the reason why you should consider supplementing with a testosterone booster. Make no mistake, your testosterone levels will drop as you age and you need to be ready for it. The benefits of testosterone boosters are the complete opposite of above issues. Improved well-being and increase in muscle mass are just some of the benefits listed for those who have high testosterone levels.
Maintaining your muscle mass is also a huge benefit of correct testosterone levels since both are directly related. Low testosterone usually equates to pounds of muscle mass being lost over the years. Continuously losing pounds of muscle mass can lead to becoming extremely frail. Can you imagine not being able to get up from your chair because you don’t have enough muscle mass to store the strength needed to do so? Testosterone can help you retain the muscle mass needed to never get to this level.
Another supplement that works with helping you keep your muscles in check is protein powder. Adding protein to your supplementation routine can improve your overall strength through both short and long terms. There has even been research done to determine the effects that protein has when attempting to combat frailty. The results show that high intakes of protein decrease the risks of developing frailty drastically.
Side Effects
Most of the supplements we have listed here are amazing for yet another reason besides their benefits, and it’s because they carry little to no known side effects. Yes, some of these supplements, like the newly emerging nootropics, haven’t really been studied enough to determine the full range of possible side effects, but so far none have been witnessed.
There might be some side effects which emerge over time, but the likelihood of this is pretty low. If this is somewhat of a concern which stops you from taking certain supplements, then feel free to only focus on the well-known and hyper-effective supplements like fish or krill oil, green tea extract, and protein powder.
Supplements Types For Men Conclusion
There are plenty of supplements out there that can help you prevent or at the very least manage some of the issues that every man is eventually faced with as they age. Knowing what will happen in the future and when it happens is important because you can take preventative steps in your supplementation routine to counteract these potential problems.
Keep in mind that talking to your doctor about any male-related problems that seem to have surfaced as you get older is the absolute most important thing you can do. They will be able to determine the best course of action. Always let your doctor know if you are planning toad a new supplement to your diet or if you already are taking any supplements that they do not already know about.
