Health

The Best Supplements for Men

By Jomike del Rosario; Photography by Charles Masters

 

It's not like every meal you take has the perfect balance of the nutrients you need. That's why people take multivitamins to cover the holes in their diets. That's already one supplement commonly taken. The following supplements have been studied for their benefits and have been carefully selected for use by men—some of the Men's Health experts even use it themselves.

So if you find yourself with these problems despite the fact that you try to live as healthy as possible (You do, try right?), the answer for you might be in your neighborhood supplement store.

You're always lo-batt

The Remedy: Coenzyme Q10 (Co Q10)

Do you find yourself so low on energy by the end of the day that you can't even enjoy what little recreation time you have left? After a solid eight hours of sleep do you still wake up feeling fatigued? You may be suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome.

Although a trip to the doctor to eliminate other possible culprits is at hand (you may be suffering from depression), coenzyme Q10 can help. This compound–which is naturally produced by your body–improves the ability of your muscle cells to convert oxygen in your bloodstream into usable energy. In a recent study of 20 people with chronic fatigue syndrome, those who took 100 mg Co Q10 every day for three months eradicated 90 percent of their symptoms and doubled their energy levels, according to University of Iowa researchers.

Our Pick: GNC Preventive Nutrition Coenzyme Q-10 (30 mg capsule) P1,984 for 60.

Your knees are creaky

The Remedy: Glucosamine plus chondroitin

People with chronic knee pain readily accept it as one of the byproducts of growing old, when they shouldn't. Unless of course you've suffered a horrendous knee injury, a long road trip with your buddies is supposed to be fun, and not a crippling exercise in cruel and unusual punishment. "Kasi, our body will grow old and have degenerative problems, one of which is the knee," says Carlo Borbon, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at the Makati Medical Center. "The cartilage will have an imbalance in the turnover rate of cells, leading to degenerative changes and later on, pain. [These] delay those effects, hence causing less pain."

Enter the knee-buster-busters. Take 1,500 mg of glucosamine and 1,200 mg of chondroitin a day—the former is a building block of connective tissue, and the latter helps cartilage retain water so you don't turn up lame, and literally dried up when your youth starts becoming a dim memory. "One study showed na equal siya to ibuprofen in relieving arthritic knee pain, with ibuprofen having more side effects. So mas safe ito," says Dr. Borbon.

Our Pick: Health Express Extra Strength Glucosamine Chondroitin (1,500 mg glucosamine, 1,200 mg chondroitin) P1,290 for 60.

Your willy won't wheelie

The Remedy: Korean Panax Ginseng

Did you know that there is actually something called a stage four erection? It's when your woody is at maximum rigidity. For some people with mild erectile dysfunction (ED) though, that erection is hard to come by or maintain. "There is a lot of evidence now, proving that it helps," says Benjie Reyes, MD, an urologist at the St. Luke's Medical Center. "It's a given as far as the herbal community is concerned."

Ginseng increases testosterone levels, which suppresses the production of prolactin, a hormone that can cause impotence. Ginsenosides–the active compounds in ginseng–has also been shown to raise libido. A US study published in the Journal of Urology reports that 60 percent of men with ED who took 900 mg Korean red ginseng three times daily for eight weeks experienced improved erections.

Do take note that it's important to consult your urologist and your family doctor on this. It can also increase the effects of insulin and interfere with some blood thinners and antidepressants.

Our Pick: GNC Ginseng Gold (500 mg capsule) P1,200 for 90.

You're growing a tire tube

The Remedy: Green Tea

The wonders of green tea just keep on coming. Not only is it rich in antioxidants which help combat free radicals-–the harmful byproducts of bodily processes due to a number of factors–it's also known to boost your metabolism. In a Dutch study, researchers helped 76 people successfully lose weight, and then asked them to consume either a placebo or a 270 mg capsule of green tea daily for the next three months. The group who supplemented with green tea continued to lose weight, but the placebo poppers soon regained their flab.

Green tea contains epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), an antioxidant that increases resting metabolism and stimulates thermogenesis—the process by which your body burns fat. So if you find yourself losing the battle of the bulge, do yourself a favor and drink green tea like it was going out of style. Not a fan of tea? Then take the supplement. Trust us, it's not fun being thrown overboard when someone's drowning at sea.

Our Pick: GNC Natural Brand Green Tea Extract (315 mg capsule) P803 for 90.

You want to be a Pappy

The Remedy: L-carnitine

So you've finally decided to be a Daddy, or you just want more children because they're just so darn cute. Don't just increase sack sessions with your beautiful wife; give your little swimmers a helping hand (pun not intended). Start taking L-carnitine months before you want to conceive. This amino acid is needed by sperm to grow and mature enough to survive the gauntlet they will undergo to reach their goal of fertilizing her egg.

Italian researchers found that when men took three grams L-carnitine daily for four months, their sperm counts and quality improved, and their partners' pregnancy rates increased by 20 percent. "L-carnitine is found to be in greater amounts in sperm tissues," shares Dr. Reyes. It has been said to help sperm motility and maturation. "Kung nagma-mature sila ng mas mahusay, the better." Hey, maybe this is what Michael Phelps is doping himself with!

Our Pick: Health Xpress Acetyl L-Carnitine (500mg capsule) P2,060 for 150. Available at Health Express.

You're the poster boy for Batang Call Center

The Remedy: Melatonin

Ahh, the graveyard shift. It just sucks to sleep through the noontime heat not because it's siesta time, but because that's the only snooze QT you have. Some people claim to have difficulty sleeping through the daylight and some say that the quality of sleep is worse than the way nature intended—with the lights off. Sleeping pills are out of the question because they usually cause "hangovers" wherein the people who take it feel groggy. It also sucks because they're prescription medication. We just checked, and call center agent doesn't qualify as a sleeping disorder.

Try the sleep-savior melatonin. It's a hormone our bodies naturally produce in response to nightfall, helping to induce a sound night's sleep. Or is it just for evenings? Rush University medical center researchers in Chicago gave nightshift workers three milligrams every day before bed and found that they slept 73 percent more soundly than those taking a placebo—despite hitting the hay at daybreak. It's called the hormone of darkness, Dr. Borbon says, in reference to melatonin production being stalled by light. Cool nickname!

Our Pick: Health Express Melatonin (3 mg) P240 for 60.

Your ticker skips a beat

The Remedy: Fish Oil

It's been widely talked about: fish oils help keep your heart healthy. The omega 3 fatty acids, particularly EPA and DHA (no need to memorize the long, tongue-twisty names), lower risks of heart disease and stroke. Taking 200 mg of DHA and 300 mg of EPA daily, or one gram of fish oil will keep your heart beating way beyond the warranty on it expires.

What's more, it helps people recover from a post-myocardial infarction (it's just gobbledy-gook that stands for a heart attack), according to Romeo U. Merino, MD, a cardiologist. He also goes on to say that the wonder oils (step aside, olive) give some sort of anti-arrhythmic effect and lowers triglycerides. How does it work? They're effective because they are easily metabolized cholesterols, according to Dr. Merino.

Our Pick: GNC Fish Body Oils 1000 (1,000 mg capsule) P681 for 90.

You want to keep your prostate in old age

The Remedy: Selenium

Want to avoid cancer when you're older? Start doing something about it now. Not to scare you, but there are always cells in our bodies that are potentially cancerous—it's that they just don't multiply uncontrollably and result in the disease. The reason to start early? Free radicals accumulate with age, and cause damage that may be prevented. So if you want to avoid the big C near your precious jewels or have your prostate leave you and never come back, take selenium.

Researchers believe this mineral seeks out and destroys cancer-causing free radicals before they have a chance to attack prostate cells. In multiple studies, scientists have determined that taking 200 micrograms (mcg) of selenium every day lowers the risk of prostate cancer by 49 percent. And you want that percentage to be in your favor. Dr. Reyes revealed that prostate cancer is the fourth leading cause of death from cancer among Filipino men.

Our Pick: Lifetime Hi-Potency Selenium (200 mcg capsule) P720 for 90. Available at Health Express. 

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