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- Try This – The Supplements You ACTUALLY Need for Longevity
Try This – The Supplements You ACTUALLY Need for Longevity
Try This – The Supplements You ACTUALLY Need for Longevity
Hi Everyone!
Everyone is looking for the magic-pill solution when it comes to better health.
Well, I’m here to tell you that there might be a magic pill….or should I say pills!
That doesn’t mean you should stop eating well, exercising, prioritizing sleep, and managing stress.
It means you have to do all of that stuff AND there are a few targeted vitamins and minerals you can consider taking to make dramatic shifts in your health.
Today I’m diving into a recently rebroadcasted interview between the Institute for Functional Medicine and one of my favorite trusted experts, Dr. Rhonda Patrick. In this super deep dive, she discusses what basic things, including supplements, we need to focus on if we’re serious about longevity.
Let’s get into it….
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Shouldn’t We Get Our Nutrients from Food?
In a perfect world, we would be able to get all of our nutrients and micronutrients from food. BUT, this is really hard. None of us eats perfectly all of the time, plus our soils are depleted, and it shows. For example…
Seventy percent of the US population is deficient in vitamin D.
Seventy-five percent of people don’t meet the daily requirements for recommended magnesium intake.
Over 68 percent of the population does not consume enough omega-3 fatty acids.
This is when supplementing can be helpful. Today, we’re focusing on what Dr. Patrick calls “low-hanging fruit.” These are not fancy therapies or the next big longevity drug or pill. These are basic nutrients that have a direct connection to how long we live!And I’ll tell you a little secret… as basic as these recommendations might seem, the truth is that 99 percent of people are still not following them.
Don’t be in the 99 percent!
Here’s how to be in the 1 percent.
Let’s dive into the big three!
TRY THIS – FOCUS ON THE BIG THREE
Number 1: Vitamin D
Most of us know that vitamin D is critical for strong and healthy bones. BUT it’s also critical for our immunity, staving off cancer cells, and keeping our moods regulated, and it plays a role in the absorption of minerals like calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium.
Dr. Patrick talks about how certain factors make us prone to vitamin deficiency, like:
Little-to-no sunlight exposure
Higher body fat percentage
Darker skin complexion
Lots of sunscreen use
Living in northern altitudes
Vitamin D is so powerful because it can enter the nucleus of the cell and actually control our genes—genes that can prevent or drive disease!
If you haven’t gotten your vitamin D levels checked, talk to your doctor ASAP or get an at-home test.
Levels below 20 ng/mL can be dangerous for our health. Experts agree that levels above 30 ng/mL are adequate, and around 40–60 ng/mL is optimal.
But, more is not always better. My friend Chris Kresser has a great article on vitamin D toxicity.
Around 4,000 IU a day of vitamin D supplementation is great to support someone who has a deficiency, but work with your doctor before you start supplementing. You want to know where you stand.
Number 2: Magnesium
I take magnesium every single night. It’s been a savior for my sleep.
Magnesium is an essential cofactor in over 600 enzymatic reactions in the body, which is a fancy way of saying that we need it for cellular repair, DNA synthesis, and more.
According to studies, people who have higher magnesium levels have a 40 percent lower all-cause mortality and a 50 percent lower cancer mortality! That is HUGE!
Why are we so deficient in this mineral? Because we are not eating enough magnesium-rich foods, especially green, leafy veggies.
Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include:
High blood pressure
Muscle aches and pains
Numbness and tingling
Palpitations
Constipation
Headaches
PMS
Tremors
And more…
You can talk to your doctor about an RBC (red blood cell) test for magnesium, but the bottom line is we all could benefit from eating magnesium-rich foods and supplementing when needed.
There are so many forms of magnesium, and you want to make sure you’re getting the best kind. Magnesium glycinate, magnesium citrate (great for constipation), and magnesium malate are all good options.
Also, be careful with taking too much magnesium because it can make you poop, but magnesium glycinate is one that I’ve found doesn’t cause digestive upset.
The daily recommended dietary allowance for magnesium is around 420 mg for men and 320 mg for women. If you’re not eating enough magnesium-rich foods, you might want to consider supplementing. Dr. Patrick mentions she takes 120 mg of magnesium glycinate daily.
I take about 500 mg a day because it really helps with my sleep, but always do what works best for your body!
Number 3: Omega-3 Fatty Acids
There are so many preventable deaths a year that occur because of omega-3 deficiency.
I’ve written a lot of content about this, so if you want to go on a deep dive into omega-3 fatty acids, check this out.
Here’s a quick recap.
There are three major forms of omega-3 fatty acids: EPA, DHA, and ALA. ALA comes from plant sources and is then converted into EPA and DHA. BUT the problem is that a lot of us are not great converters of ALA into EPA and then DHA. On top of that, our overconsumption of omega-6 fatty acids in the form of processed foods interferes with our ability to properly convert ALA into EPA and DHA. Dr. Patrick explains that we DO need omega 6 from whole-food sources like nuts and seeds, but too many of us are eating refined vegetable oils, eating out in restaurants that use these oils, and eating packaged and processed foods with high amounts of omega 6. Think you’re lacking in omega-3 fatty acids? Here are some symptoms of omega-3 deficiency:
Dry and itchy skin
Lots of ear wax
Skin, hair, and nail troubles
Cardiovascular problems
PMS
Fatigue
Dry eyes
And more…
So what do we do?
First of all, most of us can benefit from eating more omega-3-rich foods like salmon, oysters, mackerel, anchovies, cod, walnuts, and flaxseeds.
Second, if you suspect that you’re deficient in omega-3 fatty acids, check out my favorite test: OmegaQuant, which allows you to measure your levels of EPA and DHA at home.
Third, consider a high-quality EPA/DHA supplement. I take 2–3 grams of cod liver oil daily. Most doctors recommend this amount. Stick to the Basics
Everyone is looking for the next big longevity supplement or therapy that will help us live to 100 and beyond. It’s fun to explore those topics, but that’s not what most people need.
Sometimes, we just need to nail the basics: eat well, sleep well, exercise, and get the right amounts of nutrients and micronutrients.
I love how simple this is. Cheers to simplicity, Dhru PurohitP.S.: If you’re not already following Dr. Patrick, check her Instagram out here, her Twitter here, and her membership community here. I highly recommend adding her to your trusted sources!