A Guide to 5 Supplements That Can Help You Age With Grace

Even if you do everything else right, if you aren’t meeting the nutritional requirements, no amount of exercising or meditation is going to help you feel your best. Form trouble sleeping to lackluster hair and brittle nails, nutrient deficiencies can cause a host of health problems. Many people turn to supplements to fill the gaps in their diet.

If you’ve been in a pharmacy or health food store lately, you probably already know that there are more supplements on the market than you can probably ever even read about, let alone actually try. Knowing which ones have the biggest impact on health and wellness takes some of the guesswork out of deciding which ones you should focus on.

1. Coenzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant that is naturally present in and produced by your body. As you age, your natural stores decline, which can result in a shortage. Supplements are generally considered safe and are well tolerated. There is evidence that increasing levels can help reduce the incidence or severity of:

• Congestive heart failure
• Muscle weakness caused by taking statins
• Parkinson’s disease
• Migraines

Additionally, since Coenzyme Q10 is involved with energy production within the body, it may help improve performance and recovery.

2. Collagen

One of the most abundant proteins within your body, collagen acts as a glue to help tissue such as skin, bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles, hold their structure. It is another nutrient that declines as you age. In addition, the collagen that your body produces later in life is of lower quality. That results in dry, thin skin that wrinkles and sages. It also causes cartilage and connective tissue to lose some of their stability. Adding a high-quality collagen product from supplement manufacturers low minimums can help you retain and build muscle mass, slow degeneration associated with arthritis and restore elasticity to your skin.

3. Probiotics

There has been a lot of talk about gut health and probiotics -the bacteria and organisms that you can take through diet and supplementation to restore gut flora health and diversity. The jury is still out on whether supplemental probiotics are as helpful s getting them from food sources so, whenever possible, try to eat fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi and yogurt. However, in cases where that is not possible, or if you have been taking antibiotics for an extended period of time, you may want to consider taking a high-potency supplement.

4. Vitamin D

Your body produces vitamin D when you spend time out in the sun. Growing realizations about the dangers of UV exposure and lifestyle changes often result in people not spending enough time outdoors to produce sufficient quantities. Low levels of this crucial vitamin are linked to several serious health consequences, including:

• Weakened immune response
• Decreased bone density
• Low moods
• Impaired ability to heal

Like with anything else, too much of a good thing can be harmful, too. Look for products from private label supplement manufacturing companies that do testing to ensure the quality and accuracy of labeling to avoid complications.

5. Magnesium

This abundant mineral is involved with more than 600 processing in your body. It assists with energy production, nervous system regulation, muscle formation and gene maintenance. As you get older, your body becomes less efficient at absorbing magnesium. Adding a supplement can help reduce deficiencies, resulting in better insulin resistance, improved moods and fewer migraines.

If you suspect a serious nutritional deficiency, make an appointment with your health care provider for testing. It is possible what you have been passing off as a poor diet is actually a sign of a more serious underlying condition. Assuming you are healthy, though, once you know what vitamins you are lacking, you can target your approach even more accurately.