In this post, you will learn about the best supplements for men over 60. Aging doesn’t come alone but supplements can offer some relief. Or can they?
The supplements business is a huge one. I’m sure you have noticed this if you have ever looked at supplements. Most older folks are likely familiar with direct marketing as well.
Supplements are often touted as miracle drugs or as effective as actual pharmaceuticals by marketers and health mags.
But the truth is that most supplements are not well-researched. Or controlled by health agencies for that matter.
This means that they can have additives, allergens, or even heavy metals in them. You can never be sure what you get.
Supplements can also be toxic if taken in high quantities or mixed with medications or certain foods.
However, there are a few supplements that are generally safe and have actual scientific evidence for their benefit.
So if you want to use supplements, these are your best bet to actually notice a difference in your well-being.
But first, we need to talk about if you actually need accessories. And should you use them? Read on to find out.
Do You Need Supplements?
Before I recommend you any supplements I want you to know that supplements are not miracle drugs and most people don’t need them at all.
Some common reasons people take supplements are for joint pain, heart health, brain health, digestion, and just general aches and pains.
Virtually everyone suffers from these ailments from time to time as they age. So supplements are an easy product to market.
When supplements seem to resolve an ailment fast it’s usually due to the placebo effect.
In most cases, a healthy diet and sufficient exercise will provide all the supposed benefits of supplements. With a much more significant positive health effect.
Supplements can also be expensive. I personally think that it’s always a good idea to invest in your health. I just think that food and gym membership are better investments than supplements.
All that said, there are supplements that can actually have a noticeable effect on men over 60.
But I want you to realize that exercising, having a healthy diet and body weight as well as quality sleep, will likely be much more beneficial than any supplement.
If you want to learn more about these I encourage you to check out my articles Weight Training For Men Over 60, Best Sleep Aids For Seniors, and Mediterranean Diet For Seniors.
1. Magnesium
Magnesium is one of the few supplements I personally take and recommend to others.
It’s important to realize that you can get plenty of magnesium from food sources and you might no need to supplement it.
But the problem with magnesium is that due to decades of mass-scale farming our farmland has become depleted from magnesium in many locations.
This means that the best sources of magnesium don’t have as high concentrations as they used to. This includes whole grain, dark leafy greens, and dairy.
Magnesium is very important for the functioning of the whole body. It affects your metabolism, nerves, and even heart health.
Magnesium becomes especially important if you eat a lot of sodium as it helps to offset some of the negative effects of too much dietary sodium. And practically everyone gets too much sodium from their diet these days.
Magnesium supplementation is also beneficial if you exercise a lot. Sweating and repairing muscle tissue will deplete your magnesium stores
It’s good to know that many magnesium supplements can have laxative effects. So don’t overdo them if you are prone to diarrhea.
On the other hand, magnesium oxide is a great home remedy if you suffer from constipation. As I talked about in the article Constipation Remedies For Seniors.
2. Zinc
Zinc is another mineral that many men don’t get enough from their diet. If you eat a lot of seafood and grass-fed beef, this might not be the case though.
Zinc is especially important for male health as it has a function in testosterone and semen production. Lack of zinc can even cause low testosterone as I mentioned in the article How To Increase Testosterone After 60.
Zinc also plays an important role in metabolism and zinc supplementation can even help prevent type 2 diabetes.
With zinc, it’s very important to follow the instructions on the package. With most supplements and vitamins more is not better.
With zinc, this is especially true, and too much zinc can actually be toxic.
There are reported cases of people getting permanent neurological symptoms from the overuse of zinc supplements. This is not something you generally don’t worry about if you follow the instructions of the package.
It’s important to realize that medication and medical conditions can affect supplement metabolism. So it’s always a good idea to discuss the use of zinc with your doctor.
3. Creatine
I probably don’t have a supplement article where I don’t mention creatine. And that’s for a good reason.
Creatine is one of the most researched supplements with a scientifically proven effect on strength performance.
More importantly for older people, creatine can help improve cognitive function and increase energy levels.
This is not surprising when you consider that creatine is essentially a direct energy source for your cells.
Creatine is also generally considered very safe on the recommended doses and it usually doesn’t cause any side effects. Some people can get bloating or diarrhea when they start but usually, it will pass within a couple of days.
One thing to know for men over 60 is that there are some reports that creatine can increase hair loss. The most likely reason is that it helps convert testosterone into DHT.
This can give you energy as DHT is a more potent androgen than testosterone. But unfortunately, it’s also the driving factor behind male pattern boldness.
So if you suffer from hair loss and don’t want to make it worse, you might want to skip creatine.
But for everyone else, it’s a great supplement. Especially when you combine it with strength training.
For men over 60, this is one of the few supplements that can actually bring back your youthful vigor.
You can read more about creatine in the article Creatine For Seniors.
4. Omega 3 Supplements For Men Over 60
My final supplement recommendation for men over 60 is omega-3 supplements. More specifically high-quality fish oil.
Omega 3’s and especially the EPA and DHA found in fatty fish are likely beneficial for heart and brain health.
They are potent anti-inflammatories. Low-grade inflammation is being researched as the cause of many common diseases. This includes type 2 diabetes and even Alzheimers and depression.
The fact that getting enough omega-3 fatty acids from your diet seems to offer protection from these ailments should be all to convince you to include them in your diet. One way or another.
With fish oil, it’s important to remember that the best way to get them is by eating actual fish.
But many people don’t really like fish or have never been accustomed to using it in their diet for some other reason.
Then it might be beneficial to get the anti-inflammatory omega 3’s from supplements which are much easier to consume.
There are vegetable sources of omega 3’s as well as supplements based on other seafood like krill. These are likely all as effective but it’s important to recognize that the vegetable sources typically won’t have much EPA.
You can read more about the best options for getting your omega 3’s in the article Best Omega 3 Supplement For Seniors.
Conclusion
I hope you found these tips for supplements for men over 60 useful. If you have any comments or questions, feel free to leave them in the comments section below. I’ll do my best to help you out.
It’s important to remember that supplements are not medicine and most people don’t really need them.
This is especially true if your diet, exercise, and sleep routines are in check. That’s why I always recommend starting with these.
That said, some supplements can likely be beneficial and help you feel a bit healthier.
The ones I recommended shouldn’t be very expensive and you can find them in most supermarkets.
I always recommend buying from reputable brands. But there is really no point to pay huge prices for something that’s clearly just marketing hype.
Remember that the supplement business is huge and many products are way overpriced.
A large reputable brand will have good quality control and reasonable prices. At the end of the day, magnesium is just magnesium and creatine is just creatine.
Thanks for reading and see you next time!