Why Should You Choose Natural Supplements For Healthy Aging?

Much like time itself, you can’t slow down the aging process.
That’s the bad news. The good news is that while there may be no such thing as a fountain of youth, we can ease into the process of aging in a much healthier and mindful way.



Health and dietary supplements may seem like a convenient anti-aging solution for many Americans. And it’s been estimated that over three quarters of adults in the US are taking some form of health supplement.



But not all supplements are created equal. The sad truth is that there are a number of adulterated supplements and vitamins available on the market which contain fillers and preservatives which not only negate the benefits they tout, but may actually be detrimental to your health.



Are natural supplements really the best choice for healthy aging?
 

Do I Need Supplements As I Grow Older?

Whether or not  supplements are necessary for you to ease into the process of aging, you should consult your primary care physician first. You may simply need a change in your diet and exercise routine (neither of which are bad ideas, regardless of whether or not you choose to enhance your lifestyle with supplements.)

Health conditions can occur as we age which limit our body’s absorption of nutrients, including diabetes, arthritis, cardiovascular disease and in some extreme cases, strokes. Ironically, poor nutritional intake can also cause those very same co-morbidities. While many prescription medications can indeed help with nutrient deficiencies, it’s natural that many sufferers will turn to dietary supplements to augment the benefits of prescription medications.
But before you speak to your physician about adding supplements to your daily regimen, you may want to ask yourself two pertinent questions: What is healthy aging? And what does it mean to my lifestyle?

 

Defining Healthy Aging

Simply put, healthy aging is a process in which we optimize any opportunity to enable our well being as we grow older. 
That can often mean adapting to changes in our lifestyle which can sometimes seem as stressful as they are unavoidable. No one looks forward to growing older. But it’s important to remember that the process of aging is simply that: a process. And a process doesn’t necessarily have to imply a diminished vitality or quality of life. But it can be a much fuller, richer and more rewarding experience if we know how to better accommodate ourselves to it.


It may seem obvious that your physical health is going to play a significant role in the process of aging. But there are other factors you should take into consideration: not the least of which includes both your emotional and mental well being.

 

Supplements and The Mind-Body Interface

Both physical, mental and emotional health are intimately tied together. And an imbalance in any one area is going to affect the well being of all areas. 


Recent research has suggested that the links between inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and Alzheimer’s disease are much stronger as a result of metabolic changes and cytokine regulation. And the links between minor depression and decreased physical health in older adults have been well established.


The FDA does not currently classify health and dietary supplements as therapeutic drugs. Nor should they. Supplements are designed to enhance health and well being, not combat or treat specific diseases. 


But there’s an increasing body of evidence that certain supplements can have a markedly beneficial impact on certain diseases. And not surprisingly, the interface between mental well being and physical health is coming into stronger focus as a result.


Recent studies have indicated that both m.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6515787/">vitamin D and zinc supplementation can have a beneficial effect on major depressive disorders, while ongoing research into certain rice bran compounds are beginning to reveal an overwhelmingly positive effect on both the immune system as well as the cognitive function of post-cancer patients, and subsequently, the quality of their life.


Yet despite the documented impact that supplements are playing in the everyday lives of millions of Americans, there’s a downside as well.

 

The Dark Side of Health Supplements

The relatively minimal regulatory oversight on behalf of the FDA has allowed some manufacturers to compromise the integrity of health supplements by allowing adulterated ingredients to be mixed with fillers and preservatives for the sake of cost efficacy.


Unfortunately, the adage that “you get what you pay for” isn’t just a cliche health and dietary supplements. It’s a truth that should be taken into careful consideration when evaluating health and dietary supplements.


A 2015 survey published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that adverse effects resulting from adulterated supplements were responsible for approximately 23,000 emergency room visits per year. Yet that number isn’t the only cause for concern. A study conducted between 2007 and 2016 found that over 20 percent of nearly 800 popular health supplement samples included multiple unapproved ingredients. Some of which contained potentially hazardous contaminants. 


While many of the samples reviewed in the former study were primarily marketed for muscle building, sexual enhancement and weight loss, the sheer magnitude of both examples should give the average consumer reason to pause before considering the viability of supplements.


At least it should give the average consumer reason to pause. But there’s one fundamental difference between mass produced junk supplements and their natural counterparts: bioavailability.

 

Why Bioavailability Matters

Bioavailability is the specific amount and rate in which any active nutrient can be absorbed and metabolized by the human body. 

 
But the key word to remember is an active nutrient.
Ideally, any natural supplement will draw their potency from a high concentration of pure, unadulterated ingredients. As a result, supplements with a high rate of bioavailability will frequently use a lower dose of an active ingredient specifically because of the lack of adulteration. 

 
But there are some forms of active ingredients which are more easily absorbed than others, depending on both your own body’s metabolism as well as its composition and chemical makeup. At no point should you initiate a regimen that includes multiple health supplements (either prescription or over the counter) without consulting a physician or dietitian first if there’s a preexisting health concern.

 
Yet there still remains a confusion among many consumers regarding essential mineral supplements and natural dietary supplements. That’s largely because there isn’t a standard definition in the marketplace, with manufacturers frequently using the terms interchangeably. 

 
Natural supplements, as the name suggests, are derived from natural plants, vegetables and botanicals. In other words, from whole food sources. Those sources typically contain essential minerals. But they frequently work to provide the benefits of multiple essential minerals by addressing specific health conditions.

 
Unlike prescription drug therapies, natural supplements aren’t necessarily preventative. They’re designed to help augment your diet and lifestyle to ensure you have optimal health.

 
A manufacturer may sometimes add preservatives to a supplement designed to encourage metabolism of a supplement’s active ingredients. But more often than not, those preservatives will ultimately dilute the benefits of those very same active ingredients.

 
That’s not the case with natural supplements. The vast majority of legitimate natural supplement manufacturers will undergo rigorous third party testing from multiple accredited laboratories to ensure their products are safe, effective and free from dilution, containing only the active ingredients listed on their packaging.
 

How Can I Tell if a Supplement is Natural or Not?

• Review the label carefully. Natural supplements will usually list ingredients derived from whole foods, and are frequently labeled as being 100% plant or animal-based. Synthetic and adulterated supplements, on the other hand, will list each active ingredient individually without identifying their source, frequently referring to those same ingredients by their chemical compositions (eg, folic acid) or as a mineral (eg, vitamin D.)
• Research published studies regarding active ingredients. For example, research has indicated that high doses of omega-3 fatty acids can drastically reduce triglyceride levels and help alleviate some of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Yet most commercial fish oil supplements contain alpha-linolenic acid (APA), which can sometimes negate the benefits of specific omega-3s, particularly eicosapentaenoic acids (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DPA.) As a result, researchers have begun to recommend krill oil as a more beneficial source of EPAs and DPAs due to a much higher concentration than many fish oil supplements.
  
  
• Look for third party testing. Supplements that have undergone third party testing for purity of active ingredients will also ensure that its bioavailability is proven and effective. One federally recognized standard of testing is overseen by the US Pharmacopeia, a collective which many manufacturers use in order to validate their product prior to its release and availability.

 

Conclusion

The decision to include any supplement as part of your daily dietary regimen should take into consideration both your personal needs, existing literature and your physicians’ advice.


Unfortunately, it’s far too easy to be persuaded by dishonest marketing campaigns and hype. Both of which have an increasingly negative impact on our overall quality of life, particularly as we grow older.


No, there is no such thing as a fountain of youth. But there is a process of growing old gracefully. The key is remembering that it is a process, not an overnight phenomenon. Natural supplements can help make that process much simpler. Learning how to recognize the benefits of that process, however, is up to you.