Is your drugstore's vitamin and mineral display over-full with puzzling bottles? Or perhaps you don't know where the vitamin and mineral display is. Either way, you're missing out on a whole lot of pill-shaped ways to keep healthy.
So which pills should you take? For answers specific to your individual case, talk to your doctor or nutritionist. In the meantime, here's what the experts have to say:
See-Saw
Adult men should take Saw Palmetto, recommends Dr. Fred Pescatore, author of The Hamptons Diet. Saw Palmetto helps keep your prostate healthy.
Heavy Metal
Men interested in keeping nether parts healthy should also take zinc supplements, says Sandra Marin. Zinc is also important for prostate health. "Zinc is necessary to maintain hair on our heads, so taking adequate amounts may reduce the risk of 'acute hair plug-acitis' as I call it," says Marin. Dr. Shari Lieberman, author of The Real Vitamin & Mineral Book, recommends 22.5 to 50 milligrams of zinc per day.
Oily Insight
Omega-3 supplements-especially DHA or EPA-should be part of your regimen if you're not eating fish several times a week. Omega-3s are "tremendously heart-healthy but also beneficial for cognition and mood, vision, joint health, and auto-immune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis," says Todd Whitthorne, President and COO of Cooper Concepts, Inc. The American Heart Association recommends at least 1,000 mg of EPA/DHA per day.
Bone Up
Men need calcium, too. "Most men think calcium is for women as that is how it is portrayed in the media," says Pescatore. "Men need calcium to keep their bones strong especially as they become more and more inactive as they grow older." Pescatore recommends 1200 milligrams of calcium per day.
More than One-A-Day
Skip the once-daily multi-vitamin and get yourself a multi-pack of vitamins and minerals,says Pescatore. "Vitamins are not time-released so you can't get the full dosage if you take them all at once."
And make sure your pills are all-natural and organic instead of synthetic, says pharmacist and author Dr. Earl Mindell. "Many vitamins are made with artificial colors, crude oil, coal tar, pesticides, and contaminants, including lead. These ingredients never dissolve in the digestive tract, and can actually make you sick."
