As men age, our bodies' nutritional needs change. Hormones like testosterone decline, and our ability to maintain strong bones and muscle mass decreases. Add to that our busy lives with family commitments and hectic schedules, and our diets may not provide the nutrition our bodies need to function optimally. We don’t have the energy we used to, our libido is weaker, and we may have weight changes.
Some may accept this as just part of getting older, but with proper nutrition, sleep, movement, and supplementation, men can continue feeling strong and vital through their 40’s and beyond. We’ve put a list of supplements together to help men in their 40’s get the nutrients they need to have more energy to do the things they really love.
Here are the nutrients and supplements we’ll cover in this article:
- Zinc
- B vitamins
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
- Omega-3 Fats
- Collagen
- How to choose the right supplements
By definition, supplements are meant to supplement healthy diet and lifestyle choices. That is to say, you can’t out-supplement a nutrient-poor diet or stressful lifestyle. Getting your nutrition, sleep, stress, and movement dialed in with a practitioner is a great way to determine any gaps that supplementation can fill. Then, your practitioner can recommend a curation of supplements suited specifically to you.
What nutrients do men need?
Ideally, we would get all of the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients we need from our food. Unfortunately, that’s not always possible in our modern world, and we often need supplemental nutrition. As most men enter their 40’s, dietary and lifestyle choices may begin to catch up, leading to lower testosterone levels, decreased energy, diminished libido, and loss of muscle mass. While supplements won’t solve all of that on their own, they will help provide many of the nutrients men lack.
Below are a few key nutrients that men in their 40’s should consider supplementing.
Zinc
Zinc is an important mineral for many functions in the body, and people are often deficient in it. For men, zinc is vital for proper prostate function, and low zinc levels in the prostate are linked to an enlarged prostate and prostate cancer. For younger men, zinc is critical for male fertility and can play an antimicrobial role in the male urinary tract. In general, for men, low zinc levels can have negative impacts on testosterone levels and sperm production.
Zinc is only required in small amounts, so getting it through a multivitamin, like the Innate Response Men Over 40 One Daily is a great option.
A good multivitamin for men over 40 is a great place to start with supplementation. The Innate Response Men Over 40 multivitamin contains the B vitamin complex, zinc, vitamin C, as well as microminerals like manganese and adaptogenic herbs like ginseng and turmeric. Adaptogens help your body’s response to oxidative stress, and microminerals are like little spark plugs for the cells in your body.
B vitamins
Our bodies rely on the group of 8 B vitamins to properly produce energy, create new red blood cells, and even maintain healthy hair, skin, and nerve function. B vitamin deficiency isn’t very common, but most modern diets may not provide the optimal amount, and as we get older, our lack of dietary nutrients can start to catch up with us. Regular fatigue, as well as mood swings, and depression can be signs of a need for additional B vitamins, particularly folate (B9) and niacin (B3). Adding a B complex supplement or a multivitamin with a B complex can help men catch back up to optimal levels.
As we will discuss shortly, the source and the quality of the ingredients make a big difference when selecting a supplement. The Innate Response B Complex is created from whole-food sources like organic brown rice and broccoli. As with most Innate Response products, the B Complex is soy, gluten, and dairy-free. We often recommend just the B complex supplement to target and support specific deficiencies rather than a broader multivitamin approach. Because B vitamins are a complex of nutrients, sometimes someone will need those that improve energy and immune support like thiamin (B1) or pyridoxine (B6), while others may be looking for support to calm the nervous system from nutrients like riboflavin (B2) and Niacin (B3). Innate Response B Complex is a well-rounded blend of Bs.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is best known as an antioxidant and for its association in helping with symptoms of the common cold. But Vitamin C is also required for protein metabolism, the synthesis of collagen and neurotransmitters, as well as wound healing. Very few people are actually deficient in vitamin C, but as we age, our ability to absorb nutrients decreases, so many men may not be getting the optimal amount. Fruits and vegetables are the best sources of vitamin C, though if diet is not adequate, supplemental vitamin C is inexpensive and widely available on its own or in a multivitamin.
Thorne’s Vitamin C comes packed with citrus flavonoids like you would get from eating an orange. Flavonoids, or polyphenols, are essential because they support the actions of antioxidants like Vitamin C, boosting their effects on the immune system and elsewhere. Taking a Vitamin C supplement in addition to what you get in a multivitamin can be helpful in times of stress, during travel, or any time your immune system might need a boost.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is essential for bone strength and structure and plays critical roles in immune function, insulin sensitivity, and much more. As men age and begin to lose muscle mass, vitamin D can play an important role in skeletal muscle development, strength, and performance. We slowly lose the ability to make vitamin D in our bodies as we age, so supplementing can be very important in preventing bone fractures, boosting our immune system, and maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.
As discussed above, vitamin D is critical for bone health, immune health, blood sugar regulation, and more. We often recommend supplementing Vitamin D on its own or with vitamin K, as levels in multivitamins are generally low. Quicksilver Scientific Microemulsified Vitamin D3-K2 contains 2500 IU of Vitamin D3, as well as 90 micrograms of Vitamin K2, which is also necessary for bone and immune health, especially important for men in their 40’s and beyond.
Omega-3 Fats
Omega-3s are essential fats, meaning our bodies cannot make them on their own. In most modern diets, we often get far too little Omega-3 and far too much Omega-6, both of which are necessary, but in a more ideal ratio of 3:1 Omega-6 to Omega-3. We often think of getting Omega-3’s from whole-food sources like fish, seafood, and eggs. Unless those foods are a regular staple of your diet, you may not be ingesting the optimal amount of Omega-3’s. Our modern diet is full of Omega-6 fats—those we get in high amounts from things like processed seed oils, but also from whole food sources like avocados and nuts. Omega-3 fats have been shown to be beneficial to heart and brain health, reduce inflammation, and improve insulin resistance. Particularly for people whose diets do not include fish or nuts like walnuts or hemp seeds, supplementation can help fill that gap.
Omega-3’s are often found in fish oil supplements, which can be a great option when the supplement comes from a high-quality source. For those concerned with levels of mercury in fish oil supplements, or those with a potential shellfish allergy, hemp seed oil is a great way to get your essential fatty acids. The Protocol for Life Balance Hemp Seed Oil offers 1,000 mg of Omega-6 and Omega-3 fats in the ideal ratio of 3:1 and is allergen-free.
Collagen
Collagen is the protein that makes up most of our connective tissue, hair, nails, and skin. It is an integral part of the structure of our bodies, and while we produce it naturally, our ability to do so declines with age. Collagen is made up of specific amino acids (like any protein is) that help form the matrix of so much of our body. But dietary sources are often not sufficient, as even a nutrient-dense diet can lack enough specific amino acids to make collagen. As we might suggest for liver or kidney support, for example, taking collagen as a supplement will provide the proper amino acids for building collagen in the body. Bovine collagen peptides are an easy way to ensure optimal protein levels as we get older to help build strong hair and nails and healthier skin and connective tissue. Collagen isn’t great for building skeletal muscle, so we would recommend a whey or pea protein for that purpose.
This collagen comes from grass-fed, pasture-raised cattle, so you can be confident in the cleanliness of the supplement. It is super easy to mix one or two scoops into a drink (we recommend it in your morning coffee or tea) or in a smoothie along with grass-fed whey protein, berries, greens, and almond milk. The powder is virtually tasteless, so you won’t notice much of a difference in your black coffee as you feed your body nutrients for healthier hair, skin, and nails.
How to choose the right supplements
With so many options and varieties of supplements and supplement brands available, it can be a challenge to know which brands are best for you. Start by looking for third-party tested brands; most will say so on their website or right on the bottle. Many top-quality brands will even provide the sourcing information and testing results for all of their products.
Working with a practitioner and shopping from a dispensary like Curated Wellness is another fantastic way to ensure you buy the highest quality supplements. We work closely with suppliers and rely on years of practitioner experience to curate top-notch vitamins and minerals. Then, those practitioners work with you to determine just the right curation of supplements for your needs.
Why are we experts on supplements?
At its heart, Curated Wellness is a group of Nutritional Therapy Practitioners with dozens of combined years of experience helping people thrive through foundational nutrition & supplement support. We have seen the amazing impact that changes in diet, lifestyle, and supplementation can have on someone’s life. We have recommended many of these supplements to our own clients spent hundreds of hours researching the best of the best, so we know that the supplements we recommend in our curations are at the top of the heap.
Are you ready to get started? We have practitioners available to work with you on optimizing your diet and lifestyle while also providing you access to a vast catalog of top-notch supplements. We offer three plans that give you access to our supplement shop at a 20% discount and two plans that offer one-on-one work with a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner.
About the Author
Joel Brown, NTP—Joel is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and began his health journey when he decided to quit cigarettes for good. By finding the motivation to make lifestyle changes in diet, exercise, stress, and sleep, he feels healthier in his 40’s than in his 20’s and wants to make sure he will be around for a long time. Once he saw results in himself, Joel wanted to use his passion for wellness to help other people. Joel helps clients achieve better energy, focus, and connection to their bodies through bio-individual diet and lifestyle changes. Read more about Joel.
The information presented on this website is intended for educational purposes only. Statements within this site have not been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration. This content is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any specific condition or disease, nor is it medical advice and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise. Readers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health conditions or concerns. One should always consult a qualified medical professional before engaging in any dietary and/or lifestyle change or new health program. Curated Wellness does not take responsibility for any health consequences of any person or persons following the information in this educational content.
Reference
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2. Fallah, A., Azadeh, M., Abasalt Hosseinzadeh, C., Zinc is an Essential Element for Male Fertility: A Review of Zn Roles in Men’s Health, Germination, Sperm Quality, and Fertilization, Journal of Reproduction & Infertility, Apr. 2018
3. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324856
4. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2901845/
6 https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-d/
7. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/17-health-benefits-of-omega-3
