6 Health & Aging Supplements (and What I Avoid)

Summary

The video discusses the efficacy of six popular supplements based on scientific research. Creatine shows cognitive benefits for those over 60, while collagen aids skin health. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and NMN have limited utility for younger, healthy individuals. Fish oil slightly improves memory, and curcumin is potent for preventing diabetes in pre-diabetics. The host emphasizes the importance of a balanced diet and exercise over supplements for optimal health.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Creatine has shown benefits for brain health and cognition, particularly in individuals over 60, but also aids in muscle strength for all ages.
• 🌟 Collagen supplementation is beneficial for skin health, with the speaker taking it daily and rating it 2.5 out of 5 based on the evidence.
• 👵 Glacé (Glacial Protein) has been shown to improve health markers in older adults, but its effectiveness in younger, healthy individuals is questionable.
• 🐟 Fish oil has a small but positive effect on cognitive function, particularly memory, with the speaker rating it 3.5 out of 5.
• 🔬 NMN (Nicotinamide Mononucleotide) is popular for its potential anti-aging effects, but its benefits are unclear for young, healthy individuals, leading to a low rating of 2 out of 10.
• 🍛 Curcumin is potent for preventing diabetes in pre-diabetic individuals but may not be beneficial for those with normal blood sugar levels.
• 🏋️‍♂️ The speaker avoids curcumin due to its potential to reduce muscle building, despite its other health benefits.
• 💊 Supplements can be beneficial, but the speaker emphasizes that following a healthy lifestyle, including diet and exercise, is more important for overall health.
• 📊 The speaker's ratings for each supplement are based on the quality and quantity of scientific evidence, with creatine receiving the highest rating.
• 👨‍🔬 The speaker's personal supplement choices are influenced by their age, health status, and specific health goals, highlighting the importance of individualized approaches to supplementation.

Q & A

What is the speaker's general stance on supplements?

The speaker is not a huge fan of supplements but has a better understanding of their efficacy after analyzing scientific literature.

What is the speaker's rating system for supplements based on certainty of evidence?

The speaker uses a rating system where one is low certainty and five is the highest certainty based on the evidence.

What is the speaker's opinion on creatine for brain health and cognition?

Creatine seems to provide benefits for individuals over 60 years old, but not for younger individuals. The speaker still takes it for its muscle benefits.

How much creatine does the speaker take daily and what is their rating for it?

The speaker takes 5 grams of creatine daily and rates it 5 out of 5.

What is the speaker's view on collagen supplements for skin health?

The speaker believes collagen is beneficial for skin health, but acknowledges more data is needed. They take it daily in the form of collagen peptides.

What is the speaker's daily dosage and rating for collagen?

The speaker takes 10 to 20 grams of collagen daily and rates it 2.5 out of 5.

Why doesn't the speaker take NMN supplements?

The speaker believes NMN is likely useless for young healthy individuals and has mixed results in studies, leading to a low rating.

What is the speaker's rating for NMN and why is it so low?

The speaker rates NMN a 2 out of 10 because the studies show mixed results and the speaker remains unimpressed for most people's potential benefits.

What is the speaker's stance on fish oil for brain function?

Fish oil has a small but positive effect on brain function, particularly memory, according to the speaker.

How much fish oil does the speaker take and what is their rating for it?

The speaker takes about a gram of fish oil daily and rates it 3.5 out of 5.

What is the speaker's opinion on curcumin for diabetes prevention?

Curcumin is potent for helping pre-diabetic individuals prevent diabetes, but the speaker does not take it due to its potential to reduce muscle building.

What is the speaker's rating for curcumin and why?

The speaker rates curcumin 4 out of 5 due to the good amount of research and relatively consistent results, despite not taking it personally.

What are the 'five rules' the speaker mentions for greater health benefits?

The speaker refers to a video where they outline five foundational rules for health, suggesting these are more beneficial than supplements.