Why the Best Multivitamin Isn t Enough
I don’t know if I’m typical, but for many years I was satisfied taking just one nutritional supplement: the best multivitamin I could find. Now, however, my must-take list includes a fish oil supplement rich in omega-3 fatty acids and a green tea extract. As research amasses on these two nutrients, I’m convinced they offer unique benefits, especially for the 50+ crowd. Here’s why:
Fish Oil
- Fights pain and inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids regulate your body’s inflammation cycle, which prevents and relieves painful conditions like arthritis, prostatitis, cystitis and anything else ending in "itis."
- Makes your brain work better and improves mood. Omega-3s improve memory, recall, reasoning and focus, and reduce your risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Fish oil alleviates some symptoms of attention deficit disorder (ADD), depression and bipolar disorder.
- Reduces triglycerides better than statins. Fish oil from supplements or dietary sources can reduce triglyceride levels by 20% to 50%. High triglycerides put you at risk for fatty liver and heart disease.
- Stops the three most common cancers: breast, colon and prostate. Science tells us that omega-3s accomplish this in three ways. They stop the alteration from a normal healthy cell to a cancerous mass, inhibit unwanted cellular growth and cause programmed cell death of cancer cells.
- Slashes your odds of just plain dropping dead. Several studies have shown that people who take fish oil are about half as likely to die from sudden cardiac death — most often associated with fatal heart arrhythmia — as people who don’t take it. Omega-3s help to stabilize the bioelectrical impulses leading to irregular heartbeats and deadly heart stoppage.
Green Tea
- Burns fat. A green tea extract rich in EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) can increase calorie and fat metabolism. It increases resting energy expenditure and cellular thermogenesis. Translation: you burn extra calories as heat.
- Stops the most deadly female disease — ovarian cancer. In one study, women who consumed the equivalent of 2 or more cups of green tea daily had about half the risk of ovarian cancer as women who didn’t consume tea.
- Fights viruses that can cause cancer. Active ingredients in green tea fight human papilloma virus (HPV) which is related to cervical dysplasia and genital and perianal warts.
- Protects your teeth and mouth. Drinking green tea decreased the size of lesions in patients with oral leukoplakia, a precancerous condition. Ingredients in green tea also reduce the stickiness of plaque-producing bacteria, which keeps your gums and teeth healthier.
- Boosts brain power. Studies show that EGCG can decrease plaque build-up in Alzheimer’s disease, raise blood levels of a neurochemical, dopamine, which is low in Parkinson’s disease, and block several other pathways that cause brain function to deteriorate.
The Anti-Aging Bottom Line: If you really want to provide your body with the nutrients it needs for optimum health as you get older, taking the best multivitamin available is imperative. But even the best multivitamin can’t provide you with the omega-3s and concentrated amounts of antioxidants you need to live the longest, healthiest life possible. So, in addition to a comprehensive multivitamin, take a high quality fish oil which provides at least 1,200 mg of omega-3s and a green tea extract standardized to contain at least 70% EGCG.
