The Three Wellbeing Supplements That Will Transform Your Health and Wellbeing
The tried and tested trifecta of wellbeing - plus a bonus fourth recommendation
Welcome and thank you for checking out Optimise Me, a bi-monthly newsletter sharing research-backed, practical tips to help you optimise your self-growth and personal productivity.
I am a health research nutter.
That’s right. I spend copious amounts of my free time looking over wellness reports, studies, trials and data to figure out how to be as healthy as possible - so that you don’t have to waste time doing it yourself.
Not to mention, I test everything out myself. I hate hearing recommendations from people without any skin in the game. In the spirit of practising what I preach, I’ve been consuming and supplementing with everything I have mentioned below for at least 2 years now, and I can test to the difference they have made in my general health and well-being.
There are only three supplements I’d argue that you really need - the fourth is a bonus I wanted to throw in there, especially for those of you that may be dealing with mood swings/ depressive moments.
I must stress however - supplements will not fix a poor foundation. You must make sure your diet, sleeping and exercise habits are in great form before using any form of supplementation. These merely enhance the effects of good wellbeing etiquette, not replace them. In the same way a protein shake has little effect on your muscle mass if you don’t workout, and a salad once during a week of fast food won’t make you ‘healthy’, make sure you check out some of my other newsletters on fixing your foundations before depending on these recommendations.
However, if you have relatively good wellbeing structures in place, and could do with a few hacks here and there to optimise your routine - then trust me, you’ve come to the right place. 🚀
Vitamin D
Nicknamed the ‘sunshine vitamin’, Vitamin D is essential for bone strength, immune system support, regulation of your mood, weight management, and various overall health functions.
Vitamin D production in the skin is our primary source of vitamin D, but many have insufficient levels as they live in places with less sunlight, or spend much of their time indoors. Worldwide, an estimated 1 billion people have inadequate levels of vitamin D in their blood, and deficiencies can be found in all ethnicities and age groups. People with darker skin tend to have lower blood levels of vitamin D as melanin reduces the production of vitamin D (and the damaging effects of sunlight on skin).
The recommended minimum daily intake is 600 IU with an upper limit of 4000 IU for adults aged 19+.
Omega 3 - Cod Liver Oil
Cod liver oil is oil extracted from the livers of Atlantic cod, which is one of the best sources of omega 3 fatty acids, with high amounts of vitamins A and D.
Cod liver oil is known to promote skin health, increase vitamin and mineral absorption, boost cognitive performance, support the body with repair, and boost the immune system. It also helps regulate hunger levels - when you consume fat, it tends to keep you fuller as it is pretty satiating.
It is noted that cod liver oil should be avoided by pregnant women, asthmatics, and individuals who take anticoagulants such as warfarin. For the general population, cod liver oil is a safe, and in many cases necessary, supplement.
Collagen
Perhaps one of my personal favourites of the supplements recommended here, is collagen. Collagen has become even more important for me as I age, and continue weight-bearing activities such as weightlifting and hiking.
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body which is a major component of bone, skin, muscles, tendons, hair, and cartilage. Put simply, collagen is the material which ‘plumps’ you out. This decreases gradually as we age, but can quicken with lack of sleep and exercise, excess sub exposure, smoking, excess alcohol, and elevated stress levels.
A study in the National Library of Medicine found that collagen supplementation improved skin hydration, elasticity, roughness and density. Collagen supplementation has also been found to have positive effects on joint repair, muscle building, hair growth and bone loss.
When choosing collagen supplementation, be careful to avoid topical application (such as skin creams which contain fibers too large to penetrate the skin’s outer layers. Opt for oral collagen peptides, which are found in powder form and tablet form, which are better absorbed into the skin.
Bonus: Magnesium
Magnesium is my little wild card for you in this newsletter. The little number has been shown to help reduce blood pressure, improve sleep and even improve mood. Some studies have linked low levels of magnesium with depression, and several studies have found supplementation with magnesium to alleviate depressive and anxiety symptoms in as quickly as 2 weeks after beginning supplementation.
The great thing about magnesium is that, amidst all the recommended supplements here, it is the easiest to raise your levels through food intake. Foods like rolled oats, pumpkin seeds, cashews, spinach, chia seeds, almonds, peanuts and bananas all pack healthy punches of magnesium.
🧐 My Recommendations
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💥 Extra Goodies
“The doctor of the future will be oneself.”
― Albert Schweitzer