Dietary supplements for men’s health
Surveys show that men’s sexual and overall health is in steep decline. The right choice of supplements can help restore vitality and stave off challenges to metabolic fitness. Check out this authoritative review of some of the innovative botanicals that address men’s unique needs, from my friends at Protocol for Life Balance.
—Dr. Ronald Hoffman
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Men’s attitudes towards health and healthy lifestyles can be markedly varied. Some men, especially athletes of all levels, spend a lot of time and effort to remain healthy, while other men take a more passive approach. While men’s life expectancy has been increasing over time, it remains shorter than that of women. Indeed, men tend to struggle in the areas of cardiovascular health and maintenance of healthy blood sugar levels compared to women. Other health issues related to reproductive and sexual health require interventions that are specific to men. Overall, many of these conditions can benefit from lifestyle interventions including the use of dietary supplements. And while nearly 60% of American adults take dietary supplements on a regular basis, there are differences between men and women, with 51% of men declaring to take dietary supplements on a regular basis, and 65% of women being regular consumers.
Among the ingredients that are commonly used in dietary supplements targeting men’s health, we will briefly explore a few such as Eurycoma longifolia (tongkat ali), lycopene, maca, pumpkin seed oil, saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), Tribulus terrestris, and zinc.
Eurycoma longifolia, also known as tongkat ali, is derived from a tree growing in Malaysia and Southeast Asia. Its boiled roots have been traditionally used by men as an aphrodisiac and a tonic.1 The biological effects of Eurycoma longifolia have been attributed to several compounds commonly found in the plant, including eurypeptides, eurycomanone, eurycomaoside, eurycolactone, and eurycomalactone.1 Clinical studies have shown that supplementing the diet with Eurycoma longifolia can support healthy sexual performance in healthy middle aged men.* Supplementation with Eurycoma longifolia may also improve seminal quality.2*
Lycopene is a red carotenoid present in tomatoes and other red/orange fruits and vegetables. When sourced from food, lycopene is usually best absorbed when tomatoes are cooked and consumed with fats and beta-carotene. The biological properties of lycopene are numerous and include free radical scavenging, support of healthy cell division cycle, immunomodulation, and positive effects on lipid and protein oxidation.* Lycopene supplementation may support cardiovascular health.3* For aging men, lycopene supplementation may be especially useful in the support of prostate health.4*
Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a plant growing at high altitude in the Andes mountains. In Peru, the root is known for its rich nutritional value and it has been traditionally used as a source of energy, stamina, and endurance.5In a clinical study using either 1.5 or 3 g maca powder per day for 12 weeks in healthy men, supplementation resulted in an increased sexual desire without affecting blood hormonal levels.6* In another small clinical study, 1.5 or 3 g maca powder per day for 4 months in healthy men resulted in an increased semen quality without affecting blood hormonal levels.7*
Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) seed oil, is a highly unsaturated oil, composed mainly of oleic and linoleic acids. Pumpkin seed oil also typically have tocopherols (vitamin E), phytosterols, carotenoids, free radical scavengers (phenolic compounds), triterpenes, lignans, and minerals.8 Pre-clinical data suggest that pumpkin seed oil may inhibit the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme, which may help to support prostate health and hair growth.9* In a randomized placebo-controlled clinical study, healthy middle aged men taking 400 mg/day pumpkin seed oil for 24 weeks saw a significant hair regrowth starting after 12 weeks of supplementation.10*
Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), is the most common palm in the United States, growing throughout the state of Florida. Its fruits have been traditionally used for their aphrodisiac properties and it is commonly used nowadays to support hair growth and prostate health.11* Saw palmetto fruits abound in vitamins, free fatty acids, beta sitosterol, flavonoids, and terpenes.12 In a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study, middle-aged men complaining of urinary symptoms taking 320 mg/d of a standardized palmetto extract observed a significant reduction of their symptoms after four months of supplementation.13*
Tribulus terrestris is a plant native to the Mediterranean region. Its fruits have been used traditionally as an aphrodisiac. The major constituents of its fruits are steroidal saponins including gitonin, protodioscin, as well as tribulusamides, kaempferol, quercetin and rutin.14 In a clinical study, middle-aged men complaining of low libido taking 750 mg/d of a Tribulus plant extract for 3 months observed a significant amelioration of sexual performance vs. baseline, as well as a correlation between sexual performance improvement and total testosterone and free testosterone levels in the blood.15*
Zinc is an essential mineral with multiple functions in the body, it serves a catalytic role in enzymes interacting with more than 300 known zinc metalloenzymes. The human genome encodes over 2800–3000 zinc proteins, representing approximately 10% of the human proteome. Zinc has also an important role in maintain many protein structure and function involved in a multitude of cellular functions including for normal cell division, maintenance of oxidative balance, modulation of immune response.16* For men, zinc is especially important for maintaining normal semen production and prostate health, as the prostate has a very high concentration of this micronutrient.17-19*
Protocol For Life Balance®, a brand of affordable premium dietary supplements, offers a wide range of dietary supplements specifically targeting men’s health, including Prostate-B a multi-nutrient botanical blend including zinc, saw palmetto, pumpkin seed oil, lycopene and many more ingredients specifically targeting prostate health.* Virility for Men and Raw Maca are two dietary supplements supporting healthy reproductive and sexual function.* Protocol For Life Balance® also carries a multivitamin enhanced with saw palmetto, lycopene, phytosterols, and other nutrients to better fit the nutritional needs of men. Consulting a healthcare professional for a customized health supporting supplementation regimen is recommended.*
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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