Supplements You Need Now

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By Melanie Haiken

Not so long ago, most of us rarely wondered whether or not to take nutritional supplements. Maybe you’d take a multivitamin when you were too busy to eat right, or pop some vitamin C if you felt a cold coming on. But there just weren’t all that many supplements to choose from. And—health nuts aside—most of us doubted the effectiveness of nutrients delivered in pill form. Besides, taking pills detracted from the real message outlined by nutritionists, which was to eat a well-balanced diet.

These days, as studies continue to confirm the crucial role nutrition plays in health, supplements have taken on a more significant role. In fact, many experts now view them as a necessary, even superior, way to get certain nutrients. “There are just too many vitamins and minerals we don’t get enough of otherwise,” says Jeffrey Blumberg, professor of nutrition at Tufts University.

So what are those important nutrients? And when does it make sense to rely on supplements to get them? We asked people who have made a career out of studying supplements to weigh in (see “Meet the Experts,” page 98). Everyone we spoke with agreed that the importance of taking a multivitamin is now pretty much a given; it’s simply the most reliable way to cover basic nutritional needs. But many are now also recommending a daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids, those anti-inflammatory superstars that can help prevent and treat a host of health problems.

Along with those two basics, we’ve also listed supplements our experts consider optional. These are the ones that can help buffer the effects of stress, ease the discomfort of menopause, sharpen memory—in short, they can optimize health and wellness overall.

Given that there’s a pill for just about every ailment, it’s easy to get carried away. To help you narrow the field, our experts looked at nutritional needs by age. Not only do our health concerns change over time—we want to boost fertility in our 30s, say, and libido in our 50s—but we become less efficient at making use of the nutrients we get in food.

What our guide doesn’t do is try to anticipate every medical condition you might develop, and the specific supplements that could help; for that, you’ll need to consult a practitioner. We’re also not saying you have to take supplements to live a healthy life. We’re simply suggesting ways to weather some of the particular challenges of your age, whether you’re fresh out of college or entering retirement.

20‘S

What do we do when we’re in our twenties? We work hard, play hard, and stay out late. And we’re way too busy to stay home with a cold. So immune function is a big concern for folks this age. If you’re burning the candle at both ends, take a multivitamin that contains vitamins B, C, and E, which you may be running short on. And if you’re a man interested in becoming a father, make sure it contains zinc, which can play a critical role in fertility. This is also the time to focus on prevention, like tak...

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