3 supplements that a doctor takes for strength and to help him recover from illness

• Dr. Zalan Alam, a primary care physician, takes supplements every day.

• He takes supplements including zinc and lion’s mane.

• Alam said choosing which supplements to take is “all about personalization.”

Supplements are hot right now, with celebrities from Venus Williams and LeBron James to Arnold Schwarzenegger launching products in the global supplement market that is estimated to be 177.50 billion dollars by 2023.

This is despite the fact that many nutritionists recommend that we get our nutrients from healthy foods, with some supplements believing that they are a waste of money.

Dr. Zalan Alam, a family doctor in the UK, who specializes in improving the quality of life of older people, told Business Insider that research on supplements can be contradictory and confusing, making it difficult to decide to take supplements.

“It’s all about personalization,” he said. “It depends on your natural age and what you want to lead.”

She recommends talking to a doctor about your health issues and priorities, and making sure supplements don’t interfere with your medications.

Alam takes three supplements to address his health priorities, which he shared with BI.

Mushroom coffee

Alam drinks coffee with lion’s mane mushrooms every morning. Lion’s mane is an adaptogen, a plant substance that research shows can help balance chemical reactions in the body and reduce stress, according to the Cleveland Clinic. However, research is still very limited.

Alam started taking the lion’s mane to help him reduce the coffee. Although coffee has health benefits, he was aware of the dangers of caffeine and wanted to avoid heart palpitations and increased blood pressure that can result from excessive consumption.

Since she started having the tea/coffee mix, she drinks very few cups each day, she has noticed that her energy is low, and she feels weak throughout the day, she said.

Whether this is down to the lion’s mane is not clear – there is not much research on the effect of the mushroom on energy levels or lethargy. However, a 2024 review of studies published in the journal Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews found that lion’s mane and other mushrooms can reduce anxiety, improve mood, and improve cognitive function. The researchers noted that more research needs to be done to confirm these findings.

Zinc

Alam takes zinc in the hope that it will make him less sick when he is attacked by viruses from patients.

“Zinc doesn’t prevent you from getting the virus, but it does reduce how bad the virus or infection is when you get it. So it can reduce the length of time you feel unwell, or it can -be there. reduce the delay in your recovery,” he said.

A 2022 review of studies published in the journal Nutrients found zinc appears to shorten the duration of a cold and reduce symptoms, but more research is needed.

Most people in the U.S. get enough zinc from their diet, according to the Food and Drug Administration, but Alam thinks that taking zinc supplements is “worth a try” because most of the zinc dosages come from stores. “they will not cause any.” danger.”

However, it is important to note that taking too much zinc (more than 40 milligrams per day for adults) can cause nausea, dizziness, headache, vomiting and loss of appetite, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements.

Vitamin D

From September to whenever the weather improves in the spring, Alam also supplements his diet with vitamin D, which is necessary for bone health, calcium absorption in the intestines, reduce inflammation, and immune function, according to the US Office of Dietary Supplements.

“Research says if you tested everyone in the UK at the end of the long winter, maybe 40% of us would be deficient in vitamin D. Especially with our lifestyles these days while we are in the house,” he said. In the US, about 35% of adults are vitamin D deficient, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Guidelines on supplementation vary around the world. For example, the UK government advises people to consider taking vitamin D in autumn and winter, while the Endocrine Society does not recommend vitamin D supplementation for healthy adults aged 19 to 74. because the research does not suggest a clear effective number. for disease prevention.

It’s up to the individual to decide whether to take vitamin D supplements, but, like zinc, it’s unlikely to cause harm when taken in safe amounts, Alam said.

Read the original article on Business Insider