What the industry wants you to take, and what science says is not necessary at all

Saint Fruitós of the BagesSince we want to age well, we have assumed by osmosis that we must take supplements: magnesium in the morning, creatine and vitamin D in the afternoon, and melatonin at night to sleep better. And we take them because we have heard that they are good for aging healthily. Maybe our friends have told us, or we have read it on social media, but what we have forgotten is that if you eat healthily, which means vegetables and fruits, legumes, fish, meat, and nuts, you don't need any of them at all. "We know that 75% of the country's population has taken one during the last year," says the dietitian-nutritionist at the Alícia Foundation, Alba Coll, who gave a lecture at Món Sant Benet, organized by the Catalan Academy of Gastronomy and Nutrition. The figure is significant: 75%. It is clear, then, that supplementation is the latest trend in food, promoted and bombarded by a thousand and one channels that impact the population over fifty years old. And why is all this happening? Because the population aged 60 and over represents 15% of the global population, and therefore, 27% of global spending. The industry knows that this sector of the population represents a silver economy, as it is popularly called. And it will be even more so, because in 2050, the population over 60 will be even more numerous, according to data from the World Economic Forum.

Supplements are designed to be taken when there is a deficit in our diet, but we must know this with certainty, that is, a doctor must have performed tests on us and must have detected it. Before reaching a prescription, the doctor will likely have recommended that we consume foods that provide the nutrients we are missing. "We know that doctors who know how to cook and cook at home recommend better the foods that patients should eat," says Alba Coll, who adds that only a very small percentage of the population takes supplements because a physician has told them to. It is also true that supplements are within the population's reach: even supermarkets sell them. And all of this has grown exponentially, and scientists say it is starting to get out of hand. The thought that must be eliminated is the following: we know that omega-3 is good for health, so I will take it on my own. This idea must be mitigated because "the fact that a nutrient is necessary does not mean that a higher dose is more beneficial." And also because by simply eating well, it is no longer necessary to take any. There is also another factor, which is that "some supplements are not harmless, but rather there are toxic ones." Thus, with all this, there is one certainty: "healthy aging will never depend on a capsule," states the researcher from the Alícia Foundation.

So, what does aging well and healthily depend on? On healthy habits, which means eating healthily at regular times, sleeping a sufficient number of hours, exercising, stimulating our brain, and socializing. "To all this are added variables that can condition following the pattern, such as genetics or socioeconomic status, that is to say that all of this is a puzzle, in which one must act if it is known which piece does not fit," says Coll.

We will explain how we can eat healthily without having to use any supplements.

Why is it not necessary to ingest protein supplements?

In a healthy diet, without the need to take supplements, there must be protein. "It is now one of the market trends; many products indicate they have added protein," says Coll. And it is good, yes, but the intake we need is one gram per kilo of body weight. So if we weigh sixty kilos, we must eat sixty grams a day. "This standard does not include athletes or other people with specific conditions, such as burn victims or those who have undergone surgery, who must ingest more." But if we are part of the standard population, this is the rule. If you weigh seventy kilos, seventy grams a day. Yogurts already contain it naturally, because they come from milk. If we buy those that have had extra protein added, we will be ingesting more. It is also necessary to be careful with yogurts or other proteins, to which sugars, colorings, and sweeteners can be added, and then they become ultra-processed foods masked with an attractive name of a protein-rich product.

Let's continue. If we have eaten a plain yogurt and then we eat a fuet sandwich, eat meat and an omelet, we will probably have gone too far. "We also find protein in nuts, legumes, and whole grains, and it is important to point out that we should not catalog foods only by one nutrient they provide; they are a source of other nutrients at the same time," indicates the researcher, who recommends distributing the protein across different meals of the day and not all at once. Thus, with food, especially fresh food, we already ingest protein, and the desired muscle mass will be built thanks to our diet. Therefore, supplementation will not be necessary.

Why is it not necessary to take an omega-3 supplement?

Omega-3 is an essential fat, linked to intestinal pathologies and good cardiovascular, ocular, and also brain health, because it is related to the prevention of dementias. Since our body does not produce it, we need to ingest it through food, especially oily fish, which is a very important source. A portion of three sardines twice a week provides us with the portion of omega-3 that our body needs. "We are living in a moment when fish consumption has dropped, and this fact could explain why people turn to supplements, which are a fat and which, taken in excess, become toxic to the body," states researcher Alba Coll, who distinguishes between fat-based and water-soluble supplements. The latter, the water-soluble ones, dissolve and are eliminated through urine. Therefore, "they are not as dangerous," but omega-3 supplements are a fat, and their dosage must be controlled. Thus, if we opt for supplements, we must monitor their quality and interactions with the body, because omega-3 can have interactions with medications such as anticoagulants. In conclusion, and to repeat, with two portions of oily fish a week, it would be enough.

Why is it not necessary to take a creatine supplement?

Creatine is a nitrogenous compound, formed by three amino acids, which our diet provides if we eat fish and meat. Our body is also capable of creating it in small quantities. For muscles and for the brain, creatine is good, and especially for athletes, as it can help them with physical performance. Since fish and meat provide it, the vegetarian population is the one that resorts to the supplement, along with the elderly population, which needs a greater intake of it to avoid losing muscle mass and for good brain health. However, science says that there is not enough evidence to state that taking it as a supplement is good in the long term. So the supplement has been spread and sold before any scientific study has confirmed any long-term benefit.

Why is it not necessary to take a magnesium supplement?

Surely you have heard of it, and if you do not take it yourself, you know someone who does. It is a crucial mineral for our organism because it participates in more than five hundred reactions: it produces energy, contracts muscle fibers, and facilitates muscle contraction. That is to say, it is linked to skeletal health. The average we need per day is three hundred milligrams. Women more than men: three hundred and fifty milligrams. And the good news is that we cover it perfectly with food. With what? With legumes, nuts, whole grains, cocoa, green leafy vegetables (spinach, chard, cabbage, lettuce), and dairy products. "In general, magnesium deficiency is not common, but if we feed ourselves on ultra-processed products, then that is when it could happen," he states. It is not the same to eat a plate of legumes with some chard as a pre-made pizza. If we eat food just as it comes from nature, there is no need to resort to any magnesium supplement and we will have an intake of many vitamins, "so with a magnesium supplement we would also be ingesting an excess of vitamins".

Why is it not necessary to take a melatonin supplement?

Sleeping and resting is essential for the body, but because of the pace of life, we keep cutting it back, to the point where it is not healthy. What should be a daily repair process becomes a nightmare, and that is why we believe that a melatonin supplement will solve it. In fact, "melatonin capsules are among the best-selling supplements," explains Coll. And in this case, diet is also linked to it. Both the regularity of meals and their composition (containing vitamins and minerals), not just dinner, will affect our ability to produce melatonin, which is the sunshine hormone. Stress, tobacco, alcohol, caffeine, and long exposure to screens are factors that disrupt sleep. "For healthy aging and the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases, the recommendation is to sleep seven hours a day on average," he concludes. Eating well helps you sleep better. And sleeping well and eating well are the recipe for aging healthily.