I take magnesium in the morning, omega-3 in the afternoon and melatonin at night: 75% of the population consumes supplements because they believe that this way they will age well

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 with vegetables and fruits, legumes, fish, meat, and nuts, you do not need any of them. "We know that 75% of the country's population has taken at least one during the last year," states 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 nutrition, driven 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 world population, 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 to say, 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 lacking. "We know that doctors who know how to cook and cook at home recommend the foods that patients should eat better," says Alba Coll, who adds that only a very small percentage of the population takes supplementation because a doctor has told them to. It is also true that supplements are within the reach of the population: supermarkets themselves sell them. And all of this has grown exponentially, and scientists say it is beginning 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 dispelled because "the fact that a nutrient is necessary does not mean that a higher dose is more beneficial." And also because simply by eating well, there is no need to take any. There is also another factor, which is that "some supplements are not harmless, but rather there are some that are toxic." 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 take a creatine supplement?

In a healthy diet, without the need to take creatine supplements, there must be protein. "It is now one of the market trends; many products indicate that they have it added," says Coll. And it is good, yes, but the intake we need is one gram per kilo of 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 typologies, such as burn victims or those who have undergone surgery, who then have to 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. You also have to be careful with yogurts or other proteins, to which sugars, colorings, and sweeteners may 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 natural yogurt and then we eat a fuet sandwich, eat meat and an omelet, we will probably have overdone it. "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 in different meals of the day and not all at once. Thus, with food, especially fresh food, we already ingest protein, and we will build the desired muscle mass 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, good cardiovascular, ocular, and also brain health, because it is related to the prevention of dementia. Since our body does not produce it, we need to ingest it through food, especially oily fish, which is a very important source of it. 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 where fish consumption has dropped, and this fact could explain why people resort to supplements, which is a fat and that, taken in excess, becomes toxic to the body," says researcher Alba Coll, who distinguishes between vegetable supplements and water-soluble ones. The latter, the water-soluble ones, dissolve and are eliminated through urine, therefore, "they are not as dangerous," but vegetable supplements are fatty. Thus, if we opt for supplements, it is necessary to 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, that would be enough.

Why is it not necessary to take a protein 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 amounts. For the 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 turns to the supplement, together with the elderly population, which needs a greater intake of it to not lose muscle mass and for good brain health. However, science says that there is not enough evidence to claim 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 benefit.

Why is it not necessary to take a magnesium supplement?

Surely you have heard of it, and if you don't take it yourselves, you know someone who does. It is a key mineral for our organism because it participates in more than five hundred reactions: it produces energy, contracts muscle fibers, 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 which ones? With legumes, nuts, whole grains, cocoa, green leafy vegetables (spinach, chard, cabbage, lettuce), dairy products. "In general, magnesium deficiency is not common, but if we feed ourselves on ultra-processed products, then that is when there could be one," 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 as it comes from nature, there is no need to resort to any magnesium supplement and we will have a supply 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 due to the pace of life, we keep cutting it back, to the point that 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 healthy aging.