No, I don’t want a Schwarzenegger body.  At age 67, I just want to stick around a while yet… 

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I recently flew back from Newark to the ATL.*

The Southwest Airlines in-flight magazine had a full-page ad for M-drive.   The ad was for a “daily supplement designed specifically for men.”  Since I just turned 67, it piqued my interest.  (For reasons including some noted in Part II.  Like I said, I want to stick around awhile.  And maybe run into a cute “young” 60-year-old, like the one shown at left.)

As It turned out, M-drive wasn’t my cup of tea.  But the ad did get me thinking.  (Supplements and such.)

So I did some Googling and came up with this:  The Top 10 Supplements for Men – menshealth.com.

A side note:  I was already taking a multivitamin and Glucosamine Chondroitin, both via “gummies.”  (Despite my dentist’s warning that “gummy vitamins” – like Halloween Candy – can “pull your fillings out and crack your crowns.”  But I’m careful, and essentially “gum the gummies.”)

 Also Vitamin D3, on doctor’s orders.  (Which is ironic since I am and have been in the sun a lot.)

So here’s what Menshealth said, and what I’ve gotten  “extra,” and how much it all costs.

1.  BORON TO PROTECT YOUR PROSTATE

This note got me really thinking, since my brother and father both got prostate cancer.

The site said men with high boron levels are “65 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer than men with lower levels.”  It added that American men on average have one of the lowest boron intakes in the world.  The site recommended 3 milligrams (mg) a day, and added that it “doesn’t just fight cancer:  USDA researchers found that this is the best dosage to improve memory and concentration.”  (Which I could definitely use.)

As it turned out, I could get most of my supplements straight out of the local General Nutrition Center.  (This was after trying – without success – to buy them at some local “hypermarkets, discount department stores, and grocery stores.”  It seems they cater more to the trendy – if not gullible.)

However, the local GNC didn’t have Boron on hand, so I had to special order it.  Online, it cost $6.41, including shipping, for a bottle of 100.  That worked out to under seven cents a day.

2.  CALCIUM TO LOSE WEIGHT AND STRENGTHEN BONES

Menshealth said most men don’t get the recommended 1,000 mg of calcium a day.  (And that a cup of milk only has 300 mg.)  It added that men with the highest calcium intakes weigh less on average than men consuming less calcium.

How much?  The site said to aim for 1,200 mg calcium citrate; “half in the morning, half at night, to maximize absorption.”  It also said to avoid coral calcium, because of impurities.  But here I made a misstep.  The first “calcium” I got was calcium phosphate, at the local hypermarket.  But it turns out calcium phosphate increases the danger kidney stones.  (As seen at right.)

So I ended up getting calcium citrate “soft chews” from the same local GNC, at $30 for 60 “chews,” each 500 mg.  But I ended up opting to take only one of these day.  For one thing, I don’t want to risk one of those dang kidney stones.  For another I get some calcium – of the right kind – from my morning cheese and multivitamin, and other sources as well.  Plus of course it’s cheaper taking one.  That ends up costing 50 cents a day, and I still increase my calcium substantially.

Number 3 on the list – Chromium – is covered adequately by my multivitamin.

4.  COENZYME Q10 TO BOOST ENERGY

Here I found a real bargain, as noted below.

But first, Menshealth said your body naturally produces Coenzyme Q10, which helps cells manage your body’s energy supply.  However, “as you get older, production decreases,” and the only way to “get back up to youthful levels is by taking a supplement.”

Recent studies suggest that coenzyme Q10 may fight cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease, and may thin the blood to help prevent heart disease.  Q10 is also packed with free-radical-fighting antioxidants, which can slow the signs of aging.

How much?  Menshealth said researchers recommend 100 mg a day, but you “won’t find Q10 in a multivitamin or get any useful quantity from food.”  And that’s where I lucked out.

It turns out this supplement is covered by GNC’s Triple Strength Fish Oil Plus CoQ-10.  (“Two for the price of one.”)  This “fish oil plus supplement” cost $52.50 for 120 softgels.  But that rounds out to 44 cents a day for a three month supply of both CoQ-10 and Omega-3s.

5.  CREATINE TO BOOST MUSCLE AND MEMORY

As  Wikipedia noted, Creatine “can increase maximum power and performance in high-intensity anaerobic repetitive work (periods of work and rest) by 5 to 15%.”  But I put the kibosh on this one.  After visiting both Walmart and the GNC, this one looked like too much trouble.  (What with having to mix it with whey, and thus being a bit too “body-builderish.”) 

The verdict:  “NOT interested.”  Getting older, I’ve moved to low-weight high repetition strength training, since a big benefit of “using light weights is the diminished risk of injury.”  Which I came to appreciate recently.  I “tweaked” my right shoulder lifting a bag of garbage I’d always handled easily before.  It took a month of rehabilitation and a couple of sleepless nights to work through that one.  And I came to appreciate not being able to raise your right arm.

So as they say, “Discretion is the better part of valor.”  As they also say, “To be continued…”

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The upper image is courtesy of Bodybuilding – Wikipedia.  Caption, “Arnold Schwarzenegger, one of the most notable figures in bodybuilding, in 1974.”  See also Arnold Schwarzenegger – Wikipedia.

The “hypermarkets, discount department stores, and grocery stores” is from Walmart – Wikipedia.

I borrowed the Christie Brinkley image from On RABBIT – and “60 is the new 30” – (Part II).

Re: Whey. See Why You Should Take Whey Protein, Creatine, And Glutamine.  (“Bodybuilding.com.”)

In the original (2018) post, a lower image was courtesy of Creatine Body – Image Results. (Re: the sentence “not interested” in that supplement.) For this update, the lower image is courtesy of Discretion Is The Better Part Valor – Image Results. Answer? “Henry IV, Part 1 Act 5, Scene 4,” from Discretion is the better part of valor (bardwords.org), and What is the meaning of Falstaff’s motto, summarized, “the phrase ‘the better part of valor is discretion’ means that the best sort of courage – the kind that constitutes true bravery instead of recklessness – is courage that is guided by wisdom (discretion). Bravery applied blindly without caution and wisdom is meaningless.”

Like I said, I don’t want a Schwarzenegger body.  At 67, I just want to stick around a while… 

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We left Part I at the point where I chose not to take the supplement Creatine.  That’s  Number 5 on the Menshealth Top 10 List of Supplements for Men.  (“I put the kibosh on this one.”) 

It was “too body-builderish,” and I’m no longer interested in “high-intensity anaerobic repetitive work.”  And because – in light of a recent shoulder injury – “Discretion is the better part of valor.”  So, moving to Number 6 on the Menshealth list:

6.  FOLIC ACID TO CUT ALZHEIMER’S RISK

Menshealth said Folic Acid helps prevent clogged arteries and improves blood flow to the brain.  It also helps keep down Homocysteine, an amino acid that increases your risk of blood clots.  Then too, “Researchers in Sweden found that Alzheimer’s patients are more likely to have folic acid deficiencies.”  So how much?  The site recommends 500 mcg a day, “which could help lower homocysteine levels by 18 percent or more.”  At GNC, I got 100 tablets (400 mcg) for $3.99.  That works out to 4 cents a day for a three month supply.

7.  GLUCOSAMINE TO “GREASE YOUR JOINTS”

As noted, I started taking Glucosamine Chondroitin “soft chews” some time ago.  Anecdotally, it made a difference – to me – when I stopped taking them for awhile.  (Like on the Camino trip.)  The manufacturer said to take three a day, but I’ve been taking two.  The cost?  $11.48 for 50, a 25 week supply, about 45 cents a week.  Here’s what Menshealth said:

You don’t have the same amount of cartilage in your joints that you had at 19.  To reverse the damage and actually rebuild cartilage, take glucosamine, made from the shells of crabs and lobsters.  How much?  1,500 mg a day.  Brands that combine glucosamine with chondroitin are fine.  [As noted, I take two instead of three, and so get 1,000 mg a day.]

8.  OMEGA-3s TO PROTECT YOUR HEART

As noted, this one got covered by the Triple Strength Fish Oil Plus CoQ-10.  44 cents a day for a three month supply of both CoQ-10 and Omega-3s, which has already been calculated in.

Omega-3 fatty acids keep blood pressure and triglyceride levels low and the heart beating regularly.  They make blood slicker, reducing the risk of clots and blocked arteries.  Studies show that men with the highest omega-3 levels have the lowest risk of dying of heart disease.  How much?  For healthy guys, 1,000 mg a day.  Those with heart problems may need 2,000 to 4,000 mg.  But too much can increase your risk of catching a cold.

Another tip from Menshealth:  “Take Omega-3s with meals so you don’t burp up a fish scent.”

9.  SELENIUM TO FIGHT OFF CANCER

Menshealth said “No other single nutrient appears to prevent cancer more effectively than Selenium…  It basically forces cancer cells to self-destruct.”  Studies link increased selenium intake with a “decreased risk of cancers of the prostate, colon, and lungs.”

How much?  The site said 200 mcg a day, and “more when you’re sick.”  And here’s the good news:  “Nature’s selenium supplement is the Brazil Nut, which measures 100 mcg per nut.”  So you get your daily dose by eating two Brazil nuts.  I bought a 9.5 ounce container at the local Fresh Market for $12.95 on July 15.  I’ll update this post when they’re gone – at the rate of two or three a day – but based on what I’ve used so far, it’ll be awhile.  [It worked out to 19 cents a day, as detailed in the footnotes.*]

 10.  VITAMIN E  TO SLOW THE EFFECTS OF AGING

Last but not least, Menshealth said Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant and “may help reduce the risk of certain eye diseases, heart disease, cancer, even Alzheimer’s disease.”  And some studies show that Vitamin E “also reduces muscle damage after exercise.”  The Beyond the Hype link said most tests on the health benefits of antioxidants have been inconclusive.  However:

At the same time, abundant evidence suggests that eating whole fruits, vegetables, and whole grains – all rich in networks of antioxidants and their helper molecules – provides protection against many of these scourges of aging.

And by the way, I’ve also been eating a lot more whole fruits and vegetables.  (“Whole grains,” not so much.  Though I do eat my fair share of corn, wheat germ, and flaxseed.)

How much?  Menshealth said up to 400 international units (IU) a day, “since most people get just a fraction of that from their diets.  You can also increase your intake by eating more nuts and oils.”  I got a bottle of 100 for $5.99 at GNC.  That’s 6 cents a day for a three month supply.

So the total verifiable cost of these add-on supplements is $1.30 a day.  That doesn’t count the Glucosamine Chondroitin I was already taking, so if you add that extra 45 cents, the cost goes to $1.56 a day. So why bother with all these supplements?  Simply put, I want to live long enough – and if only metaphorically – to “dance on my enemy’s grave.” As to which enemy:

“Let the reader understand!”

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Nymphets “dancing on an enemy’s grave,” if only metaphorically…

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The upper image is courtesy of Bodybuilding – Wikipedia.  Caption, “Arnold Schwarzenegger, one of the most notable figures in bodybuilding, in 1974.”  See also Arnold Schwarzenegger – Wikipedia.

The “valor” image is courtesy of Discretion … Better Part Valor – Image Results.  The cited blog credits the idiom to “KHIV part 1 act 5, sc. 4,” and more accurately: “The better part of valour is discretion; in the which better part I have saved my life.”  The blogger said the saying was a “masterpiece of what today would be called ‘political correctness.”  See also Better part of valor is discretion – eNotes.

Re:  Sources of whole grains.  See e.g. The 11 Healthiest Whole Grains You Should Be Eating, and/or What are sources of whole grains? | Health Value Of Foods.

Re:  “Let the reader understand.”  The allusion is to Mark 13:14:  “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong – let the reader understand – then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”  See also Matthew 24:15.

Re:  The daily cost of two Brazil nuts a day.  For the record, I had my last two Brazil nuts from the $12.95 batch on September 7, 2018.  I took the supplement from July 15 to August 17, for a total of 63 days, but didn’t take it while on the Rideau Canal, from the 18th to August 30, when I left for home.  I then took it from August 31 to September 7, eight more days, or 71 total.  Thus the cost of this “Brazil nut” supplement rounds up to about 19 cents a day.     

The lower image is courtesy of Dancing Enemy Grave – Image Results. I originally used a photo showing “General Patton micturating at the Rhine River.” But after review I decided that was “untoward,” so I substituted the “dancing enemy grave image.” For those interested in this less-than-subtle metaphor, see George Patton at the Rhine River: Yes, Hillary, Peeing On The Enemy IS An American Tradition. (Or you could Google the phrase “american pissing on enemy.”)