A-Z Supplements for Getting Older

Berries. 
Acai berry, goji berry, blackcurrants, sea buckthorn berries. All berries, especially purple ones, are high in antioxidants. Antioxidants are plant compounds that fight 'free radicals', the name given to compounds that bond to oxygen, depriving your body of it. Antioxidants help you to keep young and healthy and are vital in protecting you against cancer formation and other serious illnesses.

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) 
Cinnamon helps to balance blood sugar and protect against diabetes ( Ranasinghe et al, 2012). If your blood sugar is on the high side it must be corrected otherwise you might develop diabetes. Cinnamon capsules can help to keep your blood sugar levels at healthy levels.

Lycopene
Lycopene may support the blood vessel function in cardiovascular patients. A new UK study suggests that supplementation with lycopene may significantly improve the widening of the blood vessels in patients with cardiovascular disease. Link to article.

Omega Oils. 
Cod liver oil, krill oil or a vegetarian essential fatty acid (EFA) oil (such as hemp seed oil, evening primrose oil or borage seed oil). Essential fatty acids are beneficial for the brain, the joints and your skin. 

Red rice yeast (Monascus purpureus)
Red rice yeast is a food supplement made of a red coloured yeast grown on rice, that is used extensively in Chinese cooking to make such classics as Peking Duck and Char Siu. It contains natural compounds called monacolins. The statin drug lovastatin is extracted from monacolin K. The difficulty with statin drugs is that they cause horrible side effects in many people. Red rice yeast does not cause the same side effects but is still efficacious in lowering cholesterol (Feuerstein & Bjerke, 2012). If you do have a test which shows high cholesterol levels but your GP or Medical Herbalist does not believe you are in immediate danger, it is worth taking red rice yeast capsules daily and asking to be retested every month for three months to see if your body corrects itself. Avoiding statin drugs and their well known side effects by improving your diet with this supplement will help to preserve your overall health for longer. Find out more about red rice yeast.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa)
Curcumin found in turmeric reduces muscle soreness. A study of a proprietary curcumin extract can ease post-exercise muscle soreness caused by oxidative stress and inflammation, an Italian study has found. Link to study.