Top 11 Supplements For Women’s Healthy Aging
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Dr. Shereene Idris explains her top picks:
Idris’ Eleven
How many of these do you take?
- Vitamin D3 and K2 support bone, mood, and DNA protection by improving calcium absorption, strengthening bones, boosting immunity and serotonin balance, and helping keep telomeres longer for better cellular longevity; vitamin K2 directs calcium into bones and teeth instead of arteries (aim for 1,000–2,000 IU of D3 with 180 µg of K2 daily)
- Omega-3s reduce inflammation and support brain, heart, and skin health by keeping cell membranes hydrated, lowering triglycerides, stabilizing mood, and reducing brain fog; they also keep skin healthy and slow down inflammatory aging (take about 1,000 mg of combined EPA and DHA with meals)
- Magnesium promotes sleep and calm by supporting over 300 reactions related to muscle relaxation, melatonin, and GABA production; it helps lower cortisol, relieves cramps, and aids recovery (use 200–400 mg daily, choosing glycinate for maintenance or citrate against constipation)
- Probiotics and prebiotics improve gut, hormone, and immune balance by restoring good bacteria, enhancing digestion and nutrient absorption, regulating estrogen, and reducing bloating and inflammation (take 10–20 billion CFUs of mixed strains daily)
- A general multivitamin-and-minerals supplement fills dietary gaps and supports energy by providing essential micronutrients like zinc, iodine, selenium, and folate; it helps counter nutrient depletion from stress and protects cells from oxidative aging (take one daily with food)
- Iron restores vitality and oxygen delivery by supporting hemoglobin and energy for muscles, brain, and hair growth; it’s especially important for women with heavy periods or fatigue (take about 18 mg daily, or 50–100 mg under medical guidance, with vitamin C and without coffee, dairy, or calcium)
- Coenzyme Q10 fuels mitochondria and heart health by boosting ATP production and acting as a protective antioxidant; it’s key for people on statins and supports longevity through mitochondrial resilience (take 100–200 mg daily with food)
- Adaptogens (e.g. ashwagandha and rhodiola) balance stress hormones and energy by regulating cortisol, supporting thyroid and adrenal health, and reducing anxiety, mood swings, and hot flashes; they also protect telomeres and lower inflammation (use 600 mg ashwagandha or 200–400 mg rhodiola daily)
- Evening primrose oil (GLA) supports hormones and skin hydration by supplying gamma-linolenic acid, which eases PMS, improves elasticity, and maintains moisture during perimenopause (take 500–1,000 mg daily)
- Curcumin and resveratrol fight inflammation and promote longevity by activating antioxidant and longevity pathways that reduce joint stiffness, protect neurons, and slow inflammatory aging (take 500–1,000 mg curcumin (with black pepper) and 100–250 mg resveratrol daily)
- Creatine maintains muscle, strength, and brain function by recycling ATP in muscles and neurons, preserving lean mass, mental clarity, and recovery—especially during perimenopause (take 3–5 g daily mixed into a glass of water)
Yes, some of those are bundled so it could be called more than 11, but that’s how she counted them, so we’ll keep her count here 🙂
For more on all of this, enjoy:
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Want to learn more?
You might also like:
12 Most Powerful Supplements and Foods to Increase Energy & Slow Down Aging
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Live Forever? – by Dr. John Tregoning
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The author, a research scientist, investigates our mortality, and what can (and can’t) be done about it.
His conclusions are mostly grim and fatalistic (have a good diet and exercise, don’t drink or smoke, get your vaccines, and anything else is merely changing what you’ll die of), but the real value of the book lies in how he gets there.
Dr. Tregoning is an immunologist, and as such he places the greatest stock in epidemiological studies, which can and if reasonable should be followed up with randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Why the “if reasonable”, you ask?
He gives the example of a study that was undertaken precisely to illustrate this: volunteers were sought for a RCT to test the efficacy of using a parachute vs using a placebo backpack. However, given that the intervention group (parachute) is a well-established lifesaver, and the control group (placebo backpack) means a wildly unethical risk of letting half the study population die, this study being performed as an RCT is of course absurd.
The reader who understands how that is a problem, will understand how asking for RCTs for many kinds of “…or the patient will suffer horribly and/or die” medical interventions is also the same problem.
That illustrative parachute study was conducted, by the way; however for safety reasons (acknowledged in the “limitations” section of the paper) they used a stationary aircraft on the ground, and concluded “the results may be cautiously extrapolated to high-altitude use” (highlighting another problem—that experimental conditions often cannot usefully replicate real-world conditions).
The point here, and indeed the main thesis of the book, is: examine the evidence for yourself and do not just trust headlines, including:
- when there headlines say there is evidence (does the evidence really say what the headlines are saying?)
- when the headlines are saying there is not enough evidence (are they asking for placebo-controlled trials for something that cannot be ethically placebo-controlled—like vaccines, HRT, cancer drugs, or surgeries, all of which are better suited to intervention studies without a control group?)
The style is—for all the grim fatalism we mentioned—entertaining and personable, making this bleak topic an engaging and even enjoyable read. There’s an extensive bibliography, and separately, many per-chapter footnotes.
Bottom line: will this book help you to live longer? If you’re currently on-the-fence about vaccines (in which case, maybe it’ll motivate you to get them as appropriate), then yes, quite possibly. Otherwise, probably not. However, what it will do is two things: 1) entertain you 2) give you a great insight into how to understand science itself, so as to not be at the mercy of headlines. For those reasons, we recommend this book.
Click here to check out “Live Forever?”, and understand the science behind the headlines!
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Applesauce vs Cranberry Sauce – Which is Healthier?
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Our Verdict
When comparing applesauce to cranberry sauce, we picked the applesauce.
Why?
It mostly comes down to the fact that apples are sweeter than cranberries:
In terms of macros, they are both equal on fiber (both languishing at a paltry 1.1g/100g), and/but cranberry sauce has 4x the carbs, of which, more than 3x the sugar. Simply, cranberry sauce recipes invariably have a lot of added sugar, while applesauce recipes don’t need that. So this is a huge relative win for applesauce (we say “relative” because it’s still not great, but cranberry sauce is far worse).
In the category of vitamins, applesauce has more of vitamins B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, and C, while cranberry sauce has more of vitamins E, K, and choline. A more moderate win for applesauce this time.
When it comes to minerals, applesauce has more calcium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium, while cranberry sauce has more iron, manganese, and selenium. Another moderate win for applesauce.
Since we’ve discussed relative amounts rather than actual quantities, it’s worth noting that neither sauce is a good source of vitamins or minerals, and neither are close to just eating the actual fruits. Just, cranberry sauce is the relatively more barren of the two.
While cranberries famously have some UTI-fighting properties, you cannot usefully gain this benefit from a sauce that (with its very high sugar content and minimal fiber) actively feeds the very C. albicans you are likely trying to kill.
All in all, a pitiful show of nutritional inadequacy from these two products today, but one is relatively less bad than the other, and that’s the applesauce.
Want to learn more?
You might like to read:
From Apples to Bees, and High-Fructose Cs: Which Sugars Are Healthier, And Which Are Just The Same?
Enjoy!
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Aloe Vera vs Alzheimer’s Disease?
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Regular 10almonds readers are probably already fairly on top of Alzheimer’s preventative measures, such as:
Alzheimer’s Causative Factors To Avoid
…but here’s a new development:
All about acetylcholine (and its friends)
Researchers (Dr. Meriem Khedraoui et al.) have investigated bioactive compounds from aloe vera as potential treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, using advanced computer modeling techniques.
Specifically, Dr. Khedraoui and her team focused on how the aloe vera compounds affected acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase, two enzymes that break down acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter already reduced in Alzheimer’s and closely linked to memory loss and cognitive decline.
Managing neurotransmitters has often been an angle of research when it comes to brain health, and we’ve written about that before with other neurotransmitters.
For example, with regard to dopamine, there’s a study that found:
- Increasing dopamine activity increased neprilysin levels.
- Higher neprilysin reduced amyloid-β levels.
- Reduced amyloid burden was associated with better memory performance
You can read about that, here: An Accessible New Development Against Alzheimer’s
And when it comes to norephinephrine, there was a study that concluded “β2AR manipulations can alter disease pathology”, which is a great example of how carefully scientists say things, but the series of declarations adds up to the same; we’ll quote some points directly from the paper’s abstract:
- NE inhibits surveillance activity of microglia, the brain’s resident immune cells, via their β2 adrenergic receptors (β2ARs)
- Microglial β2AR signaling is an important modulator of amyloid pathology.
- Endogenous β2AR signaling degenerates as a function of amyloid pathology and aging.
- In AD, microglia downregulate β2AR expression early and progressively.
- β2AR manipulations can alter disease pathology.
- Importantly, dampening microglial β2AR signaling worsened plaque load and the associated neuritic damage, while stimulating microglial β2AR signaling attenuated amyloid pathology.
- Our results suggest that microglial β2AR could be explored as a potential therapeutic target to modify AD pathology.
Translating from sciencese (if you’ll pardon that we’ll still use some big words, but only ones we explain in the below-linked article):
Norepinephrine activates certain receptors in microglia, and those receptors tell the microglia to “keep calm & carry on”. In the case of Alzheimer’s disease, those receptors stop working correctly, leading to increased neuroinflammation. Thus, stimulating those receptors with norepinephrine reduces neuroinflammation, allowing the microglia to calmly carry on with their actual job of getting rid of the amyloid that leads to Alzheimer’s disease.
You read more about that, here: Norepinephrine vs Alzheimer’s Disease
So, what about acetylcholine?
Acetylcholine is the main neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic nervous system, and is also heavily involved in cognitive functions including memory and creative thinking.
In this study we’re sharing today, they found that the compounds from aloe vera demonstrated strong binding affinities of −8.6 kcal/mol with acetylcholinesterase and −8.7 kcal/mol with butyrylcholinesterase.
This is relevant, because if you take an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, it will inhibit acetylcholinesterase, meaning you will have more acetylcholine to work with. That’s good (for most people most of the time).
You can find the paper itself, here: In silico exploration of Aloe vera leaf compounds as dual AChE and BChE inhibitors for Alzheimer’s disease therapy
So, should you stock up on aloe vera and get juicing?
Probably not just yet, though don’t let us stop you. It’s just, this research is new and needs more testing to be sure of its conclusions, which will doubtlessly be done in non-human animals and then in humans.
In the meantime, here are two ways of improving your choline and/or acetylcholine levels:
Huperzine A: A Natural Nootropic ← it’s an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor
…and:
Citicoline: Better Than Dietary Choline?
Want to learn more?
Here’s a great starting point:
How To Reduce Your Alzheimer’s Risk
Take care!
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What Doctors Feel – by Dr. Danielle Ofri
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This book discusses how feelings such as shame, fear, anger, empathy, and even love influence patient care. Dr. Ofri notes early on:
❝One might reasonably say, I don’t give a damn how my doctor feels as long as she gets me better. In straightforward medical cases, this line of thinking is probably valid. Doctors who are angry, nervous, jealous, burned out, terrified, or ashamed can usually still treat bronchitis or ankle sprains competently.
The problems arise when clinical situations are convoluted, unyielding, or overlaid with unexpected complications, medical errors, or psychological components. This is where factors other than clinical competency come into play.❞
~ Dr. Danielle Ofri
What then follows is very much a no-holds-barred account of the emotional side of medicine.
Not portraying doctors as heroes or martyrs, just as people. Indeed, she even talks about an early, abject failure of hers as a medical student, literally hiding from a patient who badly needed attention and to whom she had been assigned.
We learn not just about the mistakes of doctors, but also the mistakes of patients that lead to mistakes by doctors. For example, emphasizing the severity of your symptom(s) can sometimes be useful to ensure they get attention, but if your regular doctor has heard you rating every symptom always as a 10 every appointment for the past many years, then the end result is that they don’t have information to work from, and will—at best—become frustrated, which will not work out well for you.
Mostly, though, it’s about what goes on behind that calm collected professional exterior that most doctors show most of the time.
The style is a fascinating blend of well-researched science (there’s an extensive bibliography) and very human tales of suffering, compassion, hope, loss, isolation, connection, and more.
Bottom line: if you want to understand your doctor(s), then you want to read this book.
Click here to check out What Doctors Feel, and learn how emotions affect the practice of medicine!
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Plum vs Raspberries – Which is Healthier?
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Our Verdict
When comparing plums to raspberries, we picked the raspberries.
Why?
Both are great! But…
In terms of macros, raspberries have more than 4x the fiber for the same carbs and protein, winning this first round easily.
In the category of vitamins, plums have more vitamin A (whence the color of the flesh), while raspberries have more of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, C, E, and K, sweeping this round just as easily as the first.
Looking at minerals next, plums have a tiny bit more potassium, while raspberries have more much calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, and zinc, winning their third round in a row.
In other considerations, plums have some specific anticancer properties that we can’t claim for raspberries, and/but raspberries are much higher in polyphenols, so we’ll call this final round a tie.
Adding up the sections makes for a clear overall win for raspberries, but by all means do enjoy either or both, as diversity is best!
Want to learn more?
You might like:
- Top 8 Fruits That Prevent & Kill Cancer ← plums are high on the list here
- 21 Most Beneficial Polyphenols & What Foods Have Them
Enjoy!
Don’t Forget…
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5 Reasons Why You Can’t Squat Deep
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If you’re struggling, these are the likely stumbling blocks and how to get past them:
Drop it like it’s squat
The deep squat (also called resting squat, sitting squat, Slav squat, Asian squat, and more) is a natural resting position that most Western adults lose due to lack of regular use, leading to reduced mobility in associated areas too. And because of how the body works in terms of musculoskeletal system and fascia, “associated areas” ends up being pretty much the whole body.
So, with that in mind, here are the 5 things, and what to do about them:
- Ankle mobility: this becomes a problem when limited ankle dorsiflexion stops your shin from moving forward, causing your heel to lift and your weight to shift forwards
- ankle test: stand about 10cm from a wall, and move your knee forwards while keeping your heel flat; if your knee can touch the wall without your heel lifting, your ankle dorsiflexion is sufficient; if not, then work is needed on it
- ankle fix: do elevated heel raises, by lowering your body from a step and rising onto your toes (and repeat), to build strength and mobility through full range
- Knee flexion: insufficient knee bend beyond 120° stops depth early, usually due to tight quads, joint stiffness, or prior injury
- knee fix: do the “couch stretch” by elevating your back foot, putting your back knee down, squeezing your glutes, and driving your hip forwards, to restore knee and hip mobility
- Hip mobility, general: limited hip flexion or tight adductors prevent your pelvis from dropping between your thighs, often causing lower back rounding or hip compression
- hip fix (CARs): do controlled articular rotations (CARs) by lifting your knee, rotating it out, and moving it through a full circular range, to train active control
- hip fix (sumo squat): hold a weight, take a wide stance with toes turned out, sink deep, and push your knees outwards to build strength and mobility at the end of your range of motion
- Hip external rotation: weak or tight external rotators cause your knees to collapse inwards, and your squat to feel unstable
- stance adjustment: turn your toes outwards until your knees track naturally over your feet, to match your individual hip structure
- external rotation fix: do side-lying banded clamshells, by opening your top knee while keeping your feet together, to strengthen your glutes
- Thoracic mobility: a stiff upper back causes your chest to collapse forwards, even if your lower body mobility is sufficient
- thoracic fix (foam roller): extend your upper back over a foam roller, segment by segment, to improve extension
- thoracic fix (counterbalance squat): hold a light weight in front of your chest while squatting, to keep your center of mass forwards and maintain an upright torso
For more on all of this plus visual demonstrations, enjoy:
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Want to learn more?
You might also like:
Take care!
Don’t Forget…
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Learn to Age Gracefully
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- Ankle mobility: this becomes a problem when limited ankle dorsiflexion stops your shin from moving forward, causing your heel to lift and your weight to shift forwards
