“ Diet , exercise, not smoking, and not drinking alcohol can add 10 years to our lifespan. But it's not enough. Taking supplements gives us a head start. These can help us improve this threshold. In other words, supplements improve our lifespan,” says Vicente Mera, one of the world's leading experts on anti-aging and currently Head of Internal Medicine and Anti-Aging at Sha Wellness Clinic. Considering that, according to studies, the majority of the population has deficiencies in one or more of these micronutrients: calcium, iron, iodine, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, selenium, folic acid, vitamin B12 , vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin D, and vitamin E, it's not so unreasonable to think about the need to take supplements. "Therefore, well-targeted and personalized supplementation should be one of the pillars of a healthy and complete lifestyle," advises Álvaro Campillo, a medical and surgical expert and collaborator at Kobho Labs. The question is how to find the ideal supplement. Because to do so, it must meet several conditions: it must be bioavailable, have synergistic active ingredients and ingredients well protected from gastric juices, and you must know what you should take during the day and what at night. Let's take it step by step:
What is the bioavailability of a supplement?
Most supplements are formulated without considering the bioavailability of their components, and therefore are of little use. "The bioavailability of a nutrient is the percentage of it absorbed in the digestive tract and reaches the interior of the cells to carry out its metabolic effects," explains Álvaro Campillo, an expert in medicine and surgery and collaborator at Kobho Labs. That is, if you take a supplement orally but then it's not absorbed, but is eliminated in the feces, its bioavailability is zero and its effectiveness will be zero. For example: turmeric is an ingredient with very low bioavailability because it is very difficult to absorb. For the body to benefit from its properties, it must be consumed in very high doses.
- Liposomes and phytosomes : How can this be solved? “Technology is allowing, for example, a tuber like turmeric to be converted into an extract (the water is removed to convert it into powder). It is transformed into a powder that is then micronized to finally encapsulate each particle of the powder in a fat (a lipid). This entire process manages to multiply the absorption capacity of turmeric by twenty,” explains Ilona Calparsoro, nutraceutical expert, founder and CEO of Longevitas Labs. To put it simply, laboratories use liposomes and phytosomes (small bubbles inside which the active nutrient travels) to protect the ingredients in formulations from destruction by gastric secretions.
- No unpleasant taste or odor : Another advantage of these liposomes and phytosomes is that they help you avoid unpleasant tastes and odors when taking supplements. "For example, Kobho's Omega-3 has a double enteric coating that increases its bioavailability and prevents fishy reflux," says Dr. Campillo.
- Most bioavailable chemical form : Just as important as the 'vehicle' in which a supplement's active ingredients are transported is the substance's own bioavailability. "For example, most resveratrol sold is cis-resveratrol, which has a very low bioavailability of around 30%. However, liposomal resveratrol and its trans-resveratrol form are the most bioavailable, with an absorption rate of almost 60%. Another good example is alpha-lipoic acid. In its R-alpha-lipoic form, it has more than double the bioavailability of its S-alpha-lipoic acid counterpart, which is what most brands use," says Dr. Álvaro Campillo.
Supplements should incorporate synergistic active ingredients
The synergy between nutrients is essential to enhance their bioavailability and benefits. What does this mean? The active ingredients must be in the formula alongside their counterparts so that you can fully benefit from them. "It's best to use combinations of active ingredients that act in the same way. This way, their effects are enhanced, allowing you to use less than if you used them separately, and achieving the desired health goal," says Ilona Calparsoro. For example, "if magnesium is formulated with vitamin B6, neurological benefits are promoted in addition to muscular benefits. If trans-resveratrol is formulated with quercetin, it increases intestinal absorption and decreases its metabolism rate. If turmeric is formulated with piperine, its absorption increases 10-fold and also has anti-inflammatory and digestive benefits. Omega-3 with vitamin E enhances its antioxidant effects. Biotin, when formulated with other ingredients such as superoxide dismutase, offers antioxidant and neurological benefits at the same time. Melatonin, along with GABA, nucleotides, and L-theanine, promotes neurological effects and reduces stress. And if we combine coenzyme Q10 with astaxanthin (an antioxidant 500 times more potent than vitamin E), we not only achieve that effect but multiply the benefits of both by improving our cardiometabolic system and fatty tissue, preventing telomere shortening, and reducing the risk of diabetes," he explains. Dr. Campillo.
They must be protected from gastric juices
Gastric secretions are very acidic and caustic. " If the supplements we take aren't enclosed in a protective matrix, they won't be of any use to us," warns Dr. Campillo. Liposomal or phytosome forms, as well as gastro-resistant capsules, prevent these harmful effects of gastric juices and ensure that the supplement reaches the small intestine in perfect condition, where it is absorbed to perform its function in the tissues and cells.
What medical tests should be done before taking a supplement?
The ideal would be to have a complete blood test: "which includes, in addition to the basic parameters of kidney, liver, cardiovascular and diabetes function, the main vitamins (C, B1, B6, B9, B12, A, D, E and K) and minerals (magnesium, zinc, iron, calcium, selenium, etc.), as well as homocysteine and inflammation parameters such as C-reactive protein and ferritin. And, in patients with cardiometabolic diseases or risk, in addition to the previous analysis, it would be ideal to include a consultation with a health professional (doctor or nutritionist) and an epigenetic test to more precisely understand the areas of their physiology where we should focus the most (for example, digestive, cardiometabolic, immune, hormonal problems, etc.)" , details Dr. Campillo.
What supplements to take in the morning
Although age, timing, health status, and emotional state should always be taken into account. "As a general rule, in the morning we should take supplements that are involved in protein or cell membrane synthesis, such as collagen , biotin, keratin, curcumin, or omega-3s," explains Álvaro Campillo. Calparsoro also adds "a well-formulated and balanced multivitamin to support the system in the event of a possible nutrient deficiency."
And at night
In this case, according to experts, we should take supplements that help us get a good night's rest, relax the nervous system, or contribute to immune system function, such as melatonin, magnesium , or antioxidants. Ilona Calparsoro of Longevitas Labs also recommends taking ubiquinol at night: "It's a vital nutrient for the mitochondria, as it gives them the fuel they need to function."
However, there are other supplements that we can take interchangeably in the morning and at night. This is the case with probiotics. "In this case, you must take these precautions for proper absorption: take them half an hour before a meal or right at the start of eating, along with some fatty foods, avoiding very hot drinks, and also after lunch or dinner because they are almost completely destroyed," warns the Kobho Labs expert.
Which ones to take to live longer and better?
“Many years ago, I read in a newspaper supplement that an MIT professor took 25 supplements daily and had done a before-and-after study spanning 15 years. According to his study and his biological age, he hadn't aged at all in that time thanks to a healthy lifestyle and the nutritional support of supplements. I myself am 10 years younger than my ID. Today, there is enough information and evidence to confirm that a person who takes reasonable care of their nutrition, exercises several days a week, takes care of their mind and emotions, takes supplements, and has a satisfying social life will live longer and better,” says Ilona Calparsoro of Longevitas Labs. The question is knowing exactly which supplements we should be taking to live longer and better. According to Álvaro Campillo of Kobho Labs, to maintain optimal health for as long as possible and live longer and better, we must ensure that our cells have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substances that exist in nature and that can be divided into 4 groups:
- Group 1 : our body cannot synthesize them and we need them for our bodily functions to work correctly: Omega3 acids, vitamins (D , A, B12, C, E, PP), carotenoids, retinoic acid, trace elements (selenium, zinc, magnesium), thiol compounds (lipoic acid, acetylcysteine).
- Group 2 : phytochemicals and antioxidants: flavonoid (catechins, quercetin) and non-flavonoid (resveratrol, curcumin) polyphenols.
- Group 3 : improve the intestinal microbiota: probiotics.
- Group 4 : nutrients for the symbiotic intestinal microbiota, which reduce inflammation and benefit the host's health: prebiotics (inulin, oligofructose, lactosucrose, fiber, MACs).
This dietary supplement promotes overall well-being with a comprehensive formula that includes ingredients such as spirulina and hydrolyzed marine collagen, as well as additional vitamins and minerals of natural origin and proven effectiveness (vitamin C, vitamins D2 and D3, vitamin K2, B vitamins, biotin, zinc, selenium, and elastin). Its benefits range from improving skin and balancing the microbiota to improving sleep, combating stress, and increasing vitality and physical and intellectual performance.