Everywhere you turn, there seems to be a new pill or potion that promises you younger, firmer skin, bigger muscles, less belly fat, or happy joints. How do you discern the reality from the myth?

While the supplement market remains controversial (and FDA approval is often lacking when it comes to many of these botanically based potions and tinctures), there are a few that are getting the research and attention behind them that helps separate myth from reality. Take a look at the latest supplements to hit the headlines and the research labs.

🏋️ Creatine: Creatine is one of those supplements that has been around for a long time if you’ve been part of gym culture. It’s a compound made of amino acids, naturally created in your body by your liver, pancreas, and kidneys. You also consume it in red meat and seafood. 1  Creatine is found in the body in good measure up until around the time you are thirty years old. At that point, natural creatine levels begin to drop. Gym rats have long used creatine claiming that it increases muscle gains. 

But what does today’s science say about it? 

Today we know that creatine does help protect our muscles along with helping build them. It also protects bone density. And we’re also learning about the powerful impact of creatine on our cognition. It can increase mental processing speed, enhance memory, and help with attention capacity. 2   Research now shows that, for example, if someone experiences a night of poor sleep, taking creatine in the morning can help improve clarity, alertness, and brain function, in spite of the lack of sleep. 3   While there is still more to learn about what creatine does and how it works, it is one that should make the watch list as new research dollars are being spent.

💉 Peptides: This is the new darling of the supplement set. From injectable NAD+ to GLP-1s to BPC-157, along with a host of other letters and numbers, there’s plenty of chatter. Peptides are also amino acids, targeted toward specific issues. Most peptides supplementation is done through prescription and comes from compounding pharmacies. While there are some peptides offered on the market in oral form, currently it is injectable compounds that are considered most effective. NAD+  in particular is very promising because in its ability to create healthier cells, protect DNA, convert food into energy, and enhance skin health.  You’ve likely already seen a lot of press surrounding GLP-1s. While controversy remains around this particular peptide, there are medical experts who wonder if microdosing GLP-1s, even if someone isn’t trying to lose weight, could be a helpful tool in maintaining better blood pressure levels, regulated blood sugar, and in being protective against certain elements of aging. 4  Significant research continues to be conducted in peptides today.

♀️HRTs: There was a generation of women who began taking estrogen and progesterone in the 1980s and early 1990s to help deal with symptoms of perimenopause. But a scare stopped that practice in the early 2000s when the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study was published, linking hormone replacement therapy with increased risk for breast cancer and strokes. 5   That belief stayed in place for many years, with a generation of women white-knuckling the experience of perimenopause and menopause with no hormonal support. However, today, the findings of that particular study have been reevaluated and its concerns dismissed. 6   HRTs are back, and today, more and more women are choosing to go on hormone therapy, to combat bloating, joint pain, emotional swings, bone loss, urogenital symptoms, and a host of other health related issues that arise during the perimenopause/menopause arc. Dr. Mary Claire Haver says, “Menopause is not something to endure, but rather something to embrace given the right guidance and support.” HRTs are another category of supplemental therapy which generally require prescriptions whether a woman is using patches, pellets, or creams and capsules.

 As with anything you are considering adding to your health routine, it’s important to speak with your primary care doctor before undertaking a new regimen. If you are a Member of Altrua HealthShare, you have access to the HealthWallet app. On the HealthWallet app, you’ll find a telehealth feature, which allows you to make an appointment with a virtual provider and ask them about the potential for supplementation for healthy living and any health symptoms you may be experiencing. They can help guide you through the sometimes confusing world of which supplements are worth trying, which ones carry too many risks, and which ones have been shown to be ineffective.

As we continue to research and learn more about aging processes, chronic illnesses, and how supplements may help intervene and alleviate symptoms, there will hopefully be more research and study put into these compounds to help us understand how they work and what is most effective. Your health is one of your most important blessings; maintaining and improving your health can be one of your most important investments. 

 

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.

III John 3:12

Please note: Altrua HealthShare articles are not medical advice and are not intended as such. Contact your medical provider before undertaking any kind of change to your health protocols.

1  https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-creatine/art-20347591
2  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6093191/
3  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-54249-9
4  https://www.brgeneral.org/news-blog/should-everyone-be-microdosing-glp-1s
5  https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/2002-hrt-study-comes-under-criticism#:~:text=While%20the%20first%20HRT%20drugs,be%20helpful%20for%20some%20women.
6  https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/hhs-advances-womens-health-removes-misleading-fda-warnings-hormone-replacement-therapy