Five Natural Supplements That Men Should Try

What's your take on natural supplements? Most guys have no trouble sprinkling a little thyme on their meat patty as it sizzles on the barbecue, but when it comes to using nature for its health properties, a little natural supplements 101 might be in order.

What if we told you that natural products may help you slim down, work harder, possibly reduce your chance of genetic Alzheimer's or even prolong your activities in the bedroom, for some of the longest and most intense, er, “finishes” this side of Jupiter?

Yup, they're all possible thanks to nature. And a whole lot more actually – one report estimates that roughly 60% of the 150 most prescribed drugs in the United States use at least one plant-based compound as an active ingredient or a synthesized compound to mimic a botanical chemical.

Check with your physician if you have specific health concerns before starting a natural-based remedy. With that said, pull up a chair and learn how natural supplements may help the following issues that men face.

Try coleus forskohlii.Safer than the FDA-banned ephedra, the active ingredient in C Forskohlii, called forskolin, boosts your production of the enzyme lipase, which in turn allows fat to be burned as fuel. A recent study published in Obesity Research documents that men who took 250 mg of C Forskohlii (with 10% forskolin) enjoyed a 4 point drop in their body fat percentage over 12 weeks.

Alzheimer's may run in the family, but you might out-run this common form of dementia with huperzia serrata, also called toothed clubmoss, of which the active ingredient huperzine A protects an important chemical in the central nervous system, acetylcholine. A recent clinical trial found that 400 micrograms of the stuff improved memory in 210 Alzheimer patients with mild to moderate symptoms.

This happens to the best of us, but you may find it more effective to assist your sex life naturally than with prescription ED pills, because the natural route will help your overall sexual health and function.

Try muira puama, a shrub from the Amazon rainforest that increased overall sex drive in men by 62% in a French study. Muira puama is sometimes combined with other botanicals that increase ejaculate naturally, for a longer and more pleasurable experience.

A rough night out can pack a gut punch, with booze, second-hand smoke and even those ibuprofens you might've been popping as common offenders to the body's first line of defense: your liver. You might alleviate some of that with silybum marianum, or milk thistle extract. The active ingredient within is called silybin, and it's proven to assist with liver function and form new liver cells.

Skip energy drinks, which in some cases have twice the caffeine in a can of Coke and enough glucose to spike your blood sugar higher than Mt. Everest.

Try paullinia cupana, sometimes called guarana seed extract, which has an active ingredient called theophylline that acts as a natural energy booster. In a study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, theophylline increased the time to exhaustion rate for men pedalling hard on a bike.

Remember, the natural supplements here aren't meant to cure cancer. If you smoke like a chimney and spend most of the day sitting on your couch watching daytime soap operas, all the natural goodness on the planet may not be enough to make up for a sedentary lifestyle and other stuff you shouldn't be doing.

But if you do live well, exercise, eat right and you're interested in the power of natural health and how it can make life a little healthier, give these supplements more than a passing glance the next time you're in your local health store.