Triage for Optimal Health

There are countless supplements and vitamins available, so sometimes it's confusing even for a professional nutritionist. But if you adopt my philosophy you'll wade through the mass of information and come out with a clear understanding of just what you need. There are two parts to my philosophy. First, you must realize that there will never be an end to the research on what nutrients are necessary. Scientists will continue to discover new vitality factors (vitamins, minerals, and the like) and will never stop this research. As I have written elsewhere ("Why are there so many supplements?") there will always be new discoveries. The second point in my philosophy is that you should use the concept of triage, that is, the idea that you must take care of the most important things first. For example, as Life Extension Foundation points out, the ten most important supplements list is updated yearly based on the latest research. Currently their top three include:

1. A Multivitamin
2. Omega-3 Fatty Acids (Fish Oil)
   
3. CoQ10

In my opinion they are right on the money. Their article on the top ten nutrients is well worth a read, and the advice is good, as good as it gets these days. The Life Extension Foundation is a nonprofit organization (based in Florida) that exists to find ways to extend the quality and length of human life. They do impressive research and publish a magazine that is my bible: Life Extension Magazine. (Hint: write to their subscription department and request a complimentary subscription.) The information they publish, much of which is available on their Web site, Life Extension, is literally life-saving.