Greens are great, but don't leave out the reds. Here's how to fight off disease and optimize bedroom performance with the right reds.
In the 1960s, people realized their diets were full of nutritional gaps, often lacking vegetables and fruits. If you were a true health nut, you might venture into a hippie food store and buy algae products or wheatgrass juice. While you were there, you could also pick up some groovy incense. Far out, man.
This trend exploded a few decades later with the advent of specialized "greens" supplements. Today, the market is huge. Drinking your daily "greens" has almost replaced swallowing a multivitamin.
It's a smart strategy. While greens supplements vary widely in quality (some still contain far too many grassy allergens and even testosterone-lowering ingredients), the overall idea is sound: conveniently ingest the phytonutrients you need without having to eat kale salads and broccoli sprouts all day.
But we're still missing something. As good as greens are, let's not forget the "reds."
Better Red Than Dead
Much like greens, even with a meticulously planned diet, it's difficult to eat enough reds. Many of the benefits only kick in with mega-doses. In other words, you'd need to measure your leafy greens and red fruits/berries in pounds, not ounces, to reap all the benefits.
Many of these reds have been added to greens formulas, such as coffee cherries, goji berries, raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, and pomegranates. That's what we did when formulating our "greens" product, Superfood ➔ Buy at Biotest.
That's very good for all-around health and longevity, but there's a category of supplements extending beyond green and red powders: nutraceuticals, a term combining "nutrition" and "pharmaceutical." These are products derived from food sources with health benefits beyond basic nutrition, and many are reds.
Here are three awesome nutraceutical reds:
1. Pomegranate Whole Fruit Extract (Punicalagins)
Pomegranate whole fruit extract offers several nutraceutical benefits, primarily due to its high concentration of bioactive compounds like polyphenols, ellagitannins (including punicalagin), anthocyanins, and flavonoids. These compounds give pomegranate its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cardiovascular-supporting properties.
Studies tell us these compounds, particularly punicalagin, play a big role in genitourinary tract health. Also known as the urogenital system, this tract includes the organs and structures of the urinary and reproductive systems, from bathroom to bedroom.
Specifically, pomegranate whole fruit extract in nutraceutical dosages has these benefits:
- Promotes better blood flow to the penis
- Helps manage reproductive inflammation
- Promotes healthy prostate size and function
- Supports healthy hormone metabolism in the prostate
- Helps maintain already healthy PSA levels
- Supports healthy urinary flow
The magic is mostly in the punicalagin content, and you need 180 mg of that particular ellagitannin.
2. Natural Tomato Fruit Extract (Lycopene)
The list of health benefits of this carotenoid pigment is long; you can read about those here. Let's focus on the nutraceutical aspects for men.
Lycopene specifically fortifies male reproductive health by protecting prostate cells from oxidative stress and improving sperm quality and motility. A study of almost 50,000 men found those with higher intakes of lycopene were less likely to develop prostate cancer. Other research shows that lycopene inhibits prostate growth or benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH).
You need about 30 mg daily of lycopene.
3. Cranberry Whole Fruit 50:1 Concentrate
Flavonoids and polyphenols combat oxidative stress and lower the risk of heart disease and certain cancers, and cranberry extract contains tons of them. It's also a powerful inflammation fighter.
As a nutraceutical, it contains a variety of plant chemicals with positive effects on the urinary tract, from promoting healthy bladder emptying to helping prevent UTIs – the proanthocyanidins (PACs) in cranberries disrupt bacterial adhesion. Those same anti-adhesion properties benefit oral health by preventing bacteria from sticking to teeth and gums, reducing the risk of plaque buildup and gum disease.
You need about 500 mg to get the nutraceutical effects.
Where Do I Get These Things?
All three of these reds make up the P-Well ➔ Buy at Biotest formula. While we market it mainly as a sexual health and prostate support supplement, its nutraceutical benefits extend beyond "downstairs" health.
Each three-capsule serving contains:
- Pomegranate Whole Fruit Extract (Punicalagins): 180 mg
- Natural Tomato Fruit Extract (Lycopene): 30 mg
- Cranberry Whole Fruit 50:1 Concentrate: 500 mg
