The Easy Knowledge Blog

From vitamin D and creatine to goji berries — what doctors and nutrition experts are focused on right now

🎧 Post Summary

Everyone wants to age well. The tricky part is figuring out which supplements or foods are actually worth the effort. Here are two stories that recently caught the attention of health outlets abroad: supplements doctors say are surprisingly underrated, and a fruit that’s familiar to us but has only recently become a superfood in the U.S., goji berries.

Doctors say just two things — vitamin D and creatine

In an age of supplement overload, experts advise checking what nutrients you’re actually lacking before adding anything, rather than piling on random products. U.S. health outlet Men’s Journal cited doctors naming vitamin D and creatine monohydrate as two components that are especially worth watching for healthy aging, yet remain relatively underrated.

Vitamin D is commonly known as a nutrient for bone health. It helps the body absorb calcium and plays a role in forming and maintaining bone, as well as supporting normal muscle function and immune system health. As people age, declining strength and balance raise the risk of falls, and can also affect recovery after a fracture, making bone and muscle health increasingly important. One U.S. podiatrist noted that when treating older patients, very low vitamin D levels are a common finding. That said, because vitamin D is fat-soluble, excessive intake can cause side effects like abnormally high blood calcium levels, so it’s advisable to check your levels through a blood test before supplementing.

The second pick, creatine monohydrate, is widely known simply as a supplement for exercise or building muscle mass. But recent research has looked at its potential to help preserve the muscle mass and strength that naturally decline with age. One U.S. internal medicine and emergency medicine physician said creatine should be viewed not just as a gym supplement but as a supplement for healthy aging. Some studies have suggested it may have a positive effect on memory or performance on certain cognitive tasks, though this research is still in its early stages. Experts mention doses of around 3-5g per day, while emphasizing that any medications or health conditions should be factored into the decision.

The berry Korea drinks like water is now a US superfood

Goji berries, long familiar in Korea as a tea or traditional medicinal ingredient, only began gaining recognition as a health food in the U.S. relatively recently, in the 2000s. In 2009, the Los Angeles Times reported that goji berries had rapidly emerged as a superfruit in the U.S., appearing in granola, juices, and supplements within just a few years, and BBC Good Food in the U.K. has also featured goji berries as an ingredient. More recently, the U.S. nonprofit medical and research institution Cleveland Clinic re-highlighted goji berries as a nutrient-dense food that can be added to a healthy diet.

One compound particularly worth noting in goji berries is zeaxanthin. A type of carotenoid, zeaxanthin is present in the eye’s retina and plays a role in protecting it, and some studies have reported that goji berries may help protect the macula. That said, it’s not yet established that eating goji berries improves eyesight or prevents macular degeneration, and Cleveland Clinic notes that more research is needed to confirm any long-term eye-health benefits.

Goji berries are also a source of vitamin C and zinc, both needed for normal immune function, and about 28g of dried goji berries contain roughly 3.6g of fiber, 1.9mg of iron, and 13.6mg of vitamin C, along with vitamin A and carotenoids like zeaxanthin. Fiber supports bowel movements and gut health, while iron is a mineral needed for oxygen transport in the blood. However, Cleveland Clinic stresses that no single food can prevent disease on its own, and that eating a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables is what matters. Since dried fruit has less water than fresh fruit, sugar and calories can be more concentrated by weight, so it’s best treated like nuts, added to meals in modest amounts rather than eaten in large quantities just because it’s considered healthy. Common ways to eat them include mixing them into yogurt, oatmeal, salads, or smoothies like raisins; if drinking them as tea, be mindful that adding a lot of sugar or honey can offset the nutritional benefits by adding extra sugar intake. Notably, if you’re taking a blood thinner like warfarin, it’s worth consulting a doctor before regularly consuming goji berries, since case reports in medical journals have described interactions between goji berries and warfarin that raised INR, a blood-clotting test, values and led to bleeding.

Things Worth Keeping in Mind

• It’s best to confirm your vitamin D levels through a blood test before supplementing, since excessive intake can actually cause side effects.
• If you’re taking medication or managing a health condition, it’s safer to consult a professional before adding creatine.
• Rather than relying on a single food like goji berries, the basics still apply: eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.
• If you’re on medications such as blood thinners, keep in mind that even natural foods like goji berries can carry interaction risks, so check with a doctor before consuming them regularly.

Whether it’s supplements or food, what matters most is understanding your own body first and taking only what you actually need, that balance doesn’t change. Whether it’s a familiar-but-newly-spotlighted nutrient like vitamin D or creatine, or a food that’s familiar to us but only recently caught on abroad, like goji berries, one thing stays true: supplements can’t replace a healthy diet and regular exercise.

Sources

• Lady Kyunghyang – “Doctors say ‘just two things’…supplements worth taking as you age” (lady.khan.co.kr)
• Kyunghyang Shinmun – “You’ve been drinking this like water at home, and now it’s a superfood in the U.S.?…the overlooked appeal of goji berries” (khan.co.kr)
• Lady Kyunghyang – “This late-night snack is good for heart health?…a handful before bed” (lady.khan.co.kr)