Important Nutrients for Men over 50
Proper nutrition keeps you healthy as you age. But as you get older, your ability to digest food and absorb nutrients starts to decline. This can easily lead to nutrient deficiencies. Paying better attention to your nutrition can help you stay healthy as you age. Here are some of the most important nutrients for men over 50.
Magnesium
Magnesium is your body’s “maintenance mineral.” It participates in more than 300 biochemical reactions that are vital for muscle and nerve function and helps maintain heart rhythm, preserve bones, and support healthy sleep.
Studies show that almost half of the US population doesn't get enough magnesium in their diet1. One reason for this is the depletion of magnesium and other nutrients in our soil. Low magnesium levels are linked with high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, migraines, asthma, and heart diseases.
Look for magnesium-rich foods such as cashews, spinach, almonds, quinoa, black beans, and seeds such as pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower. It may also be smart to add a magnesium supplement to your dietary regimen.
Folate
Folate is a B vitamin found in green leafy vegetables. You need folate to make red and white blood cells, genetic material, and cellular energy. As you age, your body’s ability to convert folate from food into its bioactive form declines2.
Studies show that older men have low folate levels in their blood. It is one of the reasons for age-related fatigue, feeling light-headed, or being forgetful. Look for a B vitamin supplement that provides folate in its active form (methyl folate).
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is a B vitamin that is important for brain and nerve health. Lack of B12 can cause weakness or fatigue, problems with balance, and cognitive issues.
As you age, the level of stomach acid diminishes and impairs the absorption of B12 from food. It's estimated that vitamin B12 deficiency affects about 15% of the aging population3.
For this reason, vitamin B12 supplements are commonly recommended for men over 50. Look for a B12 supplement that provides the active form of B12 (methylcobalamin.)
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is essential for bone health, especially as you age. It also helps prevent muscle weakness, protects against low-impact fractures, and reduces the risk of dental problems.
Aging can decrease the body’s ability to make vitamin D3 (the active form of vitamin D) from sunlight, which puts men over 50 at risk of deficiency4. Studies have shown that reduced outdoor activity, reduced food intake, and the body’s ability to absorb vitamin D from food also declines with age5.
7 Reasons You May Be Vitamin D Deficient
Vitamin D3 supplements can help make sure you're getting enough of this important vitamin.
Premium Nutrition for Men 50+
The easiest way to stay on top of your nutritional needs as you age is to take a multivitamin that's specifically designed for men 50+. Our Whole Food Multivitamin for Men 50+ conveniently provides all of the essential nutrients on this list in their naturally bioactive forms, including plant-based magensium from marine algae, active methyl folate and methylcobalamin (B12), and plant-based vitamin D3 from lichen.
Our premium whole food multivitamin comes packed with a broad range of vitamins and minerals, plus organic fruits and vegetables, digestive enzymes and probiotics to support your digestion and nutrient absorption, and herbal extracts to support your brain health, heart health, prostate health, and eye health.
References:
1. Suboptimal magnesium status in the United States: are the health consequences underestimated?, 2012 Mar;70(3):153-64. doi: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2011.00465.x. Epub 2012 Feb 15
2. Many older adults are deficient in vitamin B12 and folate, June 26, 2018
3. Vitamin B12 deficiency in the elderly, 1999;19:357-77
4. Aging decreases the capacity of human skin to produce vitamin D3, 1985 Oct;76(4):1536-8
5. The Problems of Vitamin D Insufficiency in Older People, 2012 Aug; 3(4): 313–329