Above 50? Start taking nutrient supplements

Naturally, one should get required nutrients from fruits, vegetables and other unprocessed foods. But as one enters 50s, hormonal changes make it difficult for one to reach required quotas for certain vitamins and minerals increasingly difficult.

While science cannot re-create everything nature has perfectly packed into whole foods, supplementing your diet with some nutrients helps you stay on top of your game as you grow older.

Consultant Physician, Dr. Femi Omolola, defines dietary supplements as substances that contain vitamins, minerals, herbs or other plants as well as amino acids, which can be taken in form of pill, capsule, tablet or liquid form.

He notes that even though supplements cannot cure chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes and stroke, they have been proven to prevent them.

Omolola explains that most popular nutrient supplements contain multivitamins, calcium and vitamins B, C and D, nutrients that are essentially taken to prevent some ailments such as pneumonia, heart diseases, osteoporosis and other bone-and-blood related health challenges.

“There are some nutrients that the body does not manufacture in the right quantity, which we must get from food and other plant-based sources. However, not everyone eats foods that contain these supplements. Those who do usually don’t eat enough.

“That is why taking supplements, which are already in the concentrated forms of these nutrients, are important.”

In your 50s

Vitamin D and calcium

Bone loss increases during your 50s, especially among women. A nutrition researcher at the Boston’s Tufts University, the United States, Diane McKay, explains that the hormone, estrogen, which helps maintain bone mass decreases in women.

McKay says that using calcium supplements will ensure that the bones do not suffer or become brittle.

Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 helps to prevent irregular heartbeats, reduce plaque buildup in the arteries/inhibit inflammation and keep blood sugar level in check. Omega-3 is important for reducing inflammation wherever it comes up, whether as heart disease and cancer.

Omega-3 supplements are good for men in their 50s

In your 60s

Dietary requirements change as you get older. While experts recommend getting most of your nutrients from food, sometimes that is not possible.

Our guts become less efficient as we age, particularly when we reach our 60s and 70s. That limits our ability to get sufficient nutrients from food,” says McKay.

Supplementing your diet with these key nutrients should help you stay on top of your game.

Vitamin B12

Even a mild vitamin B12 deficiency may put older adults at risk for dementia, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. But stomach acid, which is required for the body to absorb vitamin B12 from food, begins to decline during your 50s. So, the Institute of Medicine recommends getting your B12 level checked and supplementing it when necessary. The recommended dose is 2.4 microgrammes daily.

Vitamin D

For several years, scientists thought vitamin D’s only role was to enhance the absorption of calcium from food. Now, research shows that vitamin D can also reduce chronic pain, guard against heart diseases and prevent cancer. The ideal source of this critical nutrient is sunlight.

Unfortunately, your body’s ability to synthesise vitamin D from sunlight declines as you age.

Look for supplements that contain vitamin D3, an active form that is more effective than its vitamin D2 counterpart.

Cancer prevention

The consumption of some dietary supplements may also help prevent cancer. According to researchers, a number of essential vitamins, including vitamins A, C and E, act as antioxidants in the body and also neutralise chemicals (called free radicals) that encourage oxidative damage to body cells.

The National Cancer Institute explains that oxidative damage to body cells promotes cancer development.

Studies on the effect of antioxidant supplements in preventing cancer in human systems show that consuming moderate amounts of vitamin supplements prove that they are beneficial.

According to a study in the journal, Clinical Cancer Research, the risk of aggressive prostate cancer is four to five times lesser in men who take vitamin D supplements.

Country Representative, Ultimate Sports Nutrition, a healthy lifestyle and sports nutrition supplement brand, Mr. Mike Ojeme, says to get the desired nutrients and results mentioned by the experts, it is important to take quality and safe supplements.

According to him, not all brands of food or diet supplements in the market are of the right quality or even contain the beneficial nutrients that are listed on their labels.

He says, “Quality and safety is the watchword when taking supplements. Make sure that you get the correct brand that has been approved by the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control.

“Follow the guidelines for its use. You should take the right dosage so that you do not abuse it or put your health in danger. For athletes and others, go with products that do not contain banned substances.”

PUNCH.