Better Health After 40 - Getting the Right Nutrients
As we get older and become more focused on the diseases and disorders that come with aging, we should also be concerned with getting the right nutrients that may help to prevent some of these diseases. What vitamins should you be getting to make the most of your health? And, how should you be getting them—in your food or in a supplement?
Calcium
Osteoporosis is a bone-thinning disease that results when bones have lost calcium and thickness. It’s incidence in the United States has increased alarmingly in recent years. The primary reason for this increase is that we get too little calcium in our diets and we don’t get enough weight-bearing exercise.
If you are a woman over 55 you are likely to be at risk for osteoporosis. 55 percent of the people in this age group have low bone mass or thin bones. That includes men who should not ignore this condition—20% of osteoporosis sufferers are men. According to the American Dietetic Association, women over the age of 50 have an escalated rate of bone loss.
For women and men over 50 the recommended daily intake of calcium increases to 1,200 mg. daily. While the primary source of calcium should be found in the food you eat, calcium supplements may be necessary to meet this level and prevent bone loss. Calcium rich foods include milk and milk products like yogurt; fish with bones that are eaten, such as canned salmon and sardines; broccoli; and juices and cereals fortified with calcium.
Caffeine consumption can have a negative effect on bone density, especially in women from 60 to 70 years of age. Researchers believe that older women are less able to offset the natural calcium loss that caffeine causes resulting in an increased thinning of the bones. This has been shown to be more relevant in women that drink three or more cups of coffee a day. Coffee drinkers should pay special attention to consuming at least 1,200 mg. every day.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an essential partner to Calcium. It is necessary for the proper absorption of the calcium you get in your diet. The body makes vitamin A after sunlight hits the skin. Just a few minutes of sun three times a week can help the body activate vitamin D in the skin. However, as we get older the ability to absorb vitamin D in sunlight through the skin diminishes. We either have to get it through our food (especially in the winter) or through supplements.
Adults between 50 and 70 should get 400 IU of vitamin D per day. After age 70, this recommendation increases to 700 IU daily. The dietary sources of vitamin D include fortified milk, juices and cereals, liver and fish. But it is unlikely that we can get adequate amounts through food alone.
New studies show that along with calcium, vitamin D may help reduce colon polyps, a common precursor of colon cancer. And research at the Harvard School of Public Health suggests that women who consume 400 IU of vitamin D every day have a 40% less risk of developing multiple sclerosis.
B-12
Vitamin B-12 is another one of the vitamins that we tend to get less of as we get older. It is naturally found in animal foods and proteins such as meat, eggs, milk, fish and poultry, and fortified cereals. All adults should get 2.4 micrograms of B-12 daily.
As we age, we tend to make less stomach acid, and stomach acid is needed for the efficient absorption of vitamin B-12. To avoid impaired B-12 absorption, the Institute of Medicine recommends that adults over 50 get most of this vitamin from supplements or fortified food.
Vitamin B-12 is and important requirement for maintaining a healthy central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). In its absence you may see a decline in memory and cognitive functions as well as other neurological abnormalities.
Folate
Folate and folic acid are forms of a water-soluble B vitamin and help to metabolize a substance called homocysteine, which has been linked with the risk of heart disease and stroke. If your levels of folate are low, you probably have high homocysteine levels. There is also increasing evidence that high homocysteine levels are associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia.
Recent Harvard studies indicate that folate may play an important role in cancer prevention—especially colorectal cancer. They suggest that all adults should take folate supplements, but more study is needed to confirm this.
The recommended dosage for adults is 400 mcg. per day ( 600 mcg. for pregnant women). Folate is a B vitamin and can be found in fortified grain products like pasta, bread, breakfast cereals, and rice, in dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, and in citrus juices and fruits. Meeting the daily requirement can be easy if you consume at least 2 cups of fruit and 2 ½ cups of vegetables every day.
Vitamin E and Vitamin C
These vitamins are both powerful antioxidants. There are no clearly proven medicinal uses of vitamin E or vitamin C supplementation beyond the recommended daily allowance. Some studies indicate that they may help protect against various diseases of aging including cancer, Alzheimer’s and cataracts. Other studies call these conclusions into question. These effects have been well demonstrated in laboratory tests but additional clinical testing is needed to confirm them.
Many uses for vitamin C have been proposed, but few have been conclusively demonstrated as being beneficial in scientific studies. In particular, research in asthma, cancer and diabetes remain inconclusive. No benefits have been found in the prevention of cataracts or heart disease.
Vitamin C (60 mg. is recommended for adults) is found in citrus fruits, tomatoes and vegetables like peppers, broccoli, and asparagus. Vitamin E (15 mg. is recommended daily) is found in nuts, seeds, and oils. Both vitamins are present in fortified cereals.
If you or a family member smokes, you may need more vitamin C than you think. Your body consumes vitamin C to clear out many of the free radicals that smoking causes. Smokers need about 50% more vitamin C than nonsmokers. People who live or work around smokers and are exposed to second hand smoke also need more vitamin C. Female smokers should consume at least 95 milligrams of vitamin C a day and male smokers should consume at least 110 mg a day.
Iron
Iron carries oxygen in the hemoglobin of red blood cells. Low iron levels can cause fatigue, and iron-deficiency anemia affects 5 to 10 percent of people over 45. This is because many older adults have difficulty chewing and lose their appetite for meat. To get enough iron, older adults should boost their intake of such iron-rich foods like whole grains, fortified cereals, dark green vegetables and beans. Eating vitamin C-rich foods at the same time helps increase iron absorption.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A has many important health functions in areas such as vision, bone growth, and reproductions. It helps to regulate the immune system and promotes eyesight. It is found primarily in animal products such as liver and eggs. The recommended daily intake of vitamin A is 2,330 IU for women and 3,000 for men.
It has been suggested that dietary vitamin A, in the form of beta-carotene (an antioxidant) may help fight cancer, but clinical trials have show the opposite. A large lung cancer chemoprevention trial that gave some patients supplements of beta-carotene and vitamin A was stopped after it was discovered that the patients receiving beta-carotene had a higher risk of dying from lung cancer than those who did not receive it. The Institute of Medicine does not recommend beta-carotene supplements for the general population.
Take Your Vitamins Wisely
Vitamins and minerals are substances your body needs in small but steady amounts for normal growth, function and health. Whole foods are your best sources of vitamins and minerals. According to the Mayo Clinic they offer three main benefits over supplements:
- Whole foods are complex. They contain a variety of the micronutrients your body needs — not just one. An orange, for example, provides vitamin C but also beta carotene, calcium and other nutrients. A vitamin C supplement lacks these other micronutrients.
- Whole foods provide dietary fiber. Fiber is important for digestion and can help prevent certain diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Adequate fiber intake can also help prevent constipation.
- Whole foods contain other substances that appear to be important for good health. Fruits and vegetables, for example, contain naturally occurring food substances called phytochemicals, which may help protect you against cancer, heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Many are also good sources of antioxidants — substances that slow down oxidation, a natural process that leads to cell and tissue damage. If you depend on supplements rather than eating a variety of whole foods, you miss the potential benefits of these substances.
Decisions to use supplements should be based on advice from a health professional. Too large doses of some vitamins can be harmful. Too much vitamin D can lead to side effects like vomiting and diarrhea and even kidney damage. Taking too much folate can hide damage being done by too little vitamin B-12. Researchers are investigating if excess doses of vitamin A may contribute to osteoporosis. (The evidence is still inconclusive) While some vitamins are not potentially toxic at high doses, it is generally safest to avoid supplementing your vitamin intake with more than 100% of the recommended daily dosage.
According to the American Dietetic Association most healthy people can get all the nutrients they need from food in a well-planned diet. Consult with your physician or a registered dietitian about supplements before using them.
For more information on nutrition and vitamin and mineral requirements and supplements, check the following sources:
The American Dietetic Association:http://www.eatright.org
The Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Nutrition.gov: http://www.nutrition.gov
Medline Plus-sponsored by the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vitaminsandminerals.html