Nutrition and Healthy Aging: 6 Nutrients to Eat As You Age
As we age, we all notice changes in our bodies. Whether they are slight or significant, our bodies are adapting to our needs over time. Adults who want to focus on healthy aging will need to adjust their nutrition and consume more nutrient-dense foods to keep the body as healthy as possible. Though your caloric needs decrease, your nutrient needs do not.
In general, eat a nutrient-dense diet.
To maintain good health and a healthy weight, you need to eat nutrient-dense food. Nutrient-dense foods have high levels of vitamins and minerals compared to a lower number of calories.
Examples of nutrient-dense foods include:
Vegetables
Fruits
Fish
Lean cuts of meat
Beans
Nuts
Whole grains
Low-fat dairy products
Nutrient-dense foods become even more important as you age and try to maintain your health. By eating these foods, you are more likely to get the nutrients you need without eating too many calories.
3 Well-Known Nutrients To Eat As You Age
You may actually have some nutritional deficiencies or inadequacies as you get older, meaning you don’t have enough of these nutrients in your body. If you think you have a nutrient deficiency, you should see a physician. Blood tests can identify any problems and help you create a personalized plan for healthy eating.
Strive to eat foods that contain healthy amounts of these 3 nutrients:
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is absorbed through your stomach and intestines. As you get older, you have less stomach acid, which lowers your ability to absorb Vitamin B12. People with low levels of Vitamin B12 may feel fatigued or tired all the time, have poor balance, or even experience memory problems.
If your blood work shows you have low levels of Vitamin B12, you can eat the following foods to help increase your B12 levels:
Shellfish
Liver
Fish
Fortified soy products, such as tofu
Red meat
Low-fat dairy
Eggs
Fortified cereals with little to no sugar
Vitamin D
Your body is actually capable of creating Vitamin D with only sun exposure. However, anyone living north of Atlanta does not see enough sunshine year-round to maintain healthy Vitamin D levels from the sun alone.
Especially as you age, your skin is less able to create the Vitamin D you need. Vitamin D deficiencies can cause symptoms like bone pain or muscle weakness, depression, a weakened immune system, or even bone loss.
You can increase your Vitamin D levels by increasing your intake of foods like salmon, mushrooms, fish, egg yolks, and yogurt.
Calcium
Calcium is a crucial mineral for your body, as it is used for several different functions. Consuming Vitamin D while consuming calcium increases your body’s absorption of calcium. This combination of Vitamin D and calcium can help you reduce your risk for osteoporosis and bone loss.
Maintaining adequate levels of calcium as you age is also important because some medications may interfere with your body’s absorption of calcium. You can ensure you are getting the right amounts of calcium by eating foods such as:
Low-fat dairy products
Salmon
Sardines
Green leafy vegetables
Tofu
Almonds
Read the complete article to learn about 3 additional nutrients to eat as you age: Collagen, Sulforaphane and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The third nutrient isn't actually a nutrient. It's more of a food. It's Extra Virgin olive oil.
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