Patriot Health Digest
The risk for many chronic problems usually increase with age. But if you start taking good care of yourself by eating better, exercising, and lower stress, you can easily prevent the worst from happening.
But there is another proactive step you could consider: Start consuming dietary supplements to help your body get the nutrients you might lack now that you are a little older.
We asked dietitians and doctors for their ideas for the best supplements for folks over 50. Read on to see what they are:
1 — Multivitamin
While most of us get our vitamins from food, sometimes dietitians will say a multivitamin is needed to fill in any micronutrient holes.
But not all multivitamins are good. First, if you’re older than 50, the one you buy should be free from iron. Iron can hide the symptoms of anemia and might inhibit the effectiveness of some types of drugs.
B12 and folic acid are especially important to look for in a supplement. These are required to create neurotransmitters, the brain chemical that allows communication between your brain cells.
Not having enough B12 and folic acid may lead to anxiety, depression fatigue, lower concentration, and even poor sleep.
2 — Collagen and Vitamin D
Collagen can improve the elasticity of your skin, helping to lower the appearance of lines and wrinkles.
As we age, our collagen goes down and should be aided to fight aging. A collagen peptide supplement is easy to add to your daily habits. You can just add them to any drink.
I also say that vitamin D is great for anyone over 50 because you make less of it as you age. It’s vital for immunity and bone health. Consume at least 1,000 IU every day.
3 — Resveratrol
This plant compound is found within red wine and red grapes. It has incredible antioxidant properties.
Much of human aging is because of damage from free radicals. Getting a large boost of antioxidants from a resveratrol supplement and green tea extract can fight this.
Resveratrol also has been proven to decrease blood pressure and give other heart benefits. One study discovered that people who took a grape extract supplement daily for six months experienced a 2.6% lowering in bad cholesterol compared to no lowering in the blood fat in the other group that did not take the supplement.
Author: Scott Dowdy
