The Most Important Foods and Nutrients to Eat As You Age

Turning 50 is an exciting time. It means more freedom for some and a chance to appreciate life just a little more. There are some adjustments to make, though – positive ones. This is the time you take healthy aging by the horns. 

Part of that is finding the right foods to eat, ones that support the nutritional needs of your body. Maintaining a balanced eating pattern that highlights essential nutrients will build a framework for healthy aging and allow you to continue living a dynamic, active lifestyle. What foods and nutrients matter most when you are over the age of 50?

What Nutrients Matter for Healthy Aging? 

There are two ways to tackle a healthy aging diet. Start with developing a good understanding of what nutrients matter and why. 

Protein

Eating protein aids in the development and maintenance of lean muscle mass, which is essential for an active lifestyle, a healthy metabolism, and immunological health. Protein also takes longer to digest, so it helps you maintain a low carb diet without feeling hungry. 

Someone over the age of 50 needs between 0.5–0.9 grams per pound or 1.2–2.0 grams per kilogram. In other words, a 150-pound (68-kg) person would require 75–135 grams of protein per day.

Fiber

If you focus on nothing else, make fiber a priority. Fiber promotes good bowel movements and digestion, improves heart health, slows sugar absorption to help balance blood sugar levels which is vital to lower your risk of type 2 diabetes. It can also help in weight maintenance. 

The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for fiber is 25 and 38 grams per day for males and females, respectively.

Calcium

Calcium is an essential mineral for bone health, neurological function, and the contraction of the heart and muscles. Calcium is necessary for women. Post-menopausal women should try to get an average of 1,200 mg per day. Everyone else needs about 1,000 mg daily.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential for bone and immune system function. Low levels may have a connection to increased risk of mental decline, poor heart health, depression, osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.

Because our bodies can manufacture vitamin D from sun exposure, it is often called the "sunshine vitamin." However, excessive sun exposure may be harmful, so aim to receive this vitamin mostly from foods such as mushrooms and fatty fish.

Vitamin B12

B12 is essential for energy metabolism, red blood cell synthesis, DNA repair, immunological function, as well as brain and heart health. After the age of 50, your body's ability to absorb vitamin B12 decreases, making it even more necessary to include this vitamin in your diet.

Adults over the age of 50 should strive for 2.4 mcg of vitamin B12 every day.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

A diet high in omega-3 fatty acids may decrease the risks of mental decline and neurological illness, such as Alzheimer's and dementia, as well as improved brain, heart, and skin health. 

There are a variety of omega-3 fatty acids, but most scientific studies focus on three: 

• Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)

• Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)

• Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (DHA)

For women and males, the RDA for ALA is 1.1 and 1.6 grams per day, respectively. There is no standard consumption recommendation for EPA and DHA; however, a daily intake of 250–500 mg combined EPA and DHA is an appropriate starting point.

Foods That Get You There

Super Berries

Nutrition experts call berries a superfood because they come packed full of healthy nutrition, especially for the over-50 crowd. Berries are rich in fiber, vitamin C, and anti-inflammatory, antioxidant flavonoids. 

The fiber in berries is a critical nutrient for managing your weight. It can also reduce the risk of developing certain conditions like diabetes, colon cancer, and heart disease. 

Just as importantly, berries are good brain food. A 2020 study out of Tufts University found a connection between the flavonoids found in berries and a reduced risk of conditions that affect the brain such as Alzheimer’s and other dementias. 

Are all berries created equally? Yes and no – most berries have a nutritional profile that includes fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants. Some forms of berries offer a little more, though. 

Blueberries, for example, contain the antioxidant anthocyanins. There is evidence that anthocyanins reduce oxidative stress, which may be a leading factor in heart disease. 

Blueberries also contain bioactive compounds that improve insulin sensitivity to help fight diabetes. In the world of nutrition, blueberries are the super-superfood. 

Anything Green and Leafy

There are many good things to say about green, leafy vegetables such as kale, arugula, broccoli, and spinach, most of which you probably have heard before. They are high in fiber, for instance. 

There is a new spin on the benefits of these foods that you may not know. Green leafy vegetables are rich in calcium, a nutrient that helps to support the bones. 

Green veggies are also high in nitrates. Just one cup of leafy, nitrate-rich green vegetables each day can also help boost muscle function, especially in the lower limbs. 

Seafood for Protein and Vitamin D

Protein is a crucial nutrient no matter what your age. However, those focused on healthy aging should get their protein from leaner sources like seafood. 

Fish such as salmon, tuna, and trout are also good ways to increase your B12 and vitamin D intake and to get omega-3 fatty acids. That means that oily fish are heart-healthy food choices. Keeping your heart working efficiently is a significant part of healthy aging. 

Nuts and Seeds

Speaking of protein, add nuts and seeds to your list of must-haves to be fit after 50. This is a good news/bad news story, though. 

Nuts and seeds are good sources of lean protein and omega-3 fats, but eat them in moderation. They also are high in calories. Try just a handful in the afternoon as a snack, or add them to your meals and salads. Flax meal, chia seeds, and walnuts are especially easy to mix into recipes. 

The Three Golden Rules

It’s not enough to know what foods you need. You also have to focus on where you get that food. That’s where the Mighty Health Three Golden Rules come into play. The rules are simple enough:

• Focus on natural, not processed foods: Manufactured foods like frozen dinners or canned soup go through a process that may eliminate many of the essential nutrients.

• Avoid refined sugar: That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the occasional sweet. Just look for recipes and foods that use natural sugar from fruit instead of refined sugars.

• Add healthy fats: You’ll find healthy fats in foods like avocados, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish like salmon. At the same time, lose the refined grains found in cereal, bread, and pasta.

If you are still struggling with what you should and shouldn’t eat, get some support. At Mighty Health, we set you up with a real health coach that can put you on the right path for healthy aging and keep you there.