As you reach your 40s, you begin to notice that you no longer enjoy the vitality of your youth. Now that you are already a quadragenarian (someone between the ages of 40 and 49) you are no longer as strong, fit, energetic, and resistant to illnesses as when you were still a vicenarian (someone between the ages of 20 and 29). But worry no more as there are many ways to stay healthy and active even after 40. One note for sure is that taking vitamins and minerals is one effective way to stay vital.
It is a gloomy thought and it might be hard to admit but reality speaks the truth- all people grow older and older and age year after year. As you reach your 40s, you no longer enjoy the vitality of your youth. Now that you are already a quadragenarian you find yourself no longer as strong, fit, energetic, and resistant to illnesses as when you were still a vicenarian. But this does not mean it’s soon to be the end for you! Instead, think of it as the start of another challenging and fun chapter of your life.
When you turn 40, you will start questioning yourself about whether you have lived actively and healthy in the past decades of your life or whether you have lived a lifestyle as a desk-bound, sedentary individual. As you grow older, your body also goes through the natural process of aging with the usual wear and tear, which makes you more at risk of various age-related illnesses.
During these mid-life years, you will notice that you begin to gain weight more quickly and you tire more easily than you used to during your younger years. Your metabolism gets slower, your body’s ability to recover from injury drops, and your energy levels go down. Thankfully, there are many ways to stay healthy, active, and vital even after 40!
Among the many ways to slow down the aging process is to turn to a healthy diet with regular exercise. However, due to busy schedules, exercising or going to the gym may not be your priority. And, as we age, maintaining a healthy diet may not guarantee that your body always receives adequate amounts of vitamins, minerals, or the support your body requires to live a long and healthy life.
The best way to correct this problem is to take daily vitamins and mineral supplements. No matter how much healthy food you eat in a day, you may still need the help of these supplements to get the right amount of essential nutrients for your daily activities.
But the bigger question is this… “which vitamins and minerals should you seriously consider when you reach the age of 40?”. Keep reading as we unveil the answer to this question.
Calcium
Calcium will make the bones and teeth strong and healthy. We always encourage our kids to take calcium supplements and to eat foods that are rich in calcium to make sure their bones and teeth grow stronger and healthier. But do you know that as you age your body’s calcium needs also increases?
Yes, just like children and teenagers, adults also need to take enough calcium to preserve the health and strength of their bones as well as to prevent bone-related medical conditions like osteoporosis. As you grow older, your bone calcium decreases and you will experience bone density loss.
More than keeping the bones and teeth strong and healthy, calcium also plays a vital role in the functioning of the nerves, heart, and muscles. It also helps the blood vessels in transporting blood all throughout the body. Calcium also helps in the release of hormones and in transmitting messages through the nerves.
Without sufficient amounts of calcium, the body will be forced to use the calcium stored in the bones to make sure that the cells are functioning normally. This will eventually lead to weaker bones in the long run. Taking calcium supplements will prevent these things from happening.
Vitamin D
Calcium without vitamin D is almost useless. This is because vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. It helps in the formation of calcitriol, a hormone, and an active form of vitamin D that is responsible for calcium absorption. That is why it is highly recommended to take calcium with vitamin D.
Vitamin D, however, is not only for calcium absorption. It plays an important role in different bodily processes. It helps in muscle movements and in carrying or transporting messages between the body and the brain. Likewise, it helps the immune system in defending the body against harmful bacteria and viruses. Vitamin D deficiencies are also linked to medical issues like multiple sclerosis, colorectal cancer, heart disease, breast cancer, and diabetes.
You can get vitamin D by exposing your bare skin to sunlight. However, you cannot enjoy enough sunlight all year long, especially during colder months. Unfortunately, you can’t also get enough vitamin D from foods. The best way to supply your body with enough amounts of vitamin D is to take vitamin D supplements daily.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is critical for normal blood and brain function. It supports blood cells, brain, and nerve health. Unlike during your younger years, the body can no longer easily absorb vitamin B12 as you age. This is because your stomach acid levels start to deplete especially when you reach the age of 50. And though you can get vitamin B12 from meat and animal products like eggs, fish, chicken, and dairy, you can’t always be sure that your body receives the recommended daily dose of this water-soluble vitamin.
Magnesium
Magnesium plays a critical role in many bodily processes, especially in heart, muscle, and nerve functions. Magnesium helps:
- Stabilize nerves
- Regulate and lower blood pressure
- Improve the quality of sleep
- Control blood glucose
Magnesium also helps the insulin in the body in handling the proteins and sugars you get from the foods you eat and the beverages you drink. It is likewise found beneficial in assisting vitamin D to direct calcium into the bones. Think absorption!
Adults, especially women, 40 years old and beyond are at risk of high blood pressure. Magnesium will help you get rid of age-related problems like high blood pressure, inflammation, diabetes, and heart disease. You need to consume 320 mg of magnesium per day and you can get magnesium from foods like avocados, soy, seeds, beans, nuts, and dark green leafy vegetables. It is also better if you take magnesium supplements especially if these sources are not part of your daily diet.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C, also referred to as ascorbic acid, is considered the most effective and the safest vitamin on earth. You also may already know that taking the right dose of vitamin C per day will help you get rid of a wide array of health problems including:
- Prenatal health issues
- Common colds
- Cardiovascular disease
- Skin wrinkling
- Immune system deficiencies
- Eye disease
Vitamin C also helps your body get rid of DNA-damaging free radicals. But do you know that vitamin C does not only support the immune system and help it function properly but also aids in the creation of collagen?
Yes, taking vitamin C supplements will not only make your body’s defense system stronger against bacteria and viruses, but it will as well help make your skin feel and look softer, youthful, and more elastic. It is during your 40s when your skin starts to develop some wrinkles and becomes easily dry and rough. The collagen that the body creates with the help of vitamin C will make your skin stay healthy even at the age of 40 and beyond. This protein also helps speed up the healing process, thus making wounds heal faster.
Aside from boosting the immune system by helping the body’s white blood cells function more effectively, vitamin C offers many other proven benefits. These include but not limited to lowering your risks of:
- Iron deficiency
- High blood pressure
- Gout
- Thinking and memory disorders like dementia
- Heart disease factors like bad LDL cholesterol and blood triglycerides.
This strong antioxidant also helps you get rid of chronic diseases by increasing the antioxidant levels in the blood by up to 30%, and it also supports better iron absorption.
Vitamin B-complex
Another important vitamin that you need to seriously take into consideration if you are approaching your 40’s is vitamin B-complex. This supplement is made up of eight B vitamins, namely: thiamine or vitamin B1, riboflavin or vitamin B2, niacin or vitamin B3, pantothenic acid or vitamin B5, pyridoxine or vitamin B6, biotin or vitamin B7, folic acid or vitamin B9, and cobalamin or vitamin B12.
Vitamin B-complex supplements are known for their many amazing health benefits. As these B vitamins work together and individually, they help promote and support:
- Better energy level
- Healthy brain function
- Better appetite
- Cardiovascular health
- Hormones and cholesterol production
- Cell health
- Good eyesight
- Good cholesterol
- Growth of red blood cells
- Better digestion
- Proper nerve function
- Muscle tone
- Smooth cellular and organ system processes
Potassium
As you hit the 40 years old mark, your risks of having high blood pressure and stroke increase, especially if you have been living a sedentary and unhealthy lifestyle since the earlier years of your life. Potassium will help you keep high blood pressure at bay. For those who are experiencing postmenopausal issues, taking potassium supplements will lower your risks of a stroke.
Nutrition experts recommend taking as little as 2g to as much as 4.7g per day. If taking a potassium supplement is not an option, you can still get your daily potassium allowance by including foods like lentils, sweet potatoes, chard, bananas, and beans in your daily diet.
Chromium
Are you wondering why you seem to easily gain more weight than to lose some pounds even without changes in your diet and lifestyle? You are consuming the same kinds and amount of foods and beverages and doing the same physical activities but WHY are you gaining that dreaded weight? Well, blame it on your metabolism.
Yes, as you grow older, your metabolism will also slowly get sluggish. This means that your body processes the foods you eat slower than it used to, during your twenties or early thirties. This is quite normal, however, if you feel like your metabolism seems to be too sluggish, you might find comfort by taking chromium supplements.
Chromium helps in regulating blood sugar. This can help boost better nutrients absorption and distribution. This mineral may also help reduce your food intake by suppressing your appetite while increasing muscle mass and fat loss.
Other helpful supplements you need to take after 40:
Probiotics
As your muscle mass begins to decrease, it will make it easier and quicker for your body to put on some added pounds. Insulin resistance may also develop. Probiotics will help you maintain a healthier gut. You should never try to take your gut for granted as it impacts almost everything about your overall health. It plays an important role in digestive health, weight management, immunity, and mental health, among others.
This supplement can likewise help reduce your risks of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Probiotics can also help you maintain or reduce excess weight, making you as healthy and fit as during your younger years.
You can get probiotics from dairy foods and fermented soy products. However, nutrition experts suggest that you take probiotic supplements as they contain more beneficial strains than foods.
Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are known for the myriad health benefits they offer. In recent studies about the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, the researchers found out that they:
- Help counteract the negative changes associated with aging like cognitive decline, joint pain, and increased risks of heart disease.
- Aid in lowering LDL cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
- Support sharper memory and thinking.
- Has the ability to fight against inflammation.
- Decrease the risk of heart disease.
- Help maintain excellent brain health.
The researchers also found out that those individuals whose blood contains higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids had better performance on abstract thinking, memory tests, and planning activities than those with lower omega-3 fatty acids levels on their blood. The previous is also found to have larger brains than the latter.
Omega-3 fatty acids can be abundantly found in flaxseeds, fish, walnuts, and leafy vegetables. If you consider taking an omega-3 fatty acids supplement, make sure to check with your doctor first as the recommended daily dosage varies greatly according to whether you are healthy or currently experiencing certain health issues like heart disease, and high triglyceride levels.
Aside from the above-mentioned vitamins, minerals, and supplements, there are many other dietary supplements that are proven to help you stay healthy and lively even at the age of 40. These supplements include but not limited to glucosamine, boron, psyllium fiber, coenzyme q10, melatonin, lutein, and choline.