Nutrients You Need More Of As You Age

As we age, we need to pay more attention to certain elements of our diet. For example, once you’re over the age of 55, you need triple the amount of protein your body required when you were younger! 

Almost everything gets harder as we get older, and this includes our body’s ability to absorb nutrients, vitamins and minerals. This, along with a typical decrease in appetite that sometimes comes with age, can often lead to nutritional deficiencies in seniors. 

Once we enter our 60s and 70s, our ability to absorb Vitamin B12 weakens. Vitamin B12 is a nutrient that plays a crucial role in keeping our nervous system in working order and plays a key role in red blood cell formation. A deficiency in this vitamin can bring on symptoms like muscle weakness, balance and coordination issues and even cognitive decline. 

Magnesium is more important for women in general, but even more so for the senior ladies! This essential mineral supports bone health, and the older we get, the weaker our bones become, so it’s important we keep our magnesium levels in a healthy range to reduce the risk of osteoporosis, which we’re at a higher risk of than men to begin with! 

This fatty acid is essential in everyone’s diet, but since it is particularly beneficial for brain health seniors need it even more. Studies suggest Omega-3 fatty acids could help reduce the risk of cognitive decline in older people. It also contains anti-inflammatory properties, which can be beneficial for seniors suffering with migraines or swelling.

Vitamin D has a range of benefits for general wellbeing and overall health, but for seniors, it’s needed even more because it promotes strong bones and plays a part in keeping the immune system healthy. Like omega-3 fatty acids, it’s also a natural anti-inflammatory, only adding to its significance for the older ladies.

This is one you probably guessed would be on the list! We all know calcium as the mineral that helps keeps our bones strong, but it does even more than that. Aside from building and maintaining strong bones, it helps with the movement of muscles, blood flow and supports immune function. Seniors need more of this for the same reason they need more magnesium. 

Yes, seniors even need more water… well they need to watch their intake more closely anyway. We mentioned before that as we age, our body’s ability to absorb nutrients slows down, and what naturally helps our body absorb nutrients from food? Water! But the tough thing is, just like how appetite typically slows down with age, so does our sense of thirst!

Seniors are more susceptible to dehydration than younger people, and since it’s harder to tell if we’re thirsty when we’re older, we just need to be mindful of our water intake.

We have to take care of ourselves even more as we age, our bodies aren’t as strong as they once were especially on the inside! If you’re a senior lady it’s a good idea to reassess your diet to ensure you’re giving your body the proper nutrients to maintain optimal health.