7 Essential Nutrients You Need More of After Age 50 | Boost Energy, Brain, and Heart Health Naturally
As we age, our nutrient needs change, and deficiencies in key vitamins and minerals can accelerate aging, memory loss, fatigue, and heart issues. In this video, I break down 7 science-backed nutrients older adults often lack, like Vitamin B12, CoQ10, Magnesium, and Omega-3 DHA, and how they support your brain health, energy levels, immune function, and cardiovascular system.
You’ll learn:
Why nutrient absorption declines with age
Which foods naturally boost these nutrients
When supplements may be necessary (especially if you’re on statins or acid blockers)
🔗 Related videos:
CoQ10 Explained: https://youtu.be/7T8jpFQgrvk
CoQ10 Types and Dosages: https://youtu.be/u4K6W2rp7ec
Vitamin K2 Explained: https://youtu.be/2EaMjpsoPYg
Magnesium Types & Benefits: https://youtu.be/HPXxZA0MgQA
#HealthyAging #Over50Health #VitaminB12 #CoQ10 #Omega3 #NutritionTips #SupplementsForSeniors
Hi folks, today I want to share seven nutrients that we need more of as we age. You know, as we age, our bodies undergo significant physiological changes that directly impact how we process and utilize nutrients. Now, I’m sure most of us know that calcium and fiber are important for bone and digestive health. So, I want to share some others that deserve attention but are not talked about as much as well as my practical tips at the end on how you can get all of them in without having to take an individual supplement for each of them. Now, the first nutrient I want to talk about is vitamin B12. Now, vitamin B12 presents a unique challenge as we get older. Now, here’s why. After age 50, our stomachs produce less acid and something called intrinsic factor. Now, that’s a special protein that our stomach makes to help absorb B12. Without enough of these two things, our bodies can’t properly extract B12 from the foods that we eat. Now, vitamin B12 is crucial for three main functions. First, it keeps our nerves healthy. Without it, people develop what we call peripheral neuropathy, which means uh the numbness or the tingling in the hands and the feet. Secondly, vitamin B12 helps form red blood cells. Now a deficiency causes megaloblastic anemia where your red blood cells become too large and don’t work properly leaving you exhausted. Now the third thing is that B12 is needed for DNA synthesis which is the process of creating genetic material for new cells. Now studies show that approximately 10 to 15% of adults over 60 have insufficient vitamin B12 levels in their system. Now the concerning part is that B12 deficiency can cause memory problems and confusion that might be mistaken for normal aging or even sometimes dementia. The Nationalademies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine through its food and nutrition board recommends that adults over 50 get most of their B12 from fortified foods or supplements. Now you may ask why? Well, this is because the crystalline or the synthetic form of B12 in these products doesn’t need stomach acid to be absorbed. It’s already in a form that your body can use. Now, while 2.4 micrograms daily is the standard recommendation, people with the confirmed deficiency often need much higher doses. The next nutrient is vitamin K2. Now, there are two types of vitamin K, K1 and K2. Vitamin K2 differs from vitamin K1 which most of us are familiar with. Now while K1 helps with blood clotting, K2 has a remarkable role. It activates special proteins involved in calcium metabolism. Now calcium obviously is essential for strong bones and teeth, but it can also cause problems if it accumulates in the wrong places such as in your arteries in a process called arterial calcification. Now, vitamin K2 helps prevent arterial calcification by directing calcium to your bones and teeth where it belongs and keeping it away from your blood vessels and organs where it can cause harm by hardening and narrowing blood vessels. Now, in so doing, vitamin K2 reduces the risk of high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, and stroke. Now, the Rotterdam study, which followed approximately 4,800 participants aged 55 or older for over 10 years, showed that those with the highest vitamin K2 intake, primarily from fermented foods uh setting meats, had a 50% reduced risk of arterial calcification and a 50% reduced risk of cardiovascular events during the study period. So, the question is, how do you get enough vitamin K2? Well, fermented foods are the best, particularly natto, which is a fermented soybean product, which is very popular in Japan. It contains up to 1,100 micrograms of vitamin K2 per 100 g. Now, hard cheese like gouda and brie as well as egg yolks and fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut also contain K2. Now studies show that 108 to 200 micrograms daily of MK7 which is a form of vitamin K2 provides the best benefits. Now the third nutrient is co-enzyme Q10 or sometimes we shortening it as CoQ10 which is a compound that is made by your body and stored in the part of the cells called the mitochondria. Now the mitochondria are responsible for energy production. As such the primary one of the primary functions of CoQ10 is to produce energy. Unfortunately, as we age, CoQ10 production decreases. Thus, older people tend to be deficient in this compound. Now, some studies suggest that optimal CoQ10 production occurs around the age 25 followed by a subsequent age related decline that may vary across different tissues. So, for example, in the heart tissue, production of CoQ10 at age 65 is approximately half that at the age of 25. Now this becomes especially more important if you take a statin medications to lower your cholesterol. Studies show that statins reduce CoQ10 levels even further because they block the same pathway your body uses to make CoQ10. Now apart from energy production which I mentioned earlier, CoQ10 may also help improve heart health, prevent cancer and enhance physical performance. Now you’ll find small amounts of CoQ10 in organ meats, in fatty fish and whole grains, but is truly difficult to get therapeutic amounts from food alone. Research shows that ubiquinol, which is a form of CoQ10 that is more readily absorbed than the other forms, is preferred. And most studies use doses ranging anywhere between 100 to 300 milligs of CoQ10 daily. Now, I have covered CoQ10 extensively in several videos on this channel. I’m going to put links to those videos in the description so you can check them out after this video. My next nutrient is choline. Now, choline is essential for making acetylcholine, which is a chemical messenger that your brain uses to form memories and control your muscles. It’s crucial for maintaining healthy cell membranes throughout your body. Now in one study called the Firmingham Offspring study, researchers found that people with higher cooling intake had better verbal memory and less brain shrinkage. Now verbal memory is essentially our capacity to remember things we hear or read. Now this includes remembering words, numbers, instructions, and other verbal information. Another study following over 2,400 elderly adults showed that getting adequate choline reduced the risk of cognitive problems by approximately 50%. Now, good sources of choline include eggs. One large egg provides about 145 millig. Now, you need about 550 milligs daily if you’re a man and 425 milligs if you are a woman. Other sources include fish, beef, and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli. Now, a morning omelette isn’t just delicious. It’s actually brain food. So, think about it. Now, let’s move on to nutrient number five, which is magnesium. Now, magnesium needs no introduction. It’s truly remarkable. It powers over 600 different enzyme reactions in your body. That’s double what we used to think. No. From keeping your heart rhythm steady to maintaining healthy blood sugar, magnesium does it all. But here’s the problem. Some estimates show that 20% of elderly people are deficient. And if you’re over 70, that jumps to over 29%. And you may be asking why. Well, similar to vitamin B12 that I spoke about earlier, low stomach acid as a result of aging results in lower magnesium absorption. Now, this acidity is crucial for releasing magnesium from the food matrix and making it available for absorption in the small intestine. Also, medications like diuretics or water pills, which older people are more likely to be on can deplete your system of magnesium. The recommended amount is 420 milligs for men and 320 milligs for women over 50 years old. Now, if you need help in choosing the right magnesium supplement since there’s like a gazillion of them out there, I put together a comprehensive video explaining most of the major uh ones, most of the major magnesium types. I’ll put a link as well to that video in the description so you can check it out. Good food sources include dark leafy greens, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and whole grains. Now, next is omega-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA. Now, these healthy fats support brain health, reduce inflammation, and may help lower our risk of heart disease, something especially critical for anybody over 50. Now, DHA is a special type of omega-3 that makes up a significant portion of the brain tissue. In fact, over 90% of omega-3s in your brain are DHA. It also comprises 60% of the important fats in your retina, which is why it’s crucial for both brain and eye health. In one study called Midas, older adults who took 900 mg of DHA daily showed significant improvement in memory and learning after just 24 weeks. Another large analysis of 48 studies involving over 100,000 participants found that adequate DHA intake reduced the risk of dementia by approximately 20%. Now the best sources are fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, and anchovies. The World Health Organization recommends at least 250 to 500 milligs of combined EPA and DHA daily. But for cognitive benefits, studies suggest 500 to 900 milligrams of DHA specifically. Now, if you don’t like fish, algae based supplements work just as well. You know, after all, that’s where the fish gets their DHA. Anyway, the next nutrient is zinc. Now, zinc isn’t just for fighting off cold. It’s essential for wound healing, immune defense, and maintaining your sense of taste and smell. Now, as you may already guessed, older adults are particularly susceptible to zinc deficiency. Your ability to absorb zinc declines with age. You know, studies show that statistics are even more concerning for seniors in nursing homes. Now, the daily recommendation is 11 milligs for men and 8 milligs for women. Oysters contain the highest amount of zinc among commonly consumed foods. However, beef, pumpkin seeds, fortified cereals are more practical daily sources. Now, here’s a tip. Just sprinkle some pumpkin seeds on your salad or yogurt for an easy way to boost your zinc intake. Now, here’s the thing. I know this might feel like a lot of supplements that you need to take. But here’s my practical tip. Start with real food first. A Mediterranean style diet naturally provides many of these nutrients. fish twice a week, plenty of vegetables, nuts, seeds, and some fermented foods. However, I must admit that the research shows that most older adults need strategic supplementation. So, talk to your doctor about testing, especially for B12, vitamin D, and magnesium levels, especially if you’re on medications like statins or acid blockers. Then, you may even need to pay more attention to CoQ10, and magnesium. Now, I sincerely hope you found some value in this video. Thanks for spending the last couple of minutes with me. If you found this video helpful, share with somebody else who you think may find it helpful. And as always, stay blessed and I’ll catch you on the next video.
