Taking Vitamins After 40

Taking vitamins with your regular diet is a helpful way of ensuring you are keeping your body as healthy as possible. As you get older, it is even more important to take vitamins to ensure you are getting all the nutrients your body needs. If you are male, and aged 40 or over, there are specific vitamins you should consider taking.

Fish Oil

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the number one killer in America is now heart disease. Although a healthy diet and proper exercise will help men avoid problems with their cardiovascular system, those who supplement their daily food intake with omega-3 fatty acid vitamins are proven to be less at risk. This is especially relevant to men in their 40s, 50s and beyond. What makes fish oils effective is they contain both docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which are proven to counteract the buildup of atherosclerotic plaque, which in turn causes the “hardening” of arteries and, ultimately, heart attacks and strokes. A beneficial side effect of eliminating atherosclerotic plaque buildup in arteries is lowering blood pressure, as blood can circulate more freely through your cardiovascular system.

Fish oil helps keep your testosterone levels up. Testosterone levels decrease naturally as you age, making you more susceptible to obesity, osteoporosis and heart disease.

Hydrochloric Acid

As you age, you produce less hydrochloric acid in your stomachs. This can lead to heartburn, indigestion and other stomach problems. To help combat this, take a vitamin supplement containing hydrochloric acid before eating. This will also increase your stomach’s ability to absorb the vitamins from other food, which will keep your immune system strong.

Amino Acids

Amino acids such as arginine, ornithine and glutamine support the output of your body’s growth hormone while you sleep. This helps repair and rejuvenate your body, as well as keeping your sleep patterns regular. Taking amino acids, combined with a healthy lifestyle, can lower your body’s biological age.

Saw Palmetto

Saw palmetto is a vitamin that is very specific to the needs of older men. Historically employed by American Indian and Mayan men, it is used widely in Europe today and is becoming more prevalent in America as its health benefits are discovered. Saw palmetto’s benefit lies in combating the side effects of benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH), which begins to occur as men approach their 40s. Mens Health’s website references studies that show the naturally occurring ingredients of saw palmetto will reduce the size of the prostate and can counteract the symptoms of prostate enlargement, such as the need for nighttime urination, weak urine flow and degenerative prostate health. According to the Mayo Clinic, saw palmetto blocks the effects of testosterone and thus may also serve to impede the onset of pattern hair loss in men as they age

Coenzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10 is a vitamin designed to help a man’s body manage his normally supply of energy. As a man ages, his body slowly stops producing Coenzyme Q10 naturally, which can be helped by taking vitamin supplements

Boron

Boron is a vitamin that increases energy levels in a man and helps prevent against prostate cancer.

Calcium

Calcium is another important vitamin for men. In addition to increasing energy, it helps men to both strengthen bones and lose weight.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A helps to keep your skin, eyes and other organs moist, thus preventing them from drying out and becoming open to damage. Vitamin A also works to protect the body from free radicals and toxins that cause illness and disease. This natural sickness fighter is essential to a healthy body and the continuation of proper cell development.

Vitamin B-Complex

Vitamin B-complex, a combination of several B vitamins, is needed in just about every part of the body to help regulate, and stimulate, proper working order. The vitamin helps to create energy needed by the body to function by converting incoming glucose. It aids in the functioning of the adrenal glands that are responsible for proper nervous system activity. It is also used in aiding proper digestion and for keeping skin younger looking.

Vitamin C

A powerful antioxidant, vitamin C is responsible for protecting the body from harmful free radicals, and the prevention of sickness and disease. It can actually help the body heal from minor scrapes and bruises as well. It is also used in oral health, especially needed by the gums to remain healthy and firm.

Vitamin D

Like your mom always said, drink milk to get strong bones. This is true with vitamin D, in conjunction with calcium. Vitamin D is essential in bone and joint health by its ability to balance the right amount of calcium in the body. From birth and beyond, this vitamin regulates bone growth and density, which determines if they will be strong and last, or brittle and break. If you’re having problems with your teeth, utilize vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Where vitamin D is needed for bone health, vitamin E is necessary for proper muscle health. It regulates the amount of oxidation in the body, which can have adverse effects on muscle growth. Too much oxidation in the muscles can lead to loss of strength and movement, as well as random spasms. A deficiency in this vitamin results in muscular dystrophy. It is an important vitamin supplement men can take to increase energy. It is an antioxidant that naturally slows the aging process of the body.

I hope this helps you with getting the essential vitamins and nutrients your body may need. If you have any other supplements or suggestions that works for you, please leave your comments below.