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Healthy Aging- Five Nutrients Men don’t get enough of

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Men need help with nutrition.

Men and women are different in many ways. Because male and female bodies are designed for different purposes, there are differences in nutritional needs. Add to this the more casual attitude of men toward nutrition and health and it is not surprising that men are commonly deficient in five important nutrients.

Aging just compounds this problem.

It is bad enough for good health during the active stages of life but because the human body is so resilient, the effects are often hard to detect. In old age, however, these deficiencies can produce real health problems.

There are five important nutrients which are typically deficient for men as reported in a recent article from Men’s Health. These are probably surprising to most men because they aren’t the ones we hear about. They aren’t the hot item issues that grab headlines and they are easy to remedy by supplementation or better diet choices. If you aren’t thinking about these nutrients as you plan your diet, take a minute and discover what you can do to make sure that your body has what it needs to keep you healthy as you age. And women, these nutrients may not be critical for your health but if you have a husband or other male loved-one you can use this information to help them stay healthy. Check out the article for more details but here is the list and some ideas for getting enough in your diet.

Five nutrients that men need more of

1. Vitamin D – you should consume 1,400 IU of vitamin D

2. Magnesium – most men need supplementation 400 mg per day

3. Vitamin B12 – interactions with drugs can deplete dietary B12. Supplemented breakfast cereals are a good source.

4. Potassium – avocados, bananas and potatoes (not french fried) are good sources

5. Iodine– skip the iodinized salt, drink milk and eat eggs and yogurt.

 

{ 9 comments… add one }
  • Bob@Common Sense Conversation April 6, 2011, 4:04 am

    One problem a lot of folks have…young and old…is looking for a quick fix. While bodily nutrients CAN be found in a bottle from a health food store, those compounds are usually inferior to the natural nutrient. They are often inferior in their makeup, being produced in a lab rather than naturally, or they have issues with the “wrapper” being a problem.

    Either way, just getting the nutrient physically into your body, that is, swallowing the pill…is only half the battle. The other half is bodily uptake, and lab produced nutrients usually fall short…FAR short…in the uptake department.

    That is why the single most important piece f advice you gave in the article and the linked articles is “do what your grandparents did”. They ate well, got their nutrients naturally, and led a far more active life than we do now.
    Bob@Common Sense Conversation’s last Blog Post ..Two sweet old ladies and a deranged redneck

    • Ralph April 6, 2011, 6:37 am

      Bob.
      No question that supplements don’t always do the job they promise. But today, people have gotten out of the habit of cooking real food and don’t have the patience to learn and practice it. It people can’t, or won’t follow your advice, supplements are better than nothing.

  • Hansi April 6, 2011, 6:30 am

    More good reminders….thanks Ralph
    Hansi’s last Blog Post ..Reefer Madness

    • Ralph April 6, 2011, 6:38 am

      Hansi,
      You are welcome.

  • Bill Murney April 8, 2011, 1:30 am

    I am not a great believer in supplements Ralph, I prefer to get my nutrients from a balanced diet.

    Bill
    Ashton-under-Lyne, UK

    • Ralph April 8, 2011, 6:52 am

      Bill,
      I think it is always better to get nutrition from food too. It’s just that sometimes, I just won’t take the trouble to prepare it.

  • Aster May 7, 2011, 1:17 am

    Really You wake up me. Nice Post

    • Ralph May 7, 2011, 6:49 am

      Thanks Aster. Good nutrition is always important but it becomes vital as you age.

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