Nutritional needs for men over 40 change.
As men age, their nutritional needs change. If you're a man over 40 and want to stay healthy, you need to understand what the changing needs are and incorporate them into your diet. One of the areas that you need to adjust will be vitamins. You can alter your diet to get the additional nutrition or find a multi-vitamin that provides the different doses. Here are the vitamins you need to adjust when you are over 40.
Healthy Prostate
Keeping a healthy prostate gland becomes a growing concern as you pass 40. Vitamins C, D and E can help in this regard. Vitamin C attacks infections in the prostate while vitamins D and E will help fight prostate cancer, the risk of which increases as men age.
Other Vitamins
Vitamin B6 helps your body metabolize proteins so you can maintain you muscle mass as you age. Vitamin A (along with C and E) are antioxidants that reduce the free radicals in your body and help you stay healthy.
Cautions
While vitamins and minerals are a good thing, too much of certain ones are not healthy when your are over 40. If you can get your nutrition through diet, then don't take in more than you need with a multi-vitamin. Too much folate can increase your risk of colon cancer, according to Harvard Men's Health Watch, and too much vitamin E might increase your chances of dying early. The label on Centrum Silver for Men cautions that too much vitamin A increases the risk of osteoporosis.
Minerals
Vitamins and minerals tend to work hand in hand to keep you healthy. The prostate gland uses zinc, so in order to keep it healthy, make sure you get plenty of zinc. Men don't need as much calcium and iron as they age. Too much iron in an older man increases the risk of heart disease because the body doesn't get rid of it. Too much calcium can also increase your risk of prostate cancer.
Supplements
Garlic and lycopene, which is an antioxidant, will help your body fight cancer. L-arginine helps nitric oxide productions, which in turn helps with erectile dysfunction. Saw palmetto will help shrink an enlarged prostate.
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