THE OVER 50’S SPEND LESS ON FOOD SUPPLEMENTS
Recent research by the Health Food Manufacturer’s Association revealed that the over 50’s spend less than the national average on keeping healthy in terms of diet and food supplements. However, both become more important with age, as nutrients become harder to absorb; older people also often eat less than they did, meaning dietary intake goes down.
If you are in this age group here are five supplements to consider.
- A good multi vitamin and mineral supplement for all round health
- Vitamin D to help absorption of calcium, essential among other things for healthy bones
- Omega 3’s to boost heart health as well as healthy joints and brain function
- Ubiquinol (a form of CoQ10) especially if taking statins to help reduce side effects such as muscle weakness and fatigue
- Vitamin B12 to help support red blood cell formation, nerve function and bone health
HERBS CAN BOOST YOUR MEMORY
Good news on the herb front. According to research carried out at Northumbria University and presented at the annual British Psychological Society Conference in Nottingham peppermint, camomile, rosemary and lavender can affect mood and memory, some providing significant benefits for older people.
The researchers from the university’s department of psychology found that drinking peppermint tea improves alertness, while camomile tea has a calming effect. They also found that smelling rosemary and lavender scents impacted on the memory of people over 65 years, with the scent of rosemary enhancing their memory, whilst lavender impaired it.
VITAMIN C CAN HELP REDUCE CATARACTS
Strawberries are one of the best sources of vitamin C and it appears these bright red berries can help reduce cataracts by as much as a third according to a study from King’s College London. Other good sources of vitamin C include oranges, red and green peppers and broccoli.
ROSEMARY PROMOTES LONGEVITY
Including more rosemary in your cooking could help to keep you healthier well into old age. A group of Italian and US researchers have discovered an Italian community with more than 300 centenarians and they think that it is the rosemary in their diet could in part explain their longevity.
