Diet & Nutrition - 3 Diet Changes Women Over 50 Should Make Right Now
Your body changes as you age, so your diet needs to change, too.Jason Ewoldt, RDN, LD, a wellness dietitian at Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program, suggests that women over 50 target three important nutrients to combat the most common changes caused by aging.
1. Calcium for Bone Health- Osteoporosis gets a fair amount of attention, and most older women understand that the risk of developing this bone disease increases with age. In fact, 1 in 3 women over 50 is at risk of a bone break caused by osteoporosis. Osteoporosis affects men too, but not at such high rates. Women over 50 need 1,200 milligrams of calcium daily. Use the Nutrition Facts label on food products to keep track of your intake.
2. Protein for Healthy Muscle Mass- Older women tend to sit more, exercise less. That compounds a natural aging process called sarcopenia, which is the loss of muscle mass. Your protein needs depend on how much you weigh. For women over 50, experts recommend 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of weight (1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds). If you weigh 140 pounds, for instance, you would need at least 63 grams of protein a day.
3. Vitamin B-12 for Brain Function- As women age, they absorb fewer nutrients from their food. One key nutrient they may not be absorbing enough of is vitamin B-12, which is essential for maintaining both healthy red blood cells and brain function.
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