Hobbies, quirks, habits, character traits: people constantly change as they get older.
This process affects not only a person’s appearance and essence, but also things like metabolism, energy needs and fitness.
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Nutritionist Dr. Annette Neubert explains which nutrients are essential as we get older, especially after the age of 30.
Energy requirements decrease and muscles break down
After the age of 30, the body actually needs less energy in the form of calories to function well. For example, you can easily find out how many calories you need using a calorie calculator.
Unfortunately, the wishful thinking that fewer calories will make annoying fat deposits disappear is not entirely true. In fact, muscle mass is more likely to decrease in your 30s – but fat remains in place more stubbornly.
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In addition, a lower calorie requirement also poses the challenge of still consuming all the important nutrients.
The nutrient requirements remain the same and should be taken into account in the diet in order to stay healthy and productive.
Vitamin C and D
Every child already knows that fruits and vegetables contain many important vitamins and should be on the menu every day. Of course, this also applies to adults: the human organism is dependent on these vitamins.
Vitamin C in particular contributes to many important functions – for example, it supports the nervous system in its vital work and keeps the energy metabolism and the immune system running.
An additional effect of vitamin C is the protection of cells from stress and improved absorption of iron.
Especially as you get older, it is important to ensure your calcium and calcium supply Vitamin D in order to reduce the risk of bone fractures in later life.
Vitamin D is primarily absorbed through the skin through exposure to sunlight. However, this ability decreases with increasing age and, depending on your daily routine, may not be adequately fulfilled in the dark months.
However, before you take vitamin D supplements on your own, you should definitely have a blood test done by your doctor. An excess of vitamin D is harmful to the body because, unlike other nutrients, it cannot be easily excreted.
Lots of nutrients and few calories
Of course, no one should lie in the sun for hours or take countless nutritional supplements – that isn’t healthy in the long term either.
Everyone can easily get vitamin D and C through the right diet. Dr. Anette Neubert recommends: “As you get older, you should prefer foods with a higher nutrient density, i.e. those that contain little energy but a lot of nutrients.”
For example, low-fat dairy products or low-fat meat as well as vegetables – especially peppers, carrots, beetroot, broccoli or kohlrabi – and fruits such as apples or berries are real vitamin C bombs.
In addition, fish such as mackerel or salmon are good sources of vitamin D. They also contain a lot of fat, but these are healthy fats that keep you full for a long time.
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Calcium remains elemental
As a child, calcium ensures the development of bones and teeth – from the age of 30 onwards it ensures their maintenance and it stabilizes the cell walls, is involved in signal transmission in the cell and in the transmission of stimuli in the nervous system and muscles.
Maintaining their bone mass is particularly important for women, as they otherwise have an increased risk of osteoporosis due to hormonal fluctuations over the course of their lives. A particularly good way to ensure a calcium supply is through milk and dairy products.
Dr. Anette Neubert reveals: “Two small slices of Emmental cheese, i.e. around 40 grams a day, a glass of low-fat milk (around 250 milliliters) and 250 grams of natural yoghurt are enough.”
For vegans, chickpeas, tofu, kale, dried figs and arugula are good sources of calcium.
Drinking enough is the be-all and end-all
The human body is made up of 70 percent water, so it’s best to give it what it needs – lots of fluids.
Too little fluid can have many negative consequences: Many people then get headaches or suffer from fatigue, fatigue, dizziness and a lack of concentration.
To cover your water needs, you should drink around two liters of water a day. If this is difficult for you, you can, for example, use drinking bottles with a liquid meter or infused water, which offers a taste kick and perhaps tastes better than plain water.
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DGE (2013): Selected questions and answers about calcium, accessed on December 3rd, 2024: https://www.dge.de/forschung/weitere-publikationen/faqs/calcium/#ca
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