02 November, 2021
Nothing is more important than being healthy nowadays. Especially now that these past few years belong to an era that takes a toll on everyone’s health. Without the proper nutrients that the body needs, one can be prone to sickness and other serious conditions, especially as they get older. Getting enough nutrition is a challenge. And because as you age, the number of calories you need to have is gradually reducing. Thus, every calorie you must consume should always be packed with adequate nutrition to stay as healthy as possible, even if you add more years to your age. However, falling short on the nutrients is unavoidable. As one gets older, the body is slowly becoming less efficient at absorbing the nutrients needed. So as a way to compensate for the loss of nutrient absorption, the intake of vitamins and minerals is hugely needed to stay healthy.
Age is not an excuse to avoid consuming vitamins and minerals on a regular basis. No matter what your age is, whether you are a child, teen, adult, or even a senior citizen, getting the right amount of nutrients everyday is essential. The micronutrients, which are also called vitamins and minerals, hold a vital role in one’s being. As it provides benefits to a person, you might fail to reap them if you do not consume adequate amounts of micronutrients. And aside from getting nutrients from food, you can also be able to be healthier through the intake of vitamin and mineral supplements.
The role of vitamins and minerals, especially for the elderly, is essential as they are needed by the body to function properly, and in its optimal state. It is needed to be consumed on a regular basis, in order to support the processes that the body does to maintain life. They help reduce the risk of developing health problems and other serious conditions. They also have the ability to help promote healthy aging, can boost cardiovascular health, support the immune system, and can even help the brain function. However, it is not true that vitamins supply one’s body with energy. Consumption of food with nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, and fats are needed to generate them. What vitamins do is help these nutrients release the energy. Energy is vital and is required for all sorts of complex chemical reactions in the bodies, thus preventing disorders and some serious conditions related to aging.
Growing old is a part of life that you cannot, in any way, avoid. It is a sad truth that everyone will face. The risk of getting sick as one grows old is also inevitable as the capacity of their body to absorb the much-needed nutrients may most likely be reduced. This is solely because of certain medications that drain nutrients further. So the older you get, the more you require yourself to take care of your physical health.
Given this, an effective way to look after your health would be vitamins and supplement intake. They have the ability to reset your nutrient levels, and boost your intake of important nutrients to promote healthy aging. But still, as you are growing old, some vitamins might complicate some bodily functions, or might contradict the effects of your maintenance medication that is provided to your body. Thus, it is important to consult with a doctor, or a trusted healthcare professional before actually adding any supplements to your maintenance medicines.
Some vitamins and minerals, like magnesium and B vitamins, are known to help lower cholesterol, improve blood pressure, and other conditions that put you at risk for heart diseases. They contribute to a healthy cardiovascular system, keeping your heart as healthy as it can be. And of course, to ensure optimal results in helping your heart retain its good condition, combining it with eating heart-healthy foods is essential. In fact, vitamin intake without practicing a healthy lifestyle through the food you eat is not as effective as them being done at once.
For better understanding as well, there are some nutrients that are better paired and work together in synergy with certain vitamins and minerals. For instance, combining vitamin B6 and magnesium together is effective for a healthier heart. The mineral magnesium helps regulate the blood pressure, keeping your arteries from hardening and your heart rhythm regular. While vitamin B6 is known to help the body in absorbing magnesium, this just means that pairing them together ensures that you will be getting the benefit of a healthy cardiovascular health. There are other vitamins, minerals and nutrient pairs that can maximize all its advantages.
Given the sudden changes with the climate these days, people are more prone to sickness. One’s body finds it hard to adapt and make swift changes. This means it might experience a slow absorption of the nutrients the body is consuming, and might fail to give the body the protection it is supposed to provide. Thus, the immune system is so important that you have to nurture it as much as possible.
The common vitamins for the immune system would be an antioxidant, which is vitamin C. It helps prevent infections or alleviate them immediately. Also, vitamins E and D strengthens one’s immunity. Similar to vitamin C, vitamin E is an important vitamin which can also be an effective and powerful antioxidant, fighting off the infection inside your body. With vitamin D on the other hand, it is a sunshine vitamin which is also considered as a powerful antioxidant and nutrients as a support to the immune system.
Given all the benefits as a prevention to the harmful elements that might stick with the body, it is still not enough to stay healthy for a long period of time. You have to balance these vitamins and minerals with sufficient fruits and green leafy vegetables. A healthy immune system is dependent on a body which has a balanced healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle. Of course, lifestyle practices such as exercising regularly and taking a good sleep is an essential thing to do to prepare your body in fighting off the toxic elements, as a way to prevent yourself from getting sick.
Vitamins also play an important role for your brain health. Aside from the benefits above that vitamins and minerals provide in one’s body, they can also help improve the brain function, cognitive function, and can also serve as a protection for your brain, warding off the memory loss. It can be a measure to help treat and promote better mental health as well. These mental issues might be caused by nutrient deficiencies, so it is important to consume these regularly. After all, there is no harm in vitamin intake that is proven to help offset the deficiencies. However, you should still and only take those you believe is a quality vitamin.
Though before actually taking them, you should have your doctor consult you first as they can recommend what supplements are perfect for your current body condition.
The role of vitamins and minerals in one’s body, especially for elderly, is more important, as it has the ability to protect the body from harmful elements that might be a risk for one’s overall health. It can prevent the body from serious conditions and diseases. Remember, preventing the entire situation from happening is better than having to cure them.
Proper nutrition, with the help of vitamins and minerals, is essential as it helps the elderly live longer, avoiding any illnesses and diseases that might happen as they grow old. And as older ones tend to hold much more risk than those who are younger, it might frighten them. With this, you must take good care of yourself, and consume vitamins and minerals for your body to provide the necessary nutrients needed for a healthy life. But then, keep in mind that vitamins and minerals that you get from supplements and food, if followed by a healthy lifestyle. There are various supplements available at the market that help support healthy aging while addressing various health concerns.