Nutrition Videos

Hi! I'm Stelios Pantazis. I'm a doctor and I specialize in medical nutrition and metabolic disorders. In this video we'll see 12 vitamins and trace elements that people over the age of 50 need. Let's start with calcium. The older we get, the more calcium we lose, instead of absorbing it. This weakens the bones. The condition is called osteoporosis. It mostly affects women who are past menopause. Calcium, however, isn't important for the bones alone. It also helps our muscles, nerves, cells and vessels to work well. Most calcium in our body is in our bones. That's where 99% of it is stored. Women over 50 and men over 70 need to consume 20% more calcium than other adults. Dairy products are good sources, but if you are avoiding animal fats, there's plenty of calcium in leafy greens. I've already uploaded a video on the matter. Vitamin B12 helps produce red blood cells which carry oxygen through the bloodstream and in the proper functioning of nerve cells. It's produced by microbes in the soil and it accumulates in animal foods because animals eat some dirt together with their food. As opposed to us who wash our food, so there's no soil on it. Besides animal foods, meat, fish, eggs and dairy, it's also available in tablets and other supplements, as well as in fortified foods, such as breakfast cereals, juices, etc. Most people consume enough B12, but as we get older, we absorb less, so we should measure it to make sure we have enough. I've mentioned how we test B12 in another video. During my residency at the hospital, I had published a study in a conference, according to which one in four people over the age of 40 don't have enough B12 in their blood. B12 absorption can also be inhibited by certain medicine, especially those who neutralize gastric acid, certain diabetes medications and weight loss surgery. Vitamin D. Our body needs it in order to be able to absorb and use calcium properly. Most people have Vitamin D deficiency. I've explained why in an older video. Besides our bones, vitamin D also helps our muscles, our nerves and our immune system function properly. In people with more vitamin D, autoimmune diseases and some forms of cancer are not as common. However, we don't know if the reason for this is vitamin D itself or something that increases it and at the same time is good for us, such as outdoors exercise and sun exposure. Exposure to the sun increases vitamin D, but you should also take supplements. I take vitamin D. Some other doctors might say that I take too much of it. There is food that contains vitamin D, such as oily fish, i.e. anchovies, sardines, mackerel and salmon, but we don't eat that every day. Vitamin B6. Our body uses it to fight microbes and produce energy. It also helps brain development in infants. The older we get, the more B6 we need. Studies have shown that increased B6 in the elderly helps their memory. Unfortunately, that's not the case for people with dementia. Chickpeas are a decent and cheap source. Same goes for oily fish and fortified breakfast cereal. Magnesium helps our body in many ways. It helps produce proteins, build our bones, and stabilize blood sugar levels. Magnesium is contained in chlorophyl. That's why it's abundant in leafy green vegetables. It's also contained in dry fruits and seeds, as well as in non-leafy vegetables. Unfortunately, the elderly tend to consume less plant foods, partly due to issues with their teeth, so they don't get enough of it. On top of that, they're more likely to have chronic health issues or to take lots of medicine. Both will deplete magnesium in the body. A great solution is to grind food that's high in magnesium to a pulp. Probiotics are "friendly" bacteria, which help our intestine function properly. We get it from fermented foods such as yogurt, pickled cabbage, or supplements. If you can't consume animal yogurt either because you don't like it or because you are intolerant, you can buy plant-based yogurts, that have probiotics added to them and are just as high in them. If you prefer animal-based yogurt, please watch my video on that. It will help you tell which yogurt has the most probiotics in it. Probiotic supplements help deal with digestion problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome. Ideally, however, you should avoid everything that causes it. Omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential because our body cannot produce them. Fortunately, they are produced by greens and plankton. They are stored in the fat of the animals that eat them, such as fish. They are essential for our eyes, our brain and many more functions. They can also help protect us from diseases having to do with age, such as Alzheimer's Disease, arthritis and macular degeneration which can lead to blindness. Besides oily fish, such as sardines, anchovies, mackerel and herring, omega-3 is also contained in plant-based food, such as linseed, chia seeds and walnuts, however not in a form that covers our body's needs. If you don't eat fish, you must take omega-3 supplements, either from fish or plankton. Zinc is a trace element that's missing from many people's diet. It's extremely important for our body's defenses and the proper function of the immune system. Zinc also protects our vision. Shellfish are the best source of zinc. The same goes for meat and animal-based foods in general. Of course, there are zinc fortified foods, such as breakfast cereals. Selenium is another trace element that may be missing from our diet. It's essential, for older people. It protects cells from the damage caused by oxygen free radicals, as well as from infection. It supports the proper function of our thyroid gland. That's why it's recommended for people with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. It also helps maintain muscle tissue and can help prevent age related diseases, such as dementia and certain types of cancer. Brazil nuts are famous for their selenium content, but you shouldn't eat many. Two or three a day is enough. Lastly, animal-based foods contain enough selenium. The same goes for beans, lentils, spinach and mushrooms. Potassium is important for almost our entire body. It helps our heart, kidneys, muscles and nerves function properly. It can also protect us from strokes, hypertension and osteoporosis. Most people, especially over the age of 55, don't ingest enough of it. Potassium is contained in plant-based foods. So it's important to incorporate plenty of those in our diet. There's enough potassium in fruits such as apricots, oranges and bananas. Also, in vegetables such as spinach, broccoli and all leafy vegetables. Certain medicine, such as diuretics deplete potassium. So if you take diuretics for hypertension or heart disease, you need to consult your doctor. Folic acid. It's name indicates which food has it in abundance: foliage. Folic acid is highly concentrated in green leafy vegetables, as well as in dry fruits, beans and other plant-based foods. Folic acid supports cell growth and can prevent strokes and certain cancers. Heat can destroy folic acid. That's why the elderly who avoid eating raw salads due to bad teeth are usually deficient. The solution is to grind raw vegetables to a pulp and consume it in liquid form, so as to secure the sufficiency of this very important nutrient. Plant fibers are extremely important at any age, and the older we get, the more useful they become. Plant fibers help prevent strokes and help keep our cholesterol and our blood sugar at a low level. The recommended intake is 20-30 grams a day, but most people struggle to consume even half of that. So there's definitely room for improvement. Bear in mind that people who eat traditional foods and don't have heart disease, consume more than 100 grams a day. So there's even more room for improvement. Plant fibers are contained exclusively in plant-based foods. Especially in legumes and leafy green vegetables, as well as in seeds, such as linseed. If you liked this video, please give it a thumbs up. Share it with people who may find it interesting. Subscribe to our channel to get notified when we upload a new video. You can suggest new subjects in the comment section. Thank you!