It’s common for some women over 40 to experience a sputtering
sex drive, sluggish metabolism, lethargic energy levels, fluctuating moods and
other cruel machinations of the aging process.
But life after 40 doesn’t have to be left to Mother Nature’s
fate. Consider getting plenty of exercise, modifying your diet and taking these
seven best supplements for women over 40:
1. Strontium: Women over 40 with a family history
that includes osteoporosis, or risk factors associated with bone loss should
take 340 mg a day of this mineral, says Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, medical director
of the national Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centres. “Strontium has been shown to
be almost twice as effective as osteoporosis medications in improving bone
density — without the side effects,” Teitelbaum says. A study in the New
England Journal of Medicine concluded that postmenopausal women who
supplemented with strontium increased bone mineral density of the lumbar spine
by nearly 15 percent over a three-year period.
2. Ribose: Another "under-the-radar"
nutrient, largely ignored in the $25 billion supplement market, ribose can help
increase energy by an average of approximately 60 percent after three weeks,
according to Teitelbaum, who co-wrote a small study, published in the Journal
of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine, which concluded that two-thirds of
the subjects who supplemented with ribose experienced more restful sleep and
energy, mental clarity, and less pain. Another small study on ribose (in the
European Journal of Heart Failure) concluded that this simple sugar helps
diastolic blood pressure in congestive heart failure patients.
3. Vitamin D3: The benefits of vitamin D3 (read:
Benefits of Vitamin D) are numerous, and so many people are deficient
nationwide even in the sunshine states, says Dr. Keith Wharton, medical
director of BodyLogicMD of Pittsburgh. “Research has shown that adequate levels
of vitamin D3 can help maintain a healthy weight, reduce risk of osteoporosis
and even ward off depression,” says Wharton, who adds that deficiency in
vitamin D can also lead to pain in various areas of the body. Supplementing
with vitamin D3, in addition to receiving adequate amounts of sunlight, may
also help elevate mood, according to several studies (such as this review of
different studies on the link between low serum levels of vitamin D and
seasonal affective disorder, also called SAD).
4. Folate: One of the B vitamins, folate may
also help prevent or improve episodes of depression, according to an editorial
in the Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience. The same paper concludes that
birth defects, more prevalent for post-40 expectant mothers, may be prevented
with adequate folate levels. And folate, according to Wharton, is also vital to
long-term brain health, along with fish oils. “Sufficient levels of both fish
oils and folate have been linked to a reduced risk of cognitive decline
associated with aging, including dementia and Alzheimer’s,” Wharton says.
5. Calcium: When taken in conjunction with
adequate levels of vitamin D, calcium absorption is maximized. Just be careful
not to take your calcium supplements with iron or caffeine. Both bind calcium
in the gut and impede absorption. Leafy-green vegetables are also an excellent
source of calcium.
6. Hydrochloric acid: While the name might conjure an
image of a chemical weapon used by an evil dictator, hydrochloric acid (aka HCL
or betaine hydrochloride) is the main digestive juice in the stomach, along
with pepsin. Levels of HCL taper off after age 40, so women who experience bloating
or indigestion may want to supplement with HCL. Can maintaining adequate levels
of HCL also help with healthy-looking skin? A medical study published way back
in 1945, in the Southern Medical Journal, suggested that lack of HCL can lead
to poor absorption of B vitamins, and consequently, acne and eczema and other
skin disorders can develop. “In skin diseases associated with B complex
deficiency, there is also a deficiency of hydrochloric acid,” reads the study’s
conclusion.
7. Probiotics: The Postgraduate Medical Journal
(PMJ) states that about 1 billion women every year suffer from non-sexually
transmitted urogenital infections, such as urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Many people are aware that probiotics are good for restoring the healthy
bacteria in our digestive tracts, but can probiotics also help prevent UTIs?
The PMJ reports that excessive use of antibiotics is one reason for the uptick
in infections, and observations from a 1973 study concluded that women with no
presence of a UTI had healthy levels of one strain of probiotics:
lactobacilli.
Will yogurt alone do the trick in preventing vaginal
infections? Probably not, says the PMJ. “For many years, physicians have
advised patients on antibiotic treatment to take yogurt as a means to prevent
yeast vaginitis. However, unless the product is supplemented with [a starter
culture and] antifungal lactobacilli … no infection reduction is likely.”
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