2716: Vitamin & Mineral Supplements for Plant-Based Eaters & Older Adults

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_00]: It's another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily, and I'm Dr. Neal Malik.

[00:00:05] [SPEAKER_00]: Hey there, happy Friday and welcome to another special edition of Optimal Health Daily,

[00:00:09] [SPEAKER_00]: where I answer your health questions related to fitness, diet and nutrition, and more.

[00:00:14] [SPEAKER_00]: You send in the questions, and I answer them for you.

[00:00:17] [SPEAKER_00]: And if you do send in a question, we'll give you a copy of our Optimal Living Daily Workbook for free.

[00:00:24] [SPEAKER_00]: I'll tell you how to send in a question right after the Q&A, so for now,

[00:00:28] [SPEAKER_00]: let's hear today's question as we optimize your life.

[00:00:35] [SPEAKER_00]: Today's question came via email, Deborah writes,

[00:00:39] [SPEAKER_00]: My husband and I both turned 70 this year, and would like to know if you recommend adding

[00:00:44] [SPEAKER_00]: Vitamin or Mineral Supplements to our diet and if so, which ones?

[00:00:48] [SPEAKER_00]: We are whole food, plant-based eaters, and do not enjoy soy.

[00:00:53] [SPEAKER_00]: As we age, what do you recommend for us to try and maintain our health?

[00:00:58] [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for taking the time to send in your question, Deborah.

[00:01:00] [SPEAKER_00]: As we get older, we find that we can't digest and absorb nutrients as well as we did when we were younger.

[00:01:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Plus, we're more likely to have issues with our teeth and taste buds.

[00:01:11] [SPEAKER_00]: We're also more likely to be on medications, which can also change how food tastes or affect our appetites.

[00:01:17] [SPEAKER_00]: We tend to be less sensitive to thirst signals, so we may be dehydrated without knowing it.

[00:01:23] [SPEAKER_00]: All of these changes influence which foods we prefer,

[00:01:26] [SPEAKER_00]: and make our food choices much more limited.

[00:01:29] [SPEAKER_00]: We're also more at risk for developing chronic conditions like osteoporosis.

[00:01:34] [SPEAKER_00]: So, the general nutrition recommendations for those aged 50 or older are to maintain body weight

[00:01:39] [SPEAKER_00]: if you're at a healthy body weight and prioritize nutrient-dense foods.

[00:01:45] [SPEAKER_00]: So basically foods that have fewer calories but contain lots of nutrients.

[00:01:49] [SPEAKER_00]: So we're talking foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, beans, nuts, seeds,

[00:01:57] [SPEAKER_00]: and low-fat dairy products. Because you and your husband follow a whole food plant-based diet,

[00:02:03] [SPEAKER_00]: it sounds like you both already have prioritized fruits, vegetables, whole grains,

[00:02:09] [SPEAKER_00]: beans, nuts and seeds, which is great. So since you may not consume animal products,

[00:02:14] [SPEAKER_00]: there are some nutrients that come to mind when it comes to possible deficiencies.

[00:02:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Since lean meats, for example, are good sources of protein and dairy and soy may contain

[00:02:24] [SPEAKER_00]: decent amounts of calcium and some vitamin D by not consuming these foods regularly,

[00:02:30] [SPEAKER_00]: it may lead to some deficiencies. So let's start with protein. To make sure you're

[00:02:35] [SPEAKER_00]: consuming enough of it, here are some things we can do. Eat those beans and lentils by enjoying

[00:02:41] [SPEAKER_00]: vegetarian chili, lentils soups, and adding beans to salads. You could top crackers with peanut butter

[00:02:48] [SPEAKER_00]: or almond butter. Now beyond protein, when we think about the micronutrients like vitamins and minerals,

[00:02:55] [SPEAKER_00]: there may be a need to consider taking a vitamin or mineral supplement. According to the

[00:02:59] [SPEAKER_00]: National Institutes of Health, there are some nutrients that you and your husband may want to

[00:03:04] [SPEAKER_00]: discuss with your doctor. First up, calcium. Women particularly are at an increased risk for developing

[00:03:12] [SPEAKER_00]: osteoporosis after the age of 45. Osteoporosis is that nasty disease that leads to holes forming in our

[00:03:19] [SPEAKER_00]: bones. The word osteo or osteon refers to bone and porosis or porous refers to something having

[00:03:29] [SPEAKER_00]: small spaces or holes in it. Now I know there's been some controversy lately about the effectiveness

[00:03:34] [SPEAKER_00]: of calcium supplementation and osteoporosis prevention, but most studies do find some benefit,

[00:03:41] [SPEAKER_00]: especially if someone isn't getting enough calcium in their diet. I would consider asking

[00:03:46] [SPEAKER_00]: your doctor about whether supplementing with 300 to 500 milligrams of calcium each day is a good idea.

[00:03:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Next, Vitamin D. Calcium and Vitamin D work together to protect the health of our bones,

[00:04:00] [SPEAKER_00]: but beyond that, Vitamin D may help the immune system work at its best, and our immune system

[00:04:06] [SPEAKER_00]: is our defense against everything from the common cold to even cancer. The best way to help

[00:04:12] [SPEAKER_00]: the body make enough of its own Vitamin D is to be out in the sun. About 15 minutes of sun exposure

[00:04:19] [SPEAKER_00]: to the hands, arms and face at least twice a week without sunscreen is usually enough to do the trick.

[00:04:27] [SPEAKER_00]: The problem here is that we all don't live in climates that get a lot of sun. Plus, our dermatologists

[00:04:34] [SPEAKER_00]: or medical doctors that specialize in treating skin conditions may recommend we don't spend too

[00:04:40] [SPEAKER_00]: much time in the sun because it may raise our risk of developing skin cancer. Foods aren't great

[00:04:46] [SPEAKER_00]: sources of Vitamin D, unless they've been enriched or fortified with it. So you can ask your doctor

[00:04:52] [SPEAKER_00]: for a blood test that looks at your Vitamin D levels. If your levels are low, it may be worthwhile

[00:04:58] [SPEAKER_00]: to consider a Vitamin D supplement, too. If your test comes back normal, there may be no need

[00:05:04] [SPEAKER_00]: to supplement with Vitamin D. If you do need to supplement 20 micrograms per day or about 800

[00:05:11] [SPEAKER_00]: international units or IU of Vitamin D3 specifically is recommended for those over the age of 70.

[00:05:20] [SPEAKER_00]: All right next up, Vitamin B12. Strict vegetarians and vegans are more likely to experience

[00:05:26] [SPEAKER_00]: a Vitamin B12 deficiency. This is because animal products are the best sources of Vitamin B12.

[00:05:33] [SPEAKER_00]: Plus, as we age, our bodies are not as good at absorbing it. Vitamin B12 is important because it

[00:05:40] [SPEAKER_00]: keeps our red blood cells and nerve cells working at their best. A blood test can show whether

[00:05:45] [SPEAKER_00]: someone has a B12 deficiency, and there are foods that have added Vitamin B12 like fortified cereals,

[00:05:52] [SPEAKER_00]: but when it comes to supplementing with B12, the recommended starting dose is 2.4 micrograms per day.

[00:06:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Okay so at this point we may be asking ourselves, would it be easier at this point to just take

[00:06:06] [SPEAKER_00]: a multivitamin supplement to cover all of these requirements? This is definitely something to

[00:06:11] [SPEAKER_00]: consider and speak to your doctor about. But be sure to look for a supplement that is specifically

[00:06:16] [SPEAKER_00]: designed for older adults. Multivitamin formulated for older adults will come closer to meeting the

[00:06:23] [SPEAKER_00]: recommendations I just described. Now how do we find a quality supplement? Unfortunately in the

[00:06:29] [SPEAKER_00]: U.S., we do have incidents of poor quality supplements being sold in the marketplace. Supplements

[00:06:35] [SPEAKER_00]: are not as well regulated as our food and water supply. As a result, it's been estimated that about

[00:06:41] [SPEAKER_00]: 30% of supplement sold in stores and online contain illegal or banned substances. There have

[00:06:47] [SPEAKER_00]: been documented instances of supplements containing ash and newspaper shavings. There have been

[00:06:52] [SPEAKER_00]: other situations where the supplement nutrient labels claim that an ingredient is present,

[00:06:59] [SPEAKER_00]: but when its actual composition is tested, it doesn't actually contain that ingredient at all,

[00:07:05] [SPEAKER_00]: or maybe the wrong quantity of that ingredient is listed. So we want to make sure that what

[00:07:10] [SPEAKER_00]: buying meets purity and quality standards, here are a couple of ways to check for this.

[00:07:16] [SPEAKER_00]: One, look at the supplement packaging. See if you can find one or both of the following abbreviations

[00:07:22] [SPEAKER_00]: on it, either USP or NSF. Both of these are independent organizations that check for the quality and

[00:07:31] [SPEAKER_00]: purity of supplements. The USP logo is green and gold. The NSF logo is blue and white.

[00:07:39] [SPEAKER_00]: And your other option, log on to consumer lab. That's where I get most of my supplement information

[00:07:45] [SPEAKER_00]: and consumer lab.com does charge a small feed to search their database. So before buying any supplement,

[00:07:52] [SPEAKER_00]: use at least one of these resources to make sure the supplement you're using is relatively free of

[00:07:58] [SPEAKER_00]: and of course, always check with your doctor to make sure that supplementing is right for you

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[00:09:23] [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you again for taking the time to send in your question Deborah. Now if you want your

[00:09:28] [SPEAKER_00]: question answered right here on the show and get a copy of our optimal living daily workbook,

[00:09:33] [SPEAKER_00]: you can email your question to health at OHDpodcast.com or if you want your voice played and

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[00:09:52] [SPEAKER_00]: and do retakes before sending it in or you can do it the old fashioned way and call in your

[00:09:57] [SPEAKER_00]: question. The number is 1, 61 I love OHD. That's 1, 614, 568, 3, 643. Thank you so much for doing that

[00:10:09] [SPEAKER_00]: answering your questions is my favorite part of the show. All right that'll do it for another Q&A

[00:10:14] [SPEAKER_00]: edition of Optimal Health Daily. Thank you so much for listening every day and all the way through.

[00:10:19] [SPEAKER_00]: I hope you have a great start to your weekend and I'll see you back here tomorrow where your

[00:10:23] [SPEAKER_00]: optimal life awaits.