The best foods for men over 55 include foods that are going to support the heath of your heart, prostate, bones, sexual performance, and brain. Eating a healthy balanced diet is going to help keep you healthy and help you maintain a good quality of life. Men over age 55 require fewer calories than younger men, but vitamin and mineral requirements remain the same.
Heart Health
Omega-3 fatty acids are important for your heart, but they also support your brain and prostate health. You can get them from flaxseed, which is high in fiber and can help lower cholesterol, as well as foods like fish such as salmon and tuna.
It is essential to eat foods high in iron as well. Iron is a mineral that is used in many cell functions, including carrying oxygen from your lungs (as part of the protein hemoglobin) throughout your body. Iron is found in legumes like beans, peas, and lentils as well as in oily fish and lean red meat.
As your age it is important to limit your salt intake, as too much salt can raise your blood pressure. High blood pressure increases your risk for heart problems like heart disease and stroke.
Bone Health
Osteoporosis is a major health problem for aging men. When your bone density decreases, your risk for bone fractures goes up. Nuts like almonds contain vitamin, E, zinc, and magnesium, which are all essential for bone density.
You need to get plenty of vitamin D and to eat calcium-rich foods. You may immediately think of dairy foods like milk, yogurt, and cheese when you think of calcium, but these are not necessarily the best foods for prostate health. Better sources of calcium for aging men include green leafy vegetables like broccoli and cabbage, and canned fish with soft bones, like sardines. Vitamin D helps you to absorb calcium. Dietary sources include eggs, oily fish, and some fortified cereals. Your body makes vitamin D from sun exposure as well, but your body may not absorb vitamin D as efficiently as it used to. If you are deficient in vitamin D despite getting 20 minutes of sunlight each day you might consider taking a supplement.
Prostate Health
By age 55, one half of all men have symptoms of enlarged prostate, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). By age 85, that number climbs to 90%. The best foods for men over 55 that support prostate health include foods and drinks high in antioxidants and phytonutrients like green tea, pomegranates, tomatoes, turmeric, mushrooms, cayenne pepper, and broccoli.These help fight prostate cancer. Risk of prostate cancer also increases as you age.
Even if you regularly eat the foods, it is hard to get everything you need to support your prostate health through diet, so supplements can help you get the nutritional benefits of eating way more than you can physically consume. Take a supplement for prostate health that contains green tea, vitamin D, curcumin, and zinc for restoring your prostate health.
Sexual Performance
Your sexual performance can be affected by your diet. In fact, many men are surprised to learn that their sexual health is tied to their Heart health, so eating a heart-healthy diet will help maintain your sexual health. Oats, along with green vegetables, seeds, ginseng, and nuts, contain L-arginine, an amino acid that enhances the effect nitric oxide has on reducing stiffness of blood vessels. L-arginine has been used to treat erectile dysfunction. It works like Viagra to help relax muscles around blood vessels in the penis. When the blood vessels dilate, blood flow increases so a man can maintain an erection. Another way to boost your sexual performance is by eating foods that boost testosterone in the bloodstream like oatmeal and beets. Testosterone affects sex drive and orgasm strength.
Brain Health
Berries are some of the best foods for men over 55. Berries are particularly good for brain health as are fish. Overall, a diet high in antioxidants from a variety of fruits and vegetables will help fight off dementia and lower risk for Alzheimer's disease. Eating berries, apples, and tea has been shown to prevent Parkinson's disease. Try to eat a cup of berries every day.
Green leafy vegetables like spinach are some of the best foods for men over 60 because of their benefits in brain health. People in their 50s who eat more leafy green vegetables score higher on verbal, memory, and other tests than their peers who do not eat green vegetables.
Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of fat that is also important for your brain health. These essential fatty acids help regulate your mood, reduce inflammation, and protect neurons.
Beyond the Best Foods for Men Over 55
Besides eating well, there are a few more things to keep in mind if you are over 55.. It is important for you to watch your weight. You don't want to be over- or underweight. Extra pounds are going to make it harder to get around, put more stress on your joints, and put you at risk for diabetes and heart disease. Being underweight is a sign that you are not eating enough food and could increase your risk for osteoporosis. It could also indicate other health issues. Watch out for lack of appetite, which is common as people age. Make a conscious effort to eat well and to eat regular meals. In addition, it is important to stay hydrated and to increase your fiber intake as you age to keep your digestive health moving along.
Following these steps and regularly eating the best foods for men over 55 is going to keep you healthy and alert for many years to come.
