10 Best Foods for Men Over 50

The best foods for men over 50 are nutrient-dense, protective, and delicious. An apple a day—and nine other foods—keep the doctor away. Continue scrolling to find out how to extend your golden years.

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Best Foods for Men over 50

 

Best Foods for Men over 50 | Heart Health

1. Fruits and Vegetables

It is no secret that fruits and vegetables are good for our health. And now science can tell us to what extent our favorite superfoods can protect us.

Eating five servings of fruits and vegetables could lower your risk of heart attack by as much as 17%.

One meta-analysis found that subjects that increased their fruit and vegetable intake from less than three to 5 servings a day had a lower chance of coronary heart disease.

One review sought to drill down which fruits and vegetables had the most impact. Below are the foods that had a significantly lower risk of stroke following increased intake:

• citrus fruits
• pommes fruits
• green leafy vegetables

Another review found that green, leafy vegetables could lower your risk of cardiovascular disease by 15.8%.

Fruits and vegetables may be healthful sources of dietary fiber, vitamin C, antioxidants, and other phytonutrients. Snack on fruits instead of junk food, and add a hearty salad side dish to every meal. These foods are potentially heart-protective and promote overall heart health.

2. Whole Grains

Many try to cut back on carbs to lose weight, but our body needs healthful sources of carbs. Therefore, it is essential to know the difference between good and bad carbs.

Carbohydrates are an essential food group that gives us energy and dietary fiber.

Dietary fiber may help lower cholesterol, and prevent stroke, heart attack, and diabetes.

Oats contain beta-glucans, which may help lower bad cholesterol. In addition, the kernels, the outer layer of oats, may potentially be a rich source of antioxidants that could fight inflammation.

Half a cup of brown rice contains two grams of fiber, 108 calories, and no cholesterol.

Indulge in a hearty bowl of oatmeal sweetened with bananas and berries for breakfast. Include brown rice as a side wish to a fatty salmon for a power-packed lunch.

Because whole grains are heavier in the stomach, you may tend to eat less. And because they are also nutrient-dense, you get bang for your buck.

3. Tomatoes

Perfect for sandwiches, salads, dips, and heart health.

Tomatoes may be an excellent source of lycopene, boasting of many potentially heart-protective properties such as:

• anti-atherosclerotic
• antioxidant
• anti-inflammatory
• antihypertensive
• antiplatelet
• anti-apoptotic

It may also protect the cells that line our blood vessels and heart. The red fruit/vegetable may also improve your metabolic profile to lower your risk of a heart attack.

Other foods that are rich in lycopene include:

• guava
• watermelon
• grapefruit
• papaya
• red bell peppers
• persimmon
• asparagus
• red cabbage
• mangos

Incorporate as many of these fruits and vegetables into every meal. Guava, papaya, and mangos are appetizing dessert foods you can munch on after lunch or dinner. Add red bell peppers to a salad or a meaty dish, or grill them with kebabs for a fresh palette.

Best Foods for Men over 50 | Bone Health

4. Fish

Vitamin D and calcium are essential to bone health. Calcium keeps our bones dense and strong, while our bodies need vitamin D to absorb calcium.

But as we age, we absorb calcium less efficiently and produce less vitamin D in our skin. Vitamin D deficiency could lead to a decrease in bone density and a higher fracture risk. 

One serving of wild salmon (100g) contains an average of 988 IU of vitamin D. This almost fills the minimum requirement of 1000 IU of vitamin D a day.

Other fish sources of vitamin D include:

• tuna, around 404 IU
• farmed trout, around 388 IU
• bluefish, around 280 IU
• farmed salmon, around 240 IU

Around 50% – 90% of our vitamin D comes from sunlight. So if you spend most of your time indoors, it becomes especially significant to get your dose from food.

Make sure your plate includes foods rich in vitamin D. Follow up your lunch with a 20-minute stroll with 40% of your skin exposed.

5. Low-Fat Milk

Calcium comes only from the food we eat as our bodies cannot produce the mineral. However, it is also involved in other bodily functions like muscle movement and blood circulation. If our bodies do not get enough calcium, it could tap into stores in our bones and weaken them over time.

Milk may be the best (and most affordable) source of calcium. One cup of skim, low-fat, or whole milk contains 300mg of calcium, satisfying almost a third of the recommended calcium intake.

Other foods rich in calcium include:

• fortified oatmeal, one packet, 350 mg calcium
• sardines, canned in oil with edible bones, 3 oz, 324 mg calcium
• yogurt, plain, low-fat, 1 cup, 300 mg calcium
• soybeans, cooked, 1 cup, 261 mg calcium
• broccoli, raw, 1 cup, 90 mg calcium

Treat milk like water and drink it with your meals. For example, pour warm low-fat milk with your steel-cut oats or breakfast cereal.

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Best Foods for Men Over 50 | Brain Health

6. Nuts

Nuts are excellent sources of fats, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids, lending themselves to better brain and heart health.

Because studies show that coronary risk factors could lead to cognitive decline, it is necessary to keep a healthy heart for a well-oiled brain. Luckily, nuts could be good for the heart and brain.

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant linked with less age-related cognitive decline.

One study showed that nuts could help prevent neurodegenerative diseases and brain dysfunction in old age.

Another six-year study found that eating more nuts could improve overall cognitive function in older adults.

Ditch the chips and munch on some nuts instead. Leave a bowl of trail mix with dried fruits, unsalted nuts, and seeds on the table if you feel peckish.

7. Eggs

Eggs contain choline and three of the eight B-vitamins our brains need to function.

The brain needs choline, an essential nutrient, to create neurotransmitters for mood, memory, muscle control, and other brain functions. The kidney can produce choline but in limited and insufficient amounts. Because of this, we need to get choline from our diet.

One cooked hard-boiled egg contains:

• thiamine, vitamin B1, 6% DV

• riboflavin, vitamin B2, 41% DV

• pantothenic acid, vitamin B5, 19% DV

• vitamin B6, 8% DV

• folate, vitamin B9, 15% DV

• vitamin B12, 25% DV

*DV – recommended daily value

One study found that B vitamins could slow the progression of mild cognitive impairment in older adults.

Mild thiamine deficiency may cause irritability, confusion, disturbed sleep, and memory loss.

Deficiencies in vitamin B9 and B12 may also lead to mental decline and dementia.

Bear in mind that few studies directly link brain health to eggs. However, it is worth noting that the vitamins and nutrients found in eggs are essential for brain health and function.

It looks like your classic breakfast bacon and eggs got a healthy upgrade. Add a hard-boiled egg to your lunch salad to give it a protein and brain-healthy boost.

8. Pomegranate Juice

Pomegranates are among the most studied superfoods for their vast potential health benefits.

A potent source of antioxidants and phytochemicals, pomegranates may protect you from prostate cancer.

Pomegranate juice or extract could stop the growth and, depending on the dose, induce the death of cancer cells. In addition, one trial found that it may slow down prostate cancer progression.

Again, it is vital to note that while many studies explore the protective effects of pomegranates, we still need more evidence to say that it is definitively effective.

9. Apples, Turmeric, Grapes

It may be an odd combination, but a potentially life-saving one too.

A 2017 study found that the combination of three compounds in high amounts could hinder the growth of prostate tumors:

• ursolic acid commonly found in apple peels
• Curcumin in turmeric
• resveratrol found in grape skins and seeds

The study showed that the synergistic combination prevented cancer cells from absorbing glutamine, starving the cells.

It is worth mentioning that the researchers used high amounts of compounds that we may not get from our daily diet.

Still, these compounds are readily available, and simple changes in our diet could prolong our golden years. First, remember to keep the peels on the fruits when you eat them.

If you prefer to drink your dessert, blend them into a smoothie. Juicing fruits will remove the antioxidants and anti-cancer compounds in your juice.

10. Green Tea

Green tea is one of the most tried superfoods and still undergoing testing.

A 2017 review showed that the more green tea you drink, the lower your chance of developing prostate cancer. However, more research on the dose-dependent effects of green tea is needed.

Green tea contains the polyphenols catechins and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which may lower the risk and prevent cancer's spread. Furthermore, it may even encourage the death of cancer cells.

Another 2019 study shows similar results, proving that green tea could be a chemopreventive and therapeutic agent.

Down green tea like you would water. Seven cups a day could keep the oncologist away.