As age progresses, individuals older than 50 years old may need more specific vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to support various physiological functions. In an ideal world, the nutrients from dietary intake should suffice. However, nutritional supplements can play an important role as they can help fill nutritional gaps as our bodies start to change.
Nutritional supplements for healthy aging can impact several specific health aspects, such as sleep, muscle mass, and brain health. The aging process affects multiple parts of the body, which is why multiple nutrients may have to be considered. This blog post explains the factors that contribute to aging, the correlation between aging and nutrition, the best supplements to promote healthy aging, and why you should include an advanced healthy aging supplement in your diet. Use the links below to jump ahead to different topics on the page.
Factors that Contribute to Aging
General human aging is characterized by:
- Graying hair
- Sagging and wrinkling skin
- Loss of bone calcium
- Loss of muscle tissue and muscular strength
- Joint stiffness
- Eyesight deterioration
- Memory loss
- Slowing of sexual responsiveness.
Different theories hypothesize the reason for aging. Evolutionary biologists consider aging to be the default state that occurs after the animal has fulfilled the requirements of natural selection. After its offspring are born and raised, the animal dies. For example, female moths die shortly after laying their eggs and Pacific salmon die shortly after spawning.
However, recent studies suggest there are genetic components to aging, also called senescence, and any one species’s genetically determined lifespan can be modulated by altering its genes or diet. The following table highlights some of the most likely factors that contribute to the aging process:
| Factors Contributing to Aging | |
|---|---|
| Oxidative Damage | According to the oxidative damage theory, aging is a byproduct of normal metabolism. As oxidative stress increases with age, reactive oxygen species (ROS) oxidize and damage cell membranes and cell components. The intake of antioxidants, such as vitamins E and C, can inhibit the production of ROS, thus promoting healthy aging. |
| General wear-and-tear and genetic instability | The so-called ‘Wear-and-Tear’ theory is one of the oldest hypotheses to explain aging. It proposes that as one gets older, small traumas build up in the body, the number of point mutations in cells increases, and the efficiencies of the enzymatic reactions coded by our genes decrease. |
Aging and Diet
Although the biological changes associated with aging are unavoidable, positive lifestyle and dietary patterns can promote healthy aging, which is characterized by the development and maintenance of the body’s functional abilities to ensure ongoing quality of life. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables, cereals, nuts, fibers, fish, unsaturated fats, antioxidants, potassium, omega-3 fatty acids, and essential vitamins and minerals can limit inflammation and the accompanying oxidative and DNA damage, thus maintaining healthy functions.
The following table highlights the types of diet recommended to support healthy aging:1
| Types of Diet for Healthy Aging | |
|---|---|
| MedDiet | It is based on the low consumption of saturated animal fats and red meat, along with a high intake of fruits, vegetables, olive oil, fish, nuts, and vitamins. |
| DASH Diet | The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension is a flexible and balanced eating plan that focuses on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat dairy products… |
| KEMEPHY Diet | A variation of the ketogenic diet, it maintains the usage of vegetables and olive oil, similar to the MedDiet. |
| SEAD Diet | The Southern European Atlantic Diet focuses on a high intake of fresh fish, red meat, pork products, dairy products, legumes, vegetables, whole-grain bread, and wine. |
| Baltic Sea Diet | A variant of the MedDiet, it focuses on eating healthy Nordic foods. |
| Nordic Diet | It is based on the consumption of whole-grain products, fruits and vegetables, berries, rapeseed oil, low-fat dairy products, three fish meals per week… |
| Mediterranean-Ketogenic Diet | It is a very low-carbohydrate diet modeled on a MedDiet and focuses on protein sources low in saturated fat (lean meats, fish), healthy fats, whole grains… |
Best Nutritional Supplements for Healthy Aging
Extensive research on the impact of diet/nutrition alterations during aging has led to the widespread popularity of supplement intake to promote healthy aging. The following table highlights some of the best supplements.
| Best Supplements for Healthy Aging | ||
|---|---|---|
| Quercetin | This flavonoid is abundantly found in various fruits and vegetables; it exerts protective effects against aging-related conditions by downregulating cell signaling pathways that limit oxidative stress and imbalanced inflammatory responses.*2 | |
| Glutathione | A deficiency of glutathione, an antioxidant naturally produced in the cells, can lead to elevated oxidative stress in aging. Dietary supplementation with glutathione, or its precursors cysteine and glycine, will restore glutathione synthesis and limit oxidative stress.*3 | |
| Urolithin A | Urolithin A, a metabolite produced by the microflora in the gut, enhances mitochondrial health by activating the beneficial cell signaling pathways that up-regulate the degradation of defective mitochondria.*4 | |
| Pygeum | Aging increases the risk of male prostate gland problems, such as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). Pygeum, an extract from the bark of the Pygeum africanum or Prunus africana tree, can relieve urinary discomfort, including the poor urine flow and frequent urination often associated with an enlarged prostate gland.*6 | |
| Coenzyme Q10 | CoQ10, or ubiquinone, is a compound naturally found in all cell membranes. CoQ10 is a critical component of the mitochondrial electron transport chain for energy production. The antioxidant effects of CoQ10 help minimize mitochondrial dysfunction.*7 | |
Including An Advanced Healthy Aging Supplement in Your Diet
When you are considering taking a nutritional supplement for healthy aging, be sure to look for formulations that optimize the solubility and absorption of the supplement’s active nutrients. Tesseract Medical Research has developed some of the best supplements for healthy aging.
- QuerciSorb®, a hypoallergenic formulation developed for sustained release, makes it easy for the body to absorb and utilize quercetin effectively.*
- SafeCell® is an acetylated form of glutathione and is the Tesseract Detoxification Solution. SafeCell promotes the optimal function of other antioxidants, down-regulates oxidative stress, and supports natural detoxification pathways.*
- ProstaSorb®, an advanced prostate health supplement, addresses the unpleasant urological symptoms associated with an enlarged male prostate gland.* ProstaSorb’s botanical blend features three clinically tested plant extracts — Serenoa repens (saw palmetto), Pygeum africanum, and Cucurbita pepo (summer pumpkin) — for optimal prostate and urinary health support.*
- CoQ10 Pro® is a unique CoQ10 formulation for advanced absorption of coenzyme Q10. The Coenzyme Q10 complex helps counter the side effects of statin medications while maintaining potent support for your musculoskeletal and cardiovascular health.*
Frequently Asked Questions About Healthy Aging Supplements
The following are frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the best nutritional supplements for healthy aging.
When should I start taking a healthy aging supplement?
Supplements for healthy aging are mostly consumed by individuals older than 50. If you are older than 50, then consult your healthcare provider to determine which healthy aging supplements you should take to best promote your long-term health and wellness.
Can I take a healthy aging supplement with a prescription medication?
The active ingredients in some nutritional supplements can have potential adverse side effects with prescription medications. Also, there is limited data on the effects of long-term intake of some ingredients in healthy aging supplements. Consult your healthcare provider to understand the implications of taking a healthy aging supplement with a prescription medication.
What else should I look for in a healthy aging supplement?
Look for a trusted and reputable supplement manufacturer to ensure the purity and safety of the supplement’s ingredients. A supplement formulation developed through advanced production technologies at a facility that follows Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) will best achieve the health-promoting benefits of the ingredients.
The power of Tesseract supplements lies in enhancing palatability, maximizing solubility, absorption, and bioavailability, and micro-dosing multiple nutrients in a single, highly effective capsule. Shop products on our website and learn more about how they support healthy aging.*
References:
1Leitão C, et al. Nutrients vol. 14,3 554. 27 Jan. 2022, doi:10.3390/nu14030554
2Cui Z, et al. Frontiers in Immunology vol. 13 943321. 22 Jul. 2022, doi:10.3389/fimmu.2022.943321
3Sekhar RV, et al. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition vol. 94,3 (2011):847-853. doi:10.3945/ajcn.110.003483
4Albasher G, et al. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences vol. 29,2 (2022):1210-1220. doi:10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.09.045
5Wang X, et al. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience vol. 16 1060712. 4 Jan. 2023, doi:10.3389/fncel.2022.1060712
6Wilt T, et al. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews vol. 1998,1 (2002):CD001044. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001044
7Barcelos IPde, Haas RH. Biology vol. 8,2 28. 11 May. 2019, doi:10.3390/biology8020028
