Use of vitamins/minerals/protein bars in over 50's

[moana35]

I am early 50's and the conversation with colleagues today was vitamins, minerals, protein bars and shakes. Most of them take a whole array of vitamins, cod liver oil, collagen, iron, calcium etc. One lady takes 15 different vitamin type pills. They all seem to also have lots of different protein bars and shakes to keep them healthy. I only take a vitamin D tablet but nothing else they say they are trying to ward off cancer and dementia by taking all these different supplements? I also have a friend who goes to home bargains to stock up on her protein bars, and shakes and can get a months supply for less than £10!

I wonder if I should be taking more but I generally eat three good meals a day as well as running three times a week but should I be using supplements. I feel fit and healthy and don't feel I need anything extra.

Just wondering what fellow mumsnetters do as obviously my work colleagues is a small proportion of people really but more and more people over 50 seem to speak to take alot more tablets/powders/ vitamins than I do.

Me neither. I’m 55 and nobody I know talks about their diet, and if someone were into that I don’t see what being over 50 would have to do with it.

FWIW I take a vit D spray year round because I live in Northern Scotland, a B complex because my levels were found to be low, and eat two decent meals a day. I don’t analyse my diet and while of course good food is important for general health I don’t believe you can consume anything that will prevent cancer.

It sounds like OP’s friends have fallen for some marketing aimed at the ‘over fifties’ to me. Perhaps they are ‘into the gym’ and the supplement thing is part of that?

I don't take any vitamins. I eat a balanced diet of mostly organic food. Lots of oily fish and organic eggs from my own hens, tons of fruit and veg. I make my own stoneground, wholemeal bread. Three good healthy meals a day, drink lots of water, avoid sugar, a glass or two of red wine at weekends.

I'm a keen gardener and work outside doing heavy work most days. I stretch every day and work out with weights three times a week. I hill walk, sea swim nearly every day and am as energetic now as I was at 30. I feel strong, have decent skin and shiny hair but I absolutely don't look 30! I don't expect to live for ever but I hope to stay as fit, well and mobile as I can for as long as possible.

Today I walked 10 miles including up and down Glastonbury Tor. I'm in my sixties.

Everyone in this country should take vitamin D from Oct-March. You can’t get it from diet in sufficient quantities. The sun is not strong enough to generate vitamin D production those months of the year.

This is government advice.

There is no benefit in taking all these supplements if you have a balanced diet and no known deficiencies. The water-soluble ones will just be peed out, and the fat-soluble ones can be retained in your body and do more harm than good - like Vitamin A for instance.

Also taking supplements which contain zinc and iron together means that each reduces the absorption of the other. My midwife told me that one years ago.

I actually do take vitamins but ones without iron as unusually my levels were just above high end of normal My GP thinks this was likely because I never had a period after37 due to mirenaand as I was supplementing as well it was keeping my level rather high which isn’t great either. haven’t tested for a while but haven’t used vitamins with iron for 18 months now so probably more like normal.

Up your food protein, don’t waste health and money on shakes etc.

I’m 55 and I do try and get a lot of protein through food and sometimes the odd shake. I don’t eat protein bars though, full of sugar and are UPF

I take B complex and magnesium. No protein bars or shakes but I do have a very high veg and protein diet every day. Can’t see the point of loads of unnecessary vitamins. You’re basically just having very expensive urine if you take stuff you don’t need

It’s well known now that as you head towards menopause you should be lifting weights and doing less cardio. Alongside that mae sure you eat enough protein every day. Naturally not from crappy shakes and bars. I’m 50 and used to run regularly. Now do far less as my hips can’t take it the same and lift weights twice a week. I take creatine, collagen (to help with the hip pain) vit D spray, multivitamin, greens powder for gut health and an HRT tablet. And electrolytes which has massively helped my restless legs.

I’m 50 and don’t take anything. I have a very high meat diet so I get all my nutrients from that

What are your sources that are "proof" that pre-menopausal people need to do those things?

Many protein bars are lots of sugar/carbs with a bit of protein added for marketing purposes.

Similarly shakes, commercial shakes are convenience food, not useful if you can eat good meals.

I weight train and do use a protein supplement as trying to build muscle so am tracking protein carefully. I would never, ever buy protein shake from home bargains. The pre made ones do not have a good amount of protein vs all the other stuff in them. I've got a powder that while is still UPF gives me the best amount of protein I can find for the amount I have. I don't have it everyday, I often meet my protein intake from normal food. Some days I have about 10 - 20g of the powder to top up. That's usually if I don't eat meat that day.

I also track fibre intake. The very non scientific research I've done says we should all be aiming for 30g AT LEAST. I do that and over. I eat shop bought wholemeal seeded bread and weetabix but no other "high fibre" advertised foods. I eat plenty of spuds with the skin on, green beans, carrots, pears, lentils, kidney beans. I feel a lot better generally when I'm consistently meeting 30g+ fibre a day.

I never eat low fat anything - full fat yogurt, real butter, full fat mayo. Just in sensible portions.

I take vit D.

I see lots of people buying high protein this and high fibre that and eating not that much veg. It's probably really expensive to eat like that too.

I think this sounds like the ideal healthy lifestyle!

What? My parents have health problems so I'll do my best to avoid those actually.

Similar here.
What can be done to avoid the arthritis?

My friend was telling me about some amazing milkshake she has and really pushing me to get it. It sounded great so I had a look. I think it was £89 a pouch so no way 😂😂

"You need to keep a causal eye on protein just to make sure you’re getting enough but this can be done through diet."

It's difficult for some people though so the artificial things can help.

"Vegetarians will need B12. "

Vegans maybe. As a vegetarian, I was hoping my multi-vit would cover it. I do know an omnivore who became severely deficient in middle age though, we absorb it less well as we get older.

Yes, and it should be available free on the NHS imo if they now admit we all need it.
Personally, I stopped taking it last summer and then was almost deficient in my blood test of September so now I will be taking it all year.

I take vitamin D, B-complex, cod liver oil, creatine and a daily electrolyte drink. It makes a huge difference to my health.

Vitamin D , HRT and regular gym goer

I found it helpful to get a private blood test, not crazy money, they post you the kit, you post your blood back. I had low iron and vit d, which I'd thought anyway as get breathless and it's timed to my cycle. I take those as I know I'm obviously not getting what I need normally, or need a boost. I think most of us eat quite high protein diets anyway - if you listen to Tim Spectre he discusses how protein gets marketed and sold to us because it's easily put into bars and shakes, whereas fibre is less glamorous but actually we should eat more of it- it just doesn't have the same marketing team! If you feel healthy, have energy etc you probably are fine. I like yo just check every year with a few blood tests and then act accordingly.

68 years old here. I don't evaluate my diet with a magnifying glass, all I do is avoid packaged food (convenience stuff), and sugary stuff as much as possible, but I'm a sucker for a scone with jam and cream, so I'll have it if I want it. No alcohol. Plenty of protein - eggs, cheese, greek yogurt, salmon, fish etc. I am not veggie but rarely eat meat just the same. I add a scoop of H+B protein powder to weetabix and add chia, flax and fruit every morning. That's about the height of it!

I have a pair of (3kg I think) dumbells and just lift them for twenty lifts each arm every day. I walk about three miles/5km every day except Sunday - that's my day of rest! I stand on one leg (alternate) for 20 seconds every morning, get up from my chair without using the armrests, and do a few little squats holding on to the kitchen island, in case I fall over lol. Vid D, and magnesium + multivit. that's it. So far so good. Touch wood.

Aren’t protein bars a bit dodgy? Lots of sugar included in them. You’d be better off with eggs or a natural source.

I have been wondering the same thing OP. Everyone I know seems to be taking something. I am a bit dubious about the marketing of these products to women, particularly of peri and menopausal age. A whole industry has been formed around this and some of the claims are not supported. It’s a minefield trying to work out what is actually in a lot of these supplements or where they are derived from. So for me it becomes all too much so I just switch off and stick to healthy eating and exercise.