How to feed your aging gut

The process of aging is no joke. Like it or not, everything breaks down or deteriorates. This could be hair loss, wrinkling of our skin and most definitely, slowing of the various organs. When this happens, one would notice symptoms of fatigue, pain and aches, difficulty weight loss, loss of libido and the list goes on and on. 

What one can do to “delay” the inevitable is understand what the body needs when it comes to intake of nutrition. What we eat and drink daily can truly impact our aging body. There have been studies that have shown that even restriction in caloric intake can prolong life; which gives the body a chance to rest from the workings of metabolism. But when it is time to eat, one has to realize what to focus on and what to eliminate.

One of the biggest macronutrients to focus on is taking in a good amount of lean proteins. Lean proteins are things that lack the saturated fats oftentimes found in animal products. Proteins break down to its 20 amino acids which includes both essential and nonessentials and each of them have impactful functions in the body. One of the organs that are impacted are skeletal muscles which contributes to strength and balance. Amino acids to focus on are branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) to help maintain lean muscle mass. Another important function of amino acids is boosting of one’s immune system which plays a role in the body’s defense against infections. Good levels of amino acids can also play a role in the makeup of our connective tissue and collagen. Collagen production slows down and can result in wrinkling of skin, dry skin and sunspots.  

Now, on the other hand, the micronutrients we need can be a huge list. I always advise my aging patients to consider taking a multi vitamin from a reputable supplement company to make sure it gives a higher level of bioavailability. Some important vitamins are the water-soluble B vitamins that are often found in lean meats and vegetables. If one’s diet is inconsistent, always make sure there is a good supplement in place. Another vitamin that is important would be vitamin C which is an great antioxidant to boost the immunity plus a great cofactor to collagen to optimize production.  

The next nutritional supplement that I would recommend is a good probiotics. For the same reason that as we grow older, one may not eat as consistently. US American adults don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables which can provide both soluble and insoluble fiber to the body.  When there is an imbalance diet with low fiber, then it makes an impact in the gastrointestinal health, and even disruption of the probiotics; the mixture of bacteria in the gut that plays a role in our overall metabolic and hormonal health. One should seriously consider a good probiotic with a good amount of good strains to help reset the gut. Bio X4 is a great probiotic supplement that features 5 potent probiotics and 3 key digestive enzymes to make the digestive process easier.

With this list of recommended vitamins, minerals and probiotics, there should be a balanced diet focusing on lean proteins (yogurt, eggs, milk, proteins from animals and plant based) and good amounts of fruits and vegetables. These are the food groups that would provide the body with all essential nutrients with minimal processed ingredients and sugars; which the body does not need.