Over 50? Health facts every woman should know

Women face health challenges when they reach 50

From the age of 50 onwards, women face health challenges they do need to address.

The good news is that – if you do – your energy and health can be better than ever.

 

Over 50? Health facts every woman should know NutriShield Multi Vitamins and MineralsColin Rose is a Senior Associate Member of the Royal Society of Medicine, and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

He is the Founder and Director of Research and Innovation of Uni-Vite Healthcare and author of a recent book: Delay Ageing: Healthy to 100, where he reveals how to slow ageing and, therefore, help prevent later-life illness.

Reduced oestrogen can lead to loss of bone density and higher abdominal fat

One of the biggest changes is a reduced level of oestrogen, which causes you to lose bone density and increases your risk of osteoporosis in later life (ref.1).

The same hormonal changes are linked to more likelihood of abdominal fat which, in turn, raises the risk of heart disease, diabetes and breast and colorectal cancer (ref.2) – making regular screening important.

Over 50? Health facts every woman should know NutriShield Multi Vitamins and Minerals

Inflammation can build up – a risk factor for degenerative diseases

In addition, for both women and men, inflammation can build up in body tissues and arteries which is a confirmed risk factor for heart disease, stroke and Alzheimer’s. Indeed, dementia has now risen to be the leading cause of death in UK women.

Over 50? Health facts every woman should know NutriShield Multi Vitamins and Minerals

DNA damage accumulates, which can lead to cancer

Finally, damage to DNA, caused by free radical action, begins to accumulate. This can ultimately be a trigger for cancer – at a time when the immune system gradually becomes less efficient.

All this is not meant to be alarmist, but to explain the 4 main underlying reasons why the risk of age-related diseases increases for women (and for men, too, of course) after the age of 50.

Fortunately, armed with this knowledge, there are things you can do that hugely reduce your personal risk.

These exact same factors drive ageing. Which is why the latest science confirms that when you counteract them, you also slow ageing.

Over 50? Health facts every woman should know NutriShield Multi Vitamins and Minerals

The secret to staying healthy, living longer, and even ageing more slowly, is to reduce, limit, or even prevent, each of these interlinked threats.

That means taking action to counteract declines in oestrogen levels, counteract inflammation, counteract free radical damage and boost your immune system.

By combining the results and advice from four major studies, each from a prestige university, we have developed a strategy to do this.

Because your diet and lifestyle need to change in line with the changes in your body, many of which, of course, are brought about by the menopause.

'Best of the Best' Healthy Eating Plan that can lower Alzheimer's risk by 53%

Large scale health studies have been conducted on three named eating plans that each significantly improve your health.

By combining them – and adding some extra nutrients – you can benefit from ‘the best of the best’. You are learning from the healthiest people on our planet.

This article gives you an ideal food plan based on all this research and includes foods that also turn on protective genes.

The Mediterranean Diet

You will have almost certainly have heard of the Mediterranean Diet – based on diets in specific areas in the Mediterranean called ‘Blue Zones’. In these areas, a high proportion of people live free of illness into their 90s and beyond.

The Mediterranean Diet has been shown to reduce heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers.

It features high levels of fruits and vegetables, fish, herbs, nuts, olive oil, limited red meat and dairy and occasional red wine.

Over 50? Health facts every woman should know NutriShield Multi Vitamins and Minerals

The DASH Diet

Less well known is the DASH Diet – which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It came out of extensive research at Harvard University.

The DASH Diet reduces blood pressure and is strongly recommended for heart health, reducing stroke risk, control of diabetes and for weight loss and maintenance. That’s important as your metabolism begins to slow after your 40s.

Reducing blood pressure is also important to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s. High blood pressure has been linked to silent mini-strokes in the brain, to damage to the brain's white matter, and restricted blood supply to the brain.

It’s fibre-rich and again features fruit and vegetable whole foods, whole grains, lean fish and poultry and low-fat dairy, with very limited processed foods, salt, sugars and red meat.

Over 50? Health facts every woman should know NutriShield Multi Vitamins and Minerals

The MIND Diet

The MIND Diet – which stands for the Mediterranean/Dash Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay – combines the two previous diets and was introduced in 2016.

The MIND Diet limits intake of salt, cheese and dairy and specifically recommends against red and processed meats, fast foods, sweets and pastries. Processed meats (including bacon, salami and sausages) have been put in the same cancer-causing category as cigarettes, asbestos and engine exhaust fumes!

The MIND Diet emphasises ‘brain foods’ that improve focus and memory – foods like berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries etc), green tea, Omega 3 rich oily fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel etc), nuts and olive oil.

Why these foods? Because oily fish (and some nuts and seeds like walnuts and flaxseeds) provide Omega 3 which is vital for brain health and normal neuron connections. Berry fruits – and leafy greens – are high in flavonoids and polyphenols which are brain protective.

Over 50? Health facts every woman should know NutriShield Multi Vitamins and Minerals

Flavonoids - as important as vitamins and minerals?

Flavonoids and polyphenols are a class of nutrients found in fruits and vegetables that are probably as important for health as vitamins and minerals.

Flavonoids include the colourants in the skins of plants – powerful nutrients like the carotenoids, beta carotene, lycopene and lutein.

Carotenoids help prevent the formation of the beta amyloid plaques and tangles that degrade neuron brain cells and characterise an Alzheimer’s brain. They are also important anti-cancer nutrients. One particular carotenoid, lycopene – the red colourant in tomatoes – appears to be especially helpful in combating prostate cancer.

Lower cancer, dementia and heart risks AND slower ageing

Studies on the Mediterranean/DASH/MIND diets show a reduced risk of cancer, dementia and heart disease risks, as well as slower ageing.

1: Healthier brains    The MIND diet can protect against cognitive decline, dementia and Alzheimer’s. This is a critical benefit when the UK’s Office of National Statistics confirms that in 2017, dementia is the second most common cause of death for men! (And the leading cause of death for women.)

2: Younger brains    A study in the Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association found that adults following a MIND diet had a 53% lower risk of developing dementia than those eating a typical Western diet.

They went further – those eating the most DASH diet servings (in the top third of nutritional intake) were assessed as 7.5 years younger in biological age.

3: Healthier hearts    The MIND diet can lower inflammation in body tissues and blood vessels. Chronic inflammation is known to be a key driver of stroke and heart disease – and heart disease is the leading cause of death in men. And the second most common cause in women. Stroke is essentially ‘a heart attack in the brain’.

Over 50? Health facts every woman should know NutriShield Multi Vitamins and Minerals

4: Reduced cancer risk   By providing high anti-oxidant levels, the MIND diet can help reduce oxidation and therefore free radical damage to tissues and cells, which otherwise can lead to cancer, including colorectal, lung and prostate cancer. The high fibre content of the MIND diet also helps to prevent colorectal cancer.

5: Increased bone density    A MIND diet is high in calcium, magnesium and vitamin K, because it includes leafy green vegetables like kale and spinach. So – with the addition of vitamin D – it will help to prevent loss of bone density.

6: Stronger immunity    The MIND diet is also a natural immune system booster. It’s high in vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, C and D, zinc, in flavonoids, carotenoids and in Omega 3 – all of which strongly support the immune system.

So it helps counteract the fact that your immune system would normally weaken over time. That’s one reason why we become more vulnerable to flu, contagious diseases and indeed cancer as we get older. Cancer is, in part, an immune system failure.

7: Healthier blood sugar    Finally, the MIND diet improves blood sugar levels and therefore helps protect against diabetes.

At the end of this article we give you an eating plan that combines the best of the MED-DASH-MIND diets.

Improved memory from regular activity

Regular weight-bearing activity/exercise is also essential to maintaining health over 50. It can be as simple as walking, and doesn’t just strengthen bones, but has a direct impact on brain health.

Over 50? Health facts every woman should know NutriShield Multi Vitamins and Minerals

The hippocampus is a part of the brain that is critical to memory. Normally it shrinks by 1-2% a year as you get older, leading to potential cognitive impairment. But research shows that that just 40 minutes of brisk walking three times per week leads to significant brain growth.

In one study, adults who participated in aerobic exercise saw over 2% increase in the size of their hippocampus over one year, in contrast to a 1.4% decline in control subjects. A University of California study shows that women who are regularly physically active have far fewer of the plaques and tangles that are characteristic of Alzheimer’s.

All-round health defence

You will have noticed that the nutrient-dense MIND diet helps lower the risk of all three leading causes of death and disability in women.

Why? Because it addresses the risk factors we started with – it reduces inflammation, it reduces free radical damage, it strengthens the immune system and it helps reduce the risk of gaining fat around the belly area.

But can you go even further? You can, and here's how.

Natural ways to boost oestrogen levels

You can counteract the decline in your oestrogen by adding phyto-oestrogens (‘phyto’ means plant-derived). These plant foods mimic oestrogen and help increase your oestrogen levels naturally. Many health researchers prefer them over HRT.

So include in your diet foods made from soybeans – like tofu, soy chunks, soy mince and soy milk – which contain soy isoflavones. Not only do soy isoflavones increase oestrogen levels in women, they are associated with the fact that the incidence of cancer in Japanese women is far lower than in the UK or USA.

Over 50? Health facts every woman should know NutriShield Multi Vitamins and Minerals

Flax seeds are also a rich source of phyto-oestrogens. They have additional benefits, too – they contain Omega 3 oils and fibre and help lower cholesterol levels in the blood. They can easily be added to cereals or smoothies.

Nuts also contain phyto-oestrogens, as do dried apricots and peaches – all of which make great healthy snacks.

Over 50? Health facts every woman should know NutriShield Multi Vitamins and Minerals

Counter-balancing a decline in oestrogen is important too for sexual health. Lowered levels of oestrogen lead to reduced vaginal lubrication, which can make sexual intercourse more difficult. It also increases your risk of urinary and vaginal infections.

Turn on the good genes and turn off the ‘bad’ genes

Although genes are a factor in health and longevity, a 2016 study clearly shows it is the impact of nutrition on the way genes are expressed that is the real key to health (ref.7).

So, although you cannot alter your genetic make-up, there is a lot you can do to influence the way those genes are expressed. When a gene is expressed, it is either activated or deactivated, switched on or off.

The food and lifestyle choices you make can turn genes on or off – and those switches either favour health or lead to disease. It’s all part of two exciting new sciences called epigenetics and nutrigenomics.

The National Institutes for Health published a landmark research paper in 2018 called Effects of Dietary Nutrients on Epigenetic Changes in Cancer. It confirms that:

“Nutrition can alter gene expression, as well as the susceptibility to disease, including cancer, through epigenetic changes.”

How nutrition can impact gene expression to improve health-----

• The Leibniz Institute on Aging showed that optimum levels of B complex vitamins is vital to prevent incorrect activation of genes. In this case optimum means a higher level than the RDA.

• Supplementing with B complex vitamins can activate genes that help protect against air pollution – a fact that should interest people working and living in cities.

Grapeseed flavonoids have been shown to activate genes that reduce stress and depression.

• The anti-oxidant flavonoids in blueberries activate genes that reduce DNA damage, which in turn reduces the risk of cancer.

Over 50? Health facts every woman should know NutriShield Multi Vitamins and Minerals

Carotenoids like lutein and lycopene activate genes that repair DNA damage

Over 50? Health facts every woman should know NutriShield Multi Vitamins and Minerals
Cooked tomatoes are a great source of lycopene

Ginger and its cousin turmeric (which in supplement form is curcumin) activate hundreds of genes that are anti-inflammatory and neuro (brain) protective.

Zinc activates genes that improve immune defence.

Vitamin B12 and folic acid help to express genes that protect against colon cancer and neural damage.

Vitamin D3 activates numerous genes that inhibit tumours, improve immune response and prevent bone density and cartilage loss.

A lesser known nutrient called betaine (a quasi B vitamin) activates a gene that reduces the level of a compound in the blood called homocysteine. That’s important for heart health, because high homocysteine is a risk factor for heart disease.

Over 50? Health facts every woman should know NutriShield Multi Vitamins and Minerals
Betaine comes from beetroot and other foods

Countering NEGATIVE GENE EXPRESSION

Some of the most extensive work on gene expression has been done by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Lead researcher Berit Johansen confirms that:

"... a diet high in carbohydrates negatively activates genes that are involved in type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease and some forms of cancer.”

To counter this, cut down substantially on sugar, processed foods and simple carbohydrates ie. starchy foods like white bread, potatoes and white rice. Replace them with whole grains, fruits and vegetables and lean protein.

The optimum balance from their studies appears to be equal thirds complex carbohydrate, protein and fat – especially Omega 3 type fats. Essentially the MIND diet!

An ideal eating plan for women over 50

Over 50? Health facts every woman should know NutriShield Multi Vitamins and Minerals

All this research strongly points to the ideal diet for a woman over 50 as a modification of the MIND diet – ie. by adding some soy foods and flaxseeds, extra vitamin D and curcumin, and increasing your intake of nutrients that promote positive gene expression.

But there is a catch ...

The number of daily portions of fruits and vegetables in the MIND, DASH and MEDITERRANEAN studies is considerably higher than a simple 5-a-day recommendation.

Indeed, both the American Cancer Society and University College London in a huge study concluded that you need 9-10 portions of fruits and vegetables a day – plus 2-3 portions of oily fish a week. At these levels your blood chemistry becomes seriously protective against age-related illness.

Over 50? Health facts every woman should know NutriShield Multi Vitamins and Minerals

But for many people 70 portions of fruit and veg a week is not realistic. [When the UK Government was setting a recommendation for fruit and vegetables, their advisors arbitrarily cut the figure to 5 a day – even though the scientific evidence was 9-10 a day, believing that people would simply not even try to reach that level.]

… which is why a woman over 50 should consider a supplement

Many women do take a one-a day multivitamin. Vitamins and minerals are certainly important, but they are only part of what you need. What’s missing, in an effective supplement, are the nutrients we have discussed – flavonoids, carotenoids and Omega 3.

But before we continue, a full disclosure. Uni-Vite Healthcare, the company I founded, developed a supplement called NutriShield following the recommendations of Dr Paul Clayton, former Chair of the Forum of Food and Health at the Royal Society of Medicine, and author of the best-selling book Health Defence.

NutriShield boosts the level of the nutrients with the biggest impact on health and healthy ageing. So it include flavonoids, Omega 3, soy isoflavones, and the nutrients that promote positive gene expression – like lutein, lycopene, beta carotene, betaine, extra B vitamins and vitamin D.

The enhanced MIND Diet plus NutriShield health supplement

Consequently, my one-page summary of the ideal, enhanced MIND diet does include NutriShield Premium, which supplies all these extra nutrients. Independent laboratory tests show it has a very powerful ant-inflammatory and antioxidant effect (see results here).

Over 50? Health facts every woman should know NutriShield Multi Vitamins and Minerals

It doesn’t include iron because iron supplements are NOT recommended for women past the menopause, as too much iron can cause liver and heart damage. [Iron supplementation is generally not recommended for men of any age, because too much iron is pro-inflammatory for them.]

NutriShield also includes optimum levels of B vitamins and vitamins D3 and K2 and helps you reach the sort of levels of nutrients in the research.

Unlike most supplements, NutriShield doesn't just contain the basic RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) amounts of vitamins and minerals, which only prevent outright deficiencies.

Instead, it's designed to provide you daily with the wide range and high level of nutrients found in the very healthiest diets. Instead, it’s designed to provide you daily with the wide range and high level of nutrients found in the very healthiest diets. So, it includes optimum levels of B vitamins for energy and also vitamins D3 and K2 and helps you reach the sort of levels in the MIND diet research.

You can go to the NutriShield Healthy Eating Plan to Delay Ageing here.

Over 50? Health facts every woman should know NutriShield Multi Vitamins and Minerals

 

AND Restore your cellular energy

You need energy to power every function in your body – from your immune system, to your cardio-vascular system, to cognitive ability. Indeed, the brain may only be 3% of your body weight on average, but it uses 20% of your energy!

That energy comes from a molecule called ATP – but ATP depends on a pre-cursor chemical the body produces called NAD+.

NAD+ declines as you get older – typically by about 50% by your late 50s. Fortunately a version of Vitamin B3, called Nicotinamide Riboside, has been proven in multiple studies to increase NAD+ and help you counter that energy decline.

It’s explained here: NR+A, NAD+ Booster | Boost NAD+ for Healthy Ageing | NutriShield


Recommended Health Check-Up List for women over 50


 


Over 50? Health facts every woman should know NutriShield Multi Vitamins and Minerals

Thanks for reading

I spend my time researching the new science of healthy, successful ageing.  And how to extend health span rather than just lifespan.

And if you enjoyed it, please send the link of this article to any friend or family member who might benefit.

Colin Rose


NutriShield Premium Health Supplement

Over 50? Health facts every woman should know NutriShield Multi Vitamins and MineralsNutriShield Premium was originally designed by Dr Paul Clayton, former Chair of the Forum on Food and Health at the Royal Society of Medicine.

It contains 6 different capsules, combining a total of 43 powerful nutrients to support healthy ageing and has been updated and improved every year since 2002 based on the newest longevity research.

See NutriShield Premium here.


NR+A Nicotinamide Riboside and Apigenin

Over 50? Health facts every woman should know NutriShield Multi Vitamins and Minerals

See and buy Uni-Vite NR+A here.



Delay Ageing book explains the ageing process and how you can postpone it

Over 50? Health facts every woman should know NutriShield Multi Vitamins and Minerals

Medical researchers agree that if you slow ageing, you also delay the onset of age-related disease. And we know that it’s not just nutrition. Sleep, reducing stress and cardio and strength exercise are also essential to longevity and ageing well.

My book Delay Ageing: Healthy to 100, published in 2020, explains the latest ageing science in an accessible way.

It’s been rated 5-star and I am sure you will get a lot of benefit from it, as so many have already.

Click here to go to the publisher's website where you can buy the printed book or Kindle version.


Over 50? Health facts every woman should know NutriShield Multi Vitamins and MineralsDr Paul Clayton's best-selling book Health Defence is no longer in print. A free summary report and the opportunity to read the book online is available here.


Over 50? Health facts every woman should know NutriShield Multi Vitamins and MineralsSee online here for delicious recipes from the Health Defence Cookbook  incorporating healthy foods featuring in a Mediterranean Diet.

 


REFERENCES

1. Estrogen production and action. Linda R. Nelson, MD, PhD, Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago

2. Estrogen's Dual Nature; Studies Highlight Effects on Breast Cancer. Renee Twombly; Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Volume 103, Issue 12, 22 June 2011

3. https://hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-weight/diet-reviews/dash-diet

4. Dietary Patterns and Fractures in Postmenopausal Women. Haring B, Crandall CJ, Wu C, Leblanc ES, Shikany JM, Carbone L, Wassertheil-Smoller S. (2016).  JAMA Internal Medicine, 176(5), 645.

5. Mediterranean diet and brain structure in a multi-ethnic elderly cohort. Gu Y, Brickman A et al (2015). Neurology, 85 (20), 1744-1751.

6. https://www.rush.edu/news/press-releases/mind-diet-may-slow-cognitive-decline-stroke-survivors

7. Vitamins regulate gene expression and induce differentiation and growth inhibition in cancer cells. Their relevance in cancer prevention. Prasad KN, Edwards-Prasad J, Kumar S, Meyers A. 1993 Oct;119(10):1133-40.

8. Influence of Vitamin D on Gene Expression in Bone-building Cells; Genomic Determinants of Gene Regulation by 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 during Osteoblast-lineage Cell Differentiation J. Biol. Chem. 2014, 289.

9. https://alzheimersresearchuk.org

10. Feed your genes: How our genes respond to the foods we eatThe Norwegian University of Science & Technology. ScienceDaily 20 September 2011. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110919073845.htm.

11. Menopause, obesity and inflammation: interactive risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease. Amy Christensen and Christian J. Pike; Front Aging Neurosci. 2015

12. https://nhs.uk/news/food-and-diet/five-a-day-of-fruit-and-veg-is-good-but-10-is-better/