Supplements after fifty: what it is and isn't about

Around the age of fifty, something changes in how your body extracts nutrients from your food. You absorb some nutrients less efficiently, you often eat a little less, and at the same time, your body demands more in a few areas. This is the moment when supplements can truly become useful for the first time, after years in which, for most people, they were mostly expensive urine.

At the same time, it is also the moment when advertising starts coming your way. That is why this article is in two parts: what is allowed to be said, and what is not. The second part is at least as useful.

Part one: where the rules allow for something

Protein

Proteins contribute to the maintenance of muscle mass and the maintenance of normal bones. Those are two officially permitted claims, and they are exactly the two things that begin to decline after you turn fifty.

The point is not that you need to eat more, but that you should distribute it better. Most people get their protein in the evening and hardly any in the morning. Dairy, eggs, legumes, fish, meat: spread over three meals, the same food does more. If that doesn't work, a shake is a practical solution, not a miracle cure.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones, normal muscle function, and the normal functioning of the immune system. Three permitted claims, all three relevant as you get older.

You produce vitamin D under the influence of sunlight, and at our latitude, the sun is too low from October to March to expect much from it. Moreover, those who consistently wear sun protection—and they should—get even less out of it. That is no reason to use less sunscreen; it is a reason to supplement your intake elsewhere.

The Heliocare 360 D Plus contains vitamin D at one hundred percent of the reference intake, alongside niacin and vitamin E. There are also standalone vitamin D preparations available at your pharmacy; it is best to discuss the correct dosage for you with your doctor.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal functioning of the skin, bones, and cartilage. It helps reduce tiredness and fatigue and helps protect cells against oxidative stress.

The first part is what's interesting. Collagen is not something you just supplement; it is something your body makes itself, and vitamin C is essential for that process. You can find it in Ester-C as a standalone tablet, and the collagen powder from BBody contains 300 mg per serving.

Magnesium

Magnesium contributes to normal muscle function, electrolyte balance, and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. It is one of the minerals that many people are slightly deficient in without noticing.

You get it from nuts, seeds, legumes, and green vegetables. If you sweat a lot, due to exercise or heat, you also lose it faster. Hydrate contains 75 mg per serving, in addition to sodium and potassium.

And creatine

I wrote a separate piece about this because it has its own permitted claim regarding muscle strength for this age group, subject to conditions. Read it in Building strength after fifty.

Part two: where much is promised and little is allowed to be said

This is the part you won't read on most webshops, and that is precisely why it is here.

European legislation only allows claims for food supplements that are on an official list. There is nothing on that list for collagen. Nothing for hyaluronic acid. Nothing for most herbal extracts. That does not automatically mean those products do nothing; it means the evidence has not passed the European assessment, or that the assessment is still ongoing.

You can see the difference as soon as you look at a label. If a collagen powder includes a statement about your skin, it almost always refers to the vitamin C it contains, not the collagen itself. That is not a trick; that is the law. But it is good to know exactly what you are paying for.

My own rule of thumb, after years at the table: be most suspicious of the product that promises the most. A label that simply states what is inside, in what quantity, and nothing else, is usually the most honest one on the shelf.

What I see in practice

Three jars lined up while you barely have any vegetables on your plate: that is the most common situation, and it is the wrong order. First, look at your meals, your sleep, and your exercise. Only then add what is still missing, and it is better to choose one or two that you can keep up for months than five that you forget by week three.

And discuss it with your doctor if you take medication. Supplements are not neutral: some affect the efficacy of drugs, and that is not something a product page can protect you from.

Not sure what makes sense for your situation? Feel free to send me a message, or come by for an intake. We will look at what you are already taking before we add anything.