Calcium
With age, you can start to lose more of this mineral than you absorb. That can make your bones break more easily (osteoporosis), especially for women after menopause. Calcium helps your muscles, nerves, cells, and blood vessels work right. You get most of it from your bones, which get it from food. Women over 50 and men over 70 should get about 20% more than other adults. Milk, yogurt, and cheese are good sources.
Vitamin B12
It helps make blood and nerve cells. You get it naturally only from animal foods like meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. Most Americans eat enough B12, but this might change as you age. As many as 30% of people over 50 have a condition called atrophic gastritis that makes it harder for your body to absorb it from foods. You can still get this vitamin from “B12-fortified” foods, like breakfast cereal, or from pills or shots.
