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As you get older, your metabolism slows down, which makes it harder to lose weight. According to WebMD, “As you age, your metabolism tends to decelerate by about 5% for every decade of life past age 40, so that if your resting metabolic rate is, say, 1,200 calories per day at age 40, it will be around 1,140 at age 50.” With that in mind, taking morning vitamins to boost your metabolism can help combat this natural decline.
Read on for the 4 morning vitamins everyone over 40 should be taking to boost your metabolism.
B vitamins
B vitamins are at the top of the list for vitamins that maintain a healthy metabolism. In fact, according to Dr. Nikola Djordjevic, MD and medical advisor at Loud Cloud Health, "The B vitamins are essential for healthy metabolism functioning as they help our body get the maximum use out of nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, and fats."
As you grow older and your metabolism naturally slows down, B vitamins can help you boost your metabolism and maintain a healthy weight. Each B vitamin has specific functions, so look out for B-complex vitamins, which contain all eight B vitamins.
Iron
Dr. Djordjevic also recommends including an iron supplement in your morning vitamin routine. She explains, "Iron carries oxygen in erythrocytes or red blood cells. As such, it enables the proper production of certain hormones, which regulate your metabolism."
With that in mind, an iron supplement is one way to keep your metabolism running properly while also boosting your immune system.
Vitamin D
According to Bonnie Balk, RD and health & wellness expert for Maple Holistics, vitamin D supplements should be added to your list of morning vitamins, especially since it can be tricky to hit your daily amount of vitamin D through food alone.
She explains, "Vitamin D is one of the essential vitamins necessary for optimal digestion. Research reveals that vitamin D supplements significantly lowered individuals' weight, BMI, waist circumference and hip circumference in just 6 weeks."
Magnesium
Randy Evans, MS, RD, LD and consultant of Fresh n’ Lean, suggests adding magnesium supplements to your daily routine. He explains, "Magnesium is involved in hundreds of enzymatic reactions in the body. Magnesium activates ATP, which is our primary form of energy for all metabolic processes." Magnesium supplements can also help with specific issues like glucose metabolism, hypertension, and stress.