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Vitamin B12 Rich Foods for Vegetarians Over 50

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Fortified breakfast cereal and milk are simple ways to add vitamin B12. Photo: National Cancer Institute, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Tingling toes, a foggy afternoon and a tired feeling that sleep does not fix are easy to blame on age. For a vegetarian over 50 they can also point to low vitamin B12, and nerve damage can begin before a blood count looks off. Adults need 2.4 mcg of vitamin B12 a day, and lacto-ovo vegetarians can get it from milk, yogurt, cheese, eggs and fortified foods such as breakfast cereal and nutritional yeast. Because many people over 50 absorb B12 from food poorly, the NIH advises getting most of it from fortified foods or supplements. By the Wellness Readers Digest editorial team. Last updated November 2026. This article is for general education and is not medical advice. Key takeaways The daily target is 2.4 mcg for adults. Plant foods have no B12 unless they are fortified. Fortified nutritional yeast is the richest vegetarian source, at ...
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High Oxalate Foods List and Kidney Stone Prevention After 50

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Cooked spinach is among the highest oxalate foods per serving. Photo: Jeffery Martin, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. One cup of cooked spinach carries about 750 mg of oxalate. That is more than seven times the 100 mg daily target some stone clinics use for people who form kidney stones. Spinach is the poster child of healthy eating, so it is fair to ask whether a salad habit could be setting up a stone. High oxalate foods include cooked spinach, rhubarb, beet greens, almonds and baked potatoes, but for most people the fix is not to avoid them. Eating calcium rich foods in the same meal, keeping urine output high with mostly water, and getting a 24 hour urine test if stones keep coming back usually does more than cutting out healthy foods. By the Wellness Readers Digest editorial team. Last updated November 2026. This article is for general education and is not medical advice. Key takeaways Oxalate is a natural compound in plants. In the gut it binds to calcium, and the leftover ...
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Choline Rich Foods Without Eggs: A Plant Based Guide

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Roasted soybeans give about 107 mg of choline per half cup. Photo: Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. One hard boiled egg has about 147 mg of choline. Matching that from plants takes more planning than most people expect: roughly two and a half baked potatoes, or two thirds of a cup of roasted soybeans. If you skip eggs, choline is the nutrient that quietly goes missing from the plate. Adults need 425 mg of choline a day (women) or 550 mg (men), and most people in the US fall short even with eggs in the diet. Without eggs, the best everyday sources are roasted soybeans, potatoes, kidney beans, quinoa and cruciferous vegetables. Each serving gives a modest amount, so you need several servings spread through the day. By the Wellness Readers Digest editorial team. Last updated November 2026. This article is for general education and is not medical advice. Key takeaways The adequate intake (AI) is 550 mg a day for men and 425 mg for women, rising to 450 mg in pregnancy and 550 ...
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Low Histamine Foods List for Chronic Hives and Flushing

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Fresh, simply prepared foods are the usual starting point for a low histamine plate. Photo: Bajinra, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. You eat a slice of aged cheddar with a glass of red wine, and twenty minutes later your face is hot, your neck is blotchy and a few itchy welts show up on your arm. A week later it happens again after leftover chili. If hives or flushing keep showing up around meals, it is natural to wonder whether the food itself is the trigger. A low histamine diet means limiting aged, fermented, cured and long-stored foods, and eating fresh foods instead. Some people with chronic hives or flushing report fewer symptoms on this diet, but the evidence is limited, so most doctors treat it as a short trial and not a cure. By the Wellness Readers Digest editorial team. Last updated November 2026. This article is for general education and is not medical advice. Key takeaways Histamine builds up in foods that are aged, fermented, cured or stored for a long time. Fresh ...
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Protein Per Meal After 50: How Much to Eat on a Budget

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Eggs are one of the lowest cost sources of protein. Photo: Photos Public Domain, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Toast and coffee in the morning, a sandwich at lunch, a big plate at dinner. If that sounds like your day, most of your protein lands in one meal, and your muscles can only use so much of it at a time. Adults over 50 should aim for about 25 to 30 grams of protein at each meal, which works out to roughly 0.4 grams per kilogram of body weight. Across a full day, healthy older adults do best on 1.0 to 1.2 grams per kilogram, or about 68 to 82 grams for someone who weighs 150 pounds. You can reach that on a tight budget with eggs, milk, cottage cheese, lentils, dried beans, canned tuna and peanut butter. This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Written by the Wellness Readers Digest editorial team. Last updated November 10, 2026. Sources are listed at the end. Key takeaways Muscle after 50 needs more protein per meal than it did at 30. ...
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Macular Degeneration: Symptoms, Risk Factors and Treatment

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Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease that blurs your central vision, the sharp, straight-ahead sight you use to read, drive and recognize faces. It happens when aging damages the macula, a small area at the center of the retina (the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye). Most people have the slower "dry" form, while the less common "wet" form can take sight quickly but responds to eye injections, so early detection matters. This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Key takeaways AMD affects central vision only. It does not cause total blindness, but it can make reading, driving and recognizing faces hard. Early AMD usually has no symptoms, so a dilated eye exam is often the only way to find it. Straight lines that look wavy or crooked are a warning sign. Contact an eye doctor right away if you notice them. Smoking roughly doubles your risk. Age over 55 and a family history also raise it. Wet AMD is treat...
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Bipolar Disorder: Symptoms, Types and Treatment Options

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Bipolar disorder is a long-term mental health condition that causes clear shifts in mood, energy, activity and concentration, swinging between "up" periods called mania or hypomania and "down" periods of depression. It is usually managed for life with a mix of mood-stabilizing medicine (such as lithium), talk therapy and steady daily routines. With the right plan, many people with bipolar disorder work, study, raise families and live full lives. This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Key takeaways Bipolar disorder involves episodes of mania or hypomania (abnormally high or irritable mood and energy) and episodes of depression, and it often starts between ages 15 and 25. The three main types are bipolar I, bipolar II and cyclothymic disorder, which differ by how severe and how long the "up" episodes are. Mood stabilizers such as lithium and valproate, along with certain antipsychotics, are core treatments; antidepressants ...
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