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Top 35 healthy foods for men over 40 and their heart health



Baldness, wrinkles, and back hair are the least of your worries; your body may be a walking time bomb. That's because approximately 30 percent of men in their 40s have asymptomatic prostate cancer, according to research from the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute. That is, the cancer is there but nearly undetectable. It's a terrifying prospect, but a reality in your 40s, which might be labeled "the decade of disease."

The reason: Until age 44, accidents are the most likely cause of death in men. But once you reach 45, heart disease becomes your number-one threat, killing 36,000 fortysomething men every year.

And scientists at the University of California at Irvine discovered that men over 40 were up to twice as likely to develop melanomas than were women of the same age.

There's also an elevated risk of nonfatal diseases, such as macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness. And don't forget about obesity: Even if you managed to sidestep it in your 30s, keeping your waistline in check doesn't become easier with age.

The solution? A preemptive attack on your body's natural enemies. Your weapons: a knife and fork.

A Fat Expense Account

Eating on the company is a fast way to inflate your gut.

The fix: Adopt a point system. Assign these values to menu items: 2 points for a salad; 3 points for an appetizer; 2 points for an entrée; 4 points for a dessert; and 2 points for an alcoholic beverage. Order whatever you want, but limit yourself to a total of 6 points. To follow this system, choose from a category only once.

Cancer-Prone Skin

Mutating moles are scary, but food can help: National Cancer Institute researchers determined that people with the highest intakes of carotenoids—pigments that occur naturally in plants—were as much as six times less likely to develop skin cancer than those with the lowest intakes. "Beta-carotene is an internal sun protector," says Regina Goralczyk, Ph.D. That's because the vitamin plants itself in your skin, where its imperceptible orange and yellow pigments help deflect sunlight.

The fix: As a preventive, eat two sweet potatoes every week. This will provide you with the same amount of weekly beta-carotene as in men who demonstrated the lowest skin-cancer risk. Other top sources are carrots and cantaloupe.

Shrinking Muscles

The average guy loses 6 pounds of muscle by the time he's 50. But, in addition to lifting weights, you can protect your hard-earned muscles by feeding them a steady supply of high-quality protein.

The fix: Tuna. Ounce for ounce, it's one of the best sources of protein—and contains zero saturated fat. To grill your way to a better body, follow this muscle-building recipe from Men's Health cover model Gregg Avedon.

Best Foods for Men Over 40:

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