Do Seniors Need Dietary Supplements?

Food first! What is true for younger people is also true for the elderly. If possible, get your nutrients, vitamins and minerals from the foods you eat.

You're not 20 anymore
Getting the vitamins you need may get harder as you age. Even if you stick with the same healthy diet, you no longer absorb certain vitamins as you did before. Not only does your stomach produce less acid, but if you take heartburn medication, you may have even less acid in your stomach. This makes it harder to digest food and absorb nutrients.

Some hormone levels change as you age. This lowers your metabolism. You need to eat less food, even if you keep active. If you are less active than before, you'll need to cut calories to keep a healthy weight. In your later years, you need as much as 25 percent fewer calories. That means you will probably get 25 percent fewer vitamins and minerals.

To strengthen bones, you need more calcium and vitamin D as you age. You also absorb less of the vitamin B12 found in foods.

Additional complications
Illness and surgery increase the need for certain vitamins and minerals. Some medications interact with nutrients and make them less available for the body.

Other possible causes for poor nutrient intake are:

• Eating the wrong foods
• The cost of fruits and vegetables
• Problems with chewing or swallowing

Recommendations
Take a multivitamin with minerals. It doesn't have to be made for seniors. A cheaper store-brand is fine. If you have problems with digestion, take a powdered version in capsule form. These dissolve better than tablets.

If you don't want to take a pill, drink calcium-fortified orange juice and eat a calcium-fortified breakfast cereal.

Herbal supplements and energy boosters
Many people think herbal supplements are safe because they come from plants. Be careful with these supplements. They may interact with medicines you already take. Ask your doctor before taking any herbal supplement.

Energy and protein supplements aren't needed if you eat right. For most seniors, they are a waste of money. These supplements are good only for people who are frail or malnourished.

Related Articles Keys to Healthy Aging: What You Can Do to Age Well Medication Safety for the Elderly It's Never Too Late to Break Bad Habits Senior Fit: How to Feel and Live Younger Healthy Eating in the Golden Years Fishing for an Omega-3 Supplement? Follow These Guidelines

External Sources Milne, A. C., Avenell, A. and Potter, J. Meta-Analysis: Protein and Energy Supplementation in Older People. Annals of Internal Medicine.2006; 144: 37-48. Moore C., Should everyone over age 75 take a multivitamin? Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine. 2000; 67(3):155-156. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Nutrition and the Elderly. Accessed January 11, 2007 National Institute on Aging. Dietary Supplements Use in the Elderly. Accessed January 11, 2007

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