Vitamin Supplements For Seniors: What Should You Take?

By Linda Polansky

There is a lot of conflicting research out there about whether or not vitamin supplements are beneficial and necessary, or sometimes whether they can even be harmful. The truth is, that most experts agree that a healthy, balanced diet is all most people need to get all the vitamins their bodies require. At the same time, many of these same experts recommend that a basic daily multivitamin is probably a good idea. In addition, there are some groups of people that are specifically prone to certain vitamin deficiencies, and these can be prevented with vitamin supplements. Senior citizens are one of these groups, for several reasons. Older people often do not eat a balanced diet or eat much smaller amounts of food. As our bodies age, the rate at which we can absorb different vitamins or how efficiently our bodies use them can change, changing our intake needs. At the same time, metabolic processes also slow, which means it may take longer to work excess amounts of fat soluble vitamins like A, E, and K out of the system, therefore reducing intake needs. Seniors may spend less time outdoors and get less sunlight, which can lead to vitamin D deficiency. Some elderly people may also have deficiencies of B vitamins, one of the symptoms of which is dementia. What should you take and what else do you need to know?

First of all, you should know that vitamin supplements are not regulated by the FDA and should not promise to treat or cure any particular diseases. Also, some vitamin supplements may have either a negative effect on the absorption of medications, or increase the effect of some medications. Since most seniors take at least one medication on a daily basis, it is very important to discuss vitamin supplement use with your doctor the same way you would discuss a new medication. When you buy vitamin supplements, look carefully at dosages and to see whether they have extra ingredients in them. Shopping for the best price is fine, studies have shown no difference between low cost and high cost versions of the same vitamin supplements. Vitamin D supplements, coupled with calcium, are most likely to be recommended for older people, particularly women, because of their role in helping to maintain bone mass and density. Some studies have shown that antioxidant vitamins like A and E can help reduce the risk of Alzheimers, but this has not been proven.

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