What Vitamins Are Good For Seniors

What To Look For In A Multivitamin For Older Adults

Vitamins geared toward older adults typically contain more vitamin D and vitamin B12 and less iron, according to Harvard Health Publishing. They might also contain herbs targeted toward memory and energy.

While the best multivitamin for you depends on your lifestyle and health status, here are some of the vitamins and minerals that are particularly important for older adults.

Best For Women: Thorne Womens Multi 50+

This multi from a reputable brand provides 18 percent of your DV of calcium, which helps to keep bones strong. It’s also a good source of magnesium.

Many Americans do not get enough of this mineral. People who are over age 51 should get between 320 and 420 micrograms per day, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. This multi has 180 micrograms .

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This multi is one of Famularo’s recommendations for older adults with a risk of age-related macular degeneration. It contains 5 milligrams of lutein, which is one of several minerals and supplements that can help lower your risk of this condition, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

The multi contains the other recommended minerals and vitamins zinc, vitamins E and C, copper and zeaxanthin as well.

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Vitamin And Mineral Deficiencies In Seniors

Caloric intake declines as we age. Some foods become difficult to chew or digest, and, as our ability to taste food lessens, our appetite decreases. This is compounded by the fact that the body is less efficient at absorbing specific nutrients making it difficult to get adequate nutrition as you get older.

There are several key vitamins and minerals, as well as other nutrients that may be deficient as you get older. Over 35 percent of all adults 65 and older have some deficiency. Here are some of the top vitamins and nutrients to monitor:

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What Is Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is an essential vitamin that your body needs to function properly. Its found in dairy products such as yogurt, milk, and cheese as well as in meat, fortified cereals, and fish. Beef, pork, lamb, poultry, and ham are all rich sources of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 supplements are also created in labs through bacterial fermentation. Since natural vitamin B12 comes mainly from animal sources, vegans typically need to use a supplement to get proper amounts of the nutrient.

This vitamin plays a key role in creating red blood cells and producing nerve tissue that helps transmit signals from the brain to cells. Vitamin B12 is water-soluble and travels through your bodys bloodstream to aid in cell function.

Dietary Supplements For Older Adults

Dietary supplements can be beneficial at any age, but they can also have unwanted side effects, such as unsafe prescription drug interactions. They could also not work at all.

Its important to understand the supplements you are taking and why you are taking them. Talk with your doctor if you are considering taking a supplement.

On this page:

• Are dietary supplements safe?

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Women Over 55 One Daily From Mega Food

Mega Food meets all our criteria, Non-GMO, Vegetarian, manufactured in a cGMP facility, third-party tested, dairy, and soy-free.

This product is made with real food, oranges, broccoli, and brown rice. It is tailored specifically for a womens needs with B vitamins, 40 mcg of vitamin D to help maintain bone health, and beta carotene and vitamins C and E to aid immune health.

Gentle on the stomach take one tablet any time of day, even on an empty stomach.

The Many Benefits Of Vitamin C For Seniors

By Steve Darley 9 am on May 24, 2018

Vitamin C is an important nutrient that impacts immune health, cardiovascular function, and skin elasticity. To ward off illness and stay in good physical condition, seniors should strive to get their daily dose of vitamin C. Here are a few benefits of vitamin C for seniors.

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Should You Take Vitamin Supplements

Many of us choose to take supplements, because we think we’re not getting the right amount of vitamins in our body – but you might not realise that taking a high dosage, or taking them for too long, can do more harm than good, especially if youre already taking prescription medication.

Not only that, vitamin supplements can be expensive – and unnecessary. Your kidneys will simply flush out what your body doesnt need, which could mean that your expensive supplements end up going straight down the toilet.

GP Dr Liz Green says: ‘Its always good to ensure that you take supplements only in the recommended daily allowance amounts and discuss with your GP why you’re taking them and why they’re needed.’

Nevertheless, vitamin supplements can be helpful for some people, so we asked the experts to help us identify the most common deficiencies to look out for in older people, along with some advice on how to prevent them.

The Best Multivitamins For Seniors

I dont want to admit how many hours I spent analyzing multivitamins to find a product that would fit at least most of the guidelines, but lets just say that this was my hardest task. I have added two additional multivitamins based on the need for formulas without beta-carotene or vitamin K.

What you decide to add to this base will depend on where you need to focus. For the older generations, this includes mainly digestive health, cognitive function, bone health, eye health and heart health. Below I have outlined how to customize your program.Below I have outlined how to customize your program.

Remember to take your multivitamin with food so that you absorb the carotenoids and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.

1. Primitive Scientific 2/Day Essentials for Adults and Seniors

This product launched August 17th, 2021. Primitive Scientific has proven to be a company willing to go the extra mile for the highest quality ingredients and intelligently sourced and dosed blends. It has taken the top spot for seniors by casting a wider net with appropriate doses of various vitamins and minerals, and including incredible blends targeting the eyes, muscles, brain and gut.

Cost: $29.00 for 30 servings

Highlights

2. Basic Nutrients 2/Day by Thorne Research

Cost: $27.99 for 60 capsules

The Basic Nutrients 2/Day provides the best bang for your buck if you are taking medications, helping offset nutrient depletions with only 2 capsules per day.

Highlights

Price: $60.00 for 30 servings

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Best Calcium And Vitamin D Supplement: Nature Made Calcium With Vitamin D3

Bone health is important for older men. This vitamin contains both vitamin D3 and calcium, which can help maintain healthy bones. The dose for this supplement is one to two pills a day note that you’ll need to take each pill with food and water.

Each pill provides half of your DV of vitamin D3 and 46 percent of your DV of calcium.

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Micronutrient Intake In The Us

Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2010, researchers from the Council for Responsible Nutrition determined that largeproportions of the population have intakes below the estimated average requirements .

Below are some of the percentages of Americans who fail to meet the estimated average requirement:9

Average requirement does not consider people with underlying health issues whose need for certain nutrients can be strikingly high.10

There is an urgent need for more Americans to ensure at least adequate intake of nutrients that were identified decades ago as essential for better health and well-being.

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How To Choose And Take A Supplement

The vitamin aisle can be an overwhelming space. Plus, it’s important to note oversight on this industry is slim that means that manufacturers can make extravagant claims on the package. As you browse options, here are some considerations to keep in mind:

• Choose reputable brands. Look on the label to see if it’s been tested by a third party, such as the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention .
• Avoid ingredients as needed. If you have a food allergy or dietary restriction, check the ingredient list to make sure the supplement doesn’t contain anything that’s off-limits.
• Follow the dosage instructions. Overdoing it on vitamins isn’t good for your health, so follow the instructions on the label. It’s also wise to check in with your health care provider before starting to take any supplements in some cases, there can be interactions with other medications, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration .

What You Need To Know

An Ideal Multivitamin

• Older adults stand to benefit from a multivitamin, but studies show that they frequently have nutrient deficiencies.
• Leading multivitamins omit nutrients, provide insufficient amounts, and fail to use the optimal forms of some nutrients.
• Scientists have designed a blend of vitamins, minerals, and plant-based nutrients that delivers the broadest array of health-promoting compounds in optimal potencies and forms.
• Taking a better vitamin and mineral blend can significantly improve overall health and shorten the length of illnesses.

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What Is The Best Iron Supplement To Take

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• Pure Micronutrients Iron Plus Supplement at Amazon.

Will A Multivitamin/mineral Supplement Benefit Me

If you arent getting adequate vitamins and minerals from your diet, if you have a medical condition or a vitamin deficiency, you will benefit from a multivitamin and mineral. For those over 65, a multi is an excellent option to ensure you meet your recommended daily allowances.

We consider multivitamins a very cost-effective method to protect yourself against vitamin deficiencies.

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• Sunshine is one of the best natural sources of vitamin D. Take an afternoon walk, or invest in a UV lamp for colder months.
• One tablespoon of cod liver oil supplements 170% of daily vitamin D.
• Four or five sliced, white mushrooms make up half of the needed vitamin D intake.
• Three ounces of cooked salmon account for more than 80% of necessary vitamin D.
• A cup of milk, which is fortified with vitamin D, contains 20% of the daily recommended vitamin D value.

Beyond these natural sources, a doctor or dietitian may recommend a vitamin D supplement, after ruling out medication interactions or other health risks.

Madi M, et al. The association between vitamin D level and periodontal disease in Saudi population, a preliminary study.

Vitamins And Supplements For Elderly People

Vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients that we need for the body to function well. The debate is whether or not we need to take supplements and this really comes down to personal choice. Both vitamins and supplements become more important for old people and here we give you the information to ensure your parents are getting what they need.

Why supplement?

As we get older its more difficult to digest, absorb and metabolise nutrient, and some medications may also inhibit the whole process. Supplements may also be needed for those who do not have a diet which contains enough of the vitamins and minerals needed maintain good health. Its important though to ask the GP if its OK to take vitamins and minerals in addition to prescribed medicines.

To achieve the daily level of vitamins and minerals means eating a lot of fruit and vegetables every day, choosing healthy foods as outlined in Elderly Nutrition and preferably eating organic food, which is grown in soil rich in minerals.

Which vitamins and minerals to supplement?

Some people take the view that they want to take supplements even when their diet is healthy, so which vitamins/minerals and other supplements are the most popular?

Multivitamins/minerals

A good multivitamin/mineral formula gives a spread of all the main vitamins and minerals that are essential for health. It is also a more economical choice because you only have to buy one product.

Vitamin D

Vitamin C

B vitamins

Calcium & magnesium

Iron

Omega 3s

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Nutrients In Optimal Forms

In addition to higher potencies, its vital to get a wide range of nutrients in optimal forms. This includes nutrients not generally found in multivitamins, such as:

• The mineral boron,
• Mixed tocopherols , each with demonstrated biological benefits,
• The antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid, and
• Plant extracts, such as the bioflavonoid apigenin and the carotenoid lycopene.

And optimal forms of nutrients should be consumed, including a highly stable chromium and the meta- bolically active form of folate, 5-MTHF.

Best Vitamins For Seniors

Eating the right foods is important for seniors, as it offers a mix of essential nutrients and vitamins for healthy aging. Vitamins, found in many foods, from vegetables and fruits to meat and energy bars, can either be fat-soluble or water-soluble. Keeping a good balance of vitamins in the diet can contribute to higher energy levels and the ability to combat certain diseases.

However, it can be challenging to know which vitamins are the best for seniors. There is no one cure-all vitamin. A number of vitamins are essential for seniors to add to their daily regimen to maintain healthy functions, from heart health to cognitive abilities.

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Herbal Supplements And Older Adults

Herbal supplements are dietary supplements that come from plants. These types of supplements are taken by mouth, whether its by a capsule, tablet, powder, or liquid.

A few that you may have heard of are ginkgo biloba, ginseng, echinacea, and black cohosh. Researchers are looking at using herbal supplements to prevent or treat some health problems, but its too early to know if these are both safe and useful. Previous studies of certain herbal supplements have not shown any benefits.

Its important to know that just because a supplement is natural, or comes from plants, that doesnt necessarily mean its safe.

Best Foods For Elderly People Nutrition Food For Seniors

Elderly people suffer from age and health decline simultaneously. Therefore, the best food for elderly people must be soft, digestible and tasty at the same time. Just like small kids, old people need to have balanced diet as most of the body organs do not function well. Moreover, everything given to them must not be excessively hard or oily that can tamper the routine health.

The best food for elderly must look tempting and smells good. You dont have to always convert everything into a puree or mashed form for feeding the adults. Alternatively, you can pick up soft food for seniors that are exceptionally tasty and well balanced. The food must quench their hunger along with being easy to digest. Old people do not undertake much physical movement. Therefore, anything that is hard, oily, greasy or heavy is going to sit in their stomach for hours. The undigested food would further create problems thereby causing a lot of inconvenience to the sufferer and person looking after.

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Do Older Adults Need Vitamins Supplements

The majority of older adults, he says, can improve their diet to get needed nutrients.

“A lot of money is wasted in providing unnecessary supplements to millions of people who don’t need them,” says Donald B. McCormick, PhD, an Emory professor emeritus of biochemistry and the graduate program in nutrition and health sciences at Emory.

He challenges what he says is a widely held belief that the older people get, the more vitamins and mineral supplements they need.

The scientific backup for that doesnt exist, he says. “We know too little to suggest there is a greater need in the elderly for most of these vitamins and minerals.”

“A supplement does not cure the aging process,” he says. And in some cases, supplements may do harm, he says. Expense is another factor.

His report, which reviews numerous studies of vitamins and mineral supplements, is published in Advances in Nutrition.

Duffy MacKay, ND, vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs for the Council for Responsible Nutrition, an industry group representing dietary supplement makers, agrees that starting with a good diet is the best way to get needed nutrients.

But he says that is not always reality, especially for older adults who may have obstacles such as a reduced appetite.

Do Seniors Need Special Vitamins

I see vitamins designated as “platinum” or “silver” for those over a certain age. Why is this? Do we need different nutrients as we get older? Are the doses higher in these formulas for seniors?

Andrew Weil, M.D. | August 19, 2014

As we get older, we dont need different nutrients as much as we may need different dosages to compensate for some of the age-related changes in our bodies. I discussed your question with Tierarona Low Dog, M.D., chief medical officer of Weil Lifestyle and an internationally known expert on herbal medicine, dietary supplements and womens health. She notes that as we get older, our skin is less able to synthesize vitamin D, and we also may spend more time indoors. As a result, we may not get enough sun exposure to trigger synthesis of vitamin D, which assists in the absorption of calcium and promotes bone mineralization. This deficiency may in turn contribute to the progression of osteoporosis. Vitamin D also helps strengthen the immune system and protect against a number of serious diseases, including hypertension, psoriasis, and autoimmune disorders . In addition, growing evidence has demonstrated its important role in defending against cancer.

Dr. Low Dog adds that as women move beyond menstruation, they should not take supplemental iron unless instructed to by a health care provider, as some people have a genetic trait that makes them store iron excessively. Some research suggests that high iron levels may increase the risk of certain cancers.

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