Dietary supplements like vitamin, mineral, and multi mineral supplements are very crucial for older adults. As people get older with age, their body becomes more vulnerable leading to health problems. They often face difficulty digesting vitamins and minerals from natural forms and thus also face nutrition deficiencies. Dietary supplements help cover up this nutrition deficiency while also ensuring a healthy body with a sound immunity system and good metabolism.
So if you want to get basic knowledge of dietary supplements for older adults before you start to take any, you have come to the right place. Read on to know more!
What Are Dietary Supplements For Elders?
Dietary supplements refer to the vitamin and multi-mineral supplements that are prescribed to elders to maintain a proper intake of nutrition. They also help lower the risk of certain diseases like arthritis, osteoporosis, and other health problems. They can be found in the form of powders, pills, gels, tablets, gummies, and capsules.
Benefit of Dietary Supplements For Elders
Dietary supplements can be very beneficial for older adults as –
- Maintain Health-
The overall health of humans tends to deteriorate with age. With the help of regular exercise, a well-balanced diet, and some vitamin and mineral supplements, older people can maintain their health and lead a proper lifestyle.
- Main Immunity-
With age, one’s immunity levels tend to drop, making their body vulnerable to many diseases. With the help of these vitamin, mineral, and trace mineral supplements, one can maintain their immunity levels in their old age to prepare their body’s defenses against germs and diseases.
- Reduce Risk of Chronic Diseases-
Dietary supplements cannot cure any chronic diseases. However, it can help to reduce the risk of some of them. Certain supplements like iron, calcium, Omega 3, and others have been known to reduce the risk of eye, bone, and heart diseases.
- Help Maintain Bone Health –
A common problem with mostly elderly people is bone and joint pain. Taking regular dietary supplements like calcium from an early stage can help reduce bone and joint pain by maintaining bone health. While it cannot completely eradicate any pain, it can help control it to some extent.
- Provide Proper Nutrients-
Dietary supplements are a great source of nutrients for older adults. Due to their dietary restrictions for their old age, they often face nutrient deficiencies in their body. Specific vitamin, mineral, and trace mineral supplements can help cover up for these deficiencies. This will ensure that their body receives all the required nutrients in the correct amount to function correctly.
What Are The Important Dietary Supplements For Elders?
- Vitamin D-
When it comes to the people of the USA, Vitamin D is one vitamin that is less consumed than its prescribed rate. Hence, taking Vitamin D supplements is very much necessary, especially as you get older. Vitamin D helps to maintain bone health along with Calcium.
The recommended dosage for Vitamin D to people from 50-70 is 600 IU and 800 IU for people over 70. However, they should not consume over 4000 IU daily.
- Vitamin B12-
Vitamin B12 is a very important supplement when it comes to elders. While Vitamin B12 itself is a necessary vitamin, many cannot digest it in its natural form. Hence, doctors prescribe Vitamin B12 supplements to ensure one gets its prescribed amount daily. It helps to keep one’s nerves and red blood cells in a healthy state.
The recommended dose for Vitamin B12 is 2.4 mcg. However, if you are taking any acid reflux medicine, this vitamin might not be recommended for you. You should consult a doctor before starting a course on Vitamin B12.
- Calcium-
Calcium is a necessary multimineral supplement when it comes to people over 50, especially women. Calcium deficiency causes the bone and joint pain which results in diseases like osteoporosis. Thus it is recommended to take calcium along with Vitamin D supplements to maintain your bone health.
Calcium is mainly prescribed to older women. The recommended dose for women over 50 is 1200 mg per day. The recommended dose for men between 50-70 is 1000 mg, and for men over 70, it is 1200 per day.
- Vitamin B6-
Vitamin B6 is noticed in many elderly people, so Vitamin B6 supplements are recommended to them. B6 helps in forming red blood cells, helping maintain energy levels, and keeps metabolism and the central nervous system in check.
The recommended dose for Vitamin B6 in men and women over 50 is 1.7 mg and 1.5 mg respectively per day.
While all these dietary supplements are beneficial for maintaining one’s daily intake of nutrients and maintaining an overall healthy body, not all of them are required to be taken all at once. Also, these vitamin and multi-mineral supplements are meant to be taken in prescribed doses over a long time. Thus, we suggest consulting your doctor to understand which supplements are required for your body and in what dosage.
Are Dietary Supplements Safe For Elders?
Dietary supplements, if taken in a prescribed dose, are safe for elders. It is a healthy source of nutrients to cover up for any nutrition deficiency in one’s diet. However, one should be careful not to overdose on these multi-mineral supplements. While they are meant to boost our health, taking in high doses can cause unhealthy and unwanted side effects.
These vitamins and mineral supplements are not regulated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). Thus one should carefully check the list of ingredients on the dietary supplements they buy. You should also get the names of certain multi-mineral supplements from your dietician or doctor to ensure you buy the best quality dietary supplements.
Conclusion
A healthy lifestyle, a well-balanced diet, along required vitamin and mineral supplements are the best way to maintain a proper lifestyle as one gets older. While one does not need all the supplements mentioned above, including some in your diet can help improve your health considerably. We hope this article helped you find the different dietary supplements that can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.