Seniors and Supplements - Is It For You?

HEALTH BENEFITS Of SuPplements TO SENIOR CITIZENS

Seniors have specific needs in order to stay healthy.  As people get older, they generally develop greater health needs, have a less efficient immune system, and become more fragile in structure. Due to their specialized needs, it is especially important for senior citizens to maintain an adequate supply of vitamins in their diets.

Calcium and Bone Density

Calcium is a very important part of nutrition, especially in senior citizens. When a person reaches the age of seventy, their bones can become quite brittle. To help combat this, calcium supplements can be taken. Few people realize that an adequate amount of calcium is not in the diet of the average person.  In the human body, two percent of the body’s weight is actually made up of calcium, almost all of which is found in the teeth and bones.

A calcium supplement should be a part of the daily routine for the elderly, especially with women who are prone to osteoporosis, a word which literally translates to “porous bones”.  Each year, about twenty percent of the body’s calcium is destroyed and replenished through food and supplements. A person stands to lose a good deal of their bone health pretty quickly if they are not sufficiently taking in the calcium they need regularly.

While calcium is necessary and should not be ignored, it is not a good idea to take more of it than recommended. Anything above the required amount of calcium has no additional benefits to the body. When the recommended amount has doubled it actually can have side effects and can cause sickness.

Doctor Recommended Vitamins and Supplements

Due to declining bone health in most elderly people, it is important to always take a calcium supplement and maintain an adequate supply of calcium in the body to help prevent brittle bone disease and broken bones due to falls. It is also quite important to take a daily fiber supplement because it is unusual for an elderly person to ingest all of the necessary fiber that is needed to keep one healthy simply from diet alone. Because the elderly are less likely to be exposed to prolonged sunshine, a  Vitamin D supplement is also recommended, especially since it can also help with bone density and bone strength. In fact, the required amount of Vitamin D is greater in an elderly person than a person of a younger age. 

Folate and Vitamin B-12 are vitamins that are also greatly recommended for seniors. These will aid in both digestion and proper skin health. Luckily, most multivitamins that are designed for seniors aim their content directly to what most seniors are said to need. Shopping for vitamins based upon who will be taking them is a fairly simple and fool proof method of deciding how much of each vitamin and mineral is needed for that individual person. Of course, consulting a doctor on which multivitamin or single vitamin is best for a particular person can give one a better insight on what is perfectly right for them.

I know plenty of seniors looking for answers to their nutritional needs.  If you are looking for which supplements you need, contact us today so we can show you the best supplements for your particular needs.