Aging is inevitable. We can’t turn back time, but we can adopt healthy nutrition strategies to age better. The foods we eat have a powerful effect on our health as we get older. When food isn’t enough, supplements can provide nutritional “insurance” to help seniors get essential vitamins and minerals. Let’s explore the best supplements for seniors over 70.
Vitamins for Seniors Over 70
As we get older, it is not uncommon to experience a loss of appetite accompanied by decreased food intake1. When appetite decreases, it can affect the variety of foods we eat, which poses a nutritional threat. Supplements can be a nutrition gap fill when you can’t eat enough food to get all the nutrients you need.
Multivitamins
Multivitamins might be top of mind when you think of supplements. Ideally, you would be eating a variety of foods to provide essential vitamins and minerals, but this isn’t always the case.
Look for Multivitamins for seniors that has key nutrients for seniors. The best vitamins for seniors over 70 would include B vitamins, vitamin D, calcium, and magnesium.
Multivitamins can work as a broad supplement strategy, but you may need more targeted supplement options.
READ MORE: Supplements for Healthy Aging
Protein
Supplement recommendations aren’t just limited to vitamins for seniors. Macronutrients, especially protein supplementation can be a way to increase total calories as well as meet daily protein goals.
Maintaining muscle mass and strength is vital to healthy aging. The average adult loses 3 to 8% of muscle, or lean body mass each decade after 30. Muscle loss is accelerated after the age of 60.
Getting adequate protein in the diet can help to offset the loss of muscle mass. The current recommended dietary allowance of 0.8 to 1.0 grams of protein per kilogram is not enough to prevent this loss of muscle mass.
Adding a daily protein powders is a quick and easy way to significantly increase protein intake. Whey protein is the most widely used protein source in supplements. Whey is also a complete protein, meaning it provides all of the essential amino acids, which are the building blocks of muscle.
There are plant-based protein supplements made from soy and/or pea protein, which are a comparable alternative to whey.
Interestingly, a recent literature review of whey and soy protein supplementation found that supplementation of both whey and soy protein helped support a normal inflammatory response. Plus, adding a protein supplement may help support muscle health.
Omega 3
There are two primary forms of omega-3 fats, DHA and EPA. Fish is an excellent source of both EPA and DHA omega-3s. Plant-based foods such as flax and nuts provide ALA, which must be converted to EPA or DHA. Omega-3 helps support cardiovascular, digestive, and joint health.
Health organizations recommend adults consume at least 500mg to 1000mg of EPA and DHA daily. Consumption of 4-6 meals of fatty fish (mackerel, salmon, herring) per week would be needed to meet this goal of fish oil. When choosing an omega-3 supplement, look for one that provides a minimum of 1,000 mg of EPA and DHA.
Fish oil helps support normal cardiovascular and joint health, a concern for many seniors over 70.
Probiotic
The health of your digestive tract is closely linked with immunity, mood, and mental health. As we age, there is a shift in the colony of microorganisms in the gut known as the microbiome. Probiotics may provide digestive and immune support.
Studies have shown that taking a probiotic supplement has the ability to change the microbiome and support healthy digestion. In addition, taking a probiotic supplement showed moderate benefits for a healthy immune response.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is only found in animal foods such as meat, fish, and poultry. It is essential for energy production and red blood cell formation. If meat consumption decreases, seniors may be at risk for vitamin B12 deficiency which can cause weakness and fatigue. Taking vitamin B12 for seniors can help offset potential deficiencies.
How much vitamin B12 should a senior take? The current dietary recommendation is 2.4 micrograms per day for adults.
There are a variety of options to supplement with vitamin B12. Multivitamins often contain vitamin B12. Taking a B vitamin supplement with an appropriate vitamin B12 dose for seniors may be a good addition to a balanced diet.
READ MORE: ABCs of Vitamins: Vitamin B6, B12 & Folate
Calcium and Vitamin D
Falling and breaking a bone over the age of 65 can have debilitating consequences. Keeping bones strong and resilient at any age is essential. Calcium and Vitamin D are the perfect pair for bone health. Supplementing with calcium and vitamin D daily helps maintain bone health.
Calcium is essential for teeth and building strong bones. Calcium needs increase over the age of 70 to offset bone mineral loss. Seniors over the age of 70 should be getting 1,200 mg of calcium each day. The body’s ability to absorb calcium from food decreases with age, adults may only be able to absorb 25% of the calcium from foods. Supplementing can help meet the increased daily needs.
Daily supplementation with Vitamin D provides dietary support to maintain normal calcium levels. In addition, vitamin D is linked with immune health. The recommended dosage of vitamin D3 for seniors is 800 IU for seniors over 70.
Takeaway
In a perfect scenario, we would get all the nutrients we need from food. However, as we age, our appetite and food intake change. Getting adequate nutrition is a challenge. Finding the best vitamins for seniors starts with prioritizing the nutrients that can contribute most to overall health. You can create a targeted nutrition plan with the supplements for seniors listed above for healthy aging.
References
1. Donini LM, Poggiogalle E, Piredda M, Pinto A, Barbagallo M, Cucinotta D, et al. Anorexia and Eating Patterns in the Elderly. PLoS ONE. 2013; 8(5): e63539. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0063539.
2.El-Kadiki A, Sutton A J. Role of multivitamins and mineral supplements in preventing infections in elderly people: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. BMJ. 2005;330:871 doi:10.1136/bmj.38399.495648.8F.
3. Volpi E, Nazemi R, Fujita S. Muscle tissue changes with aging. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2004;7(4):405-10. doi: 10.1097/01.mco.0000134362.76653.b2.
4. Padilla Colón CJ, Molina-Vicenty IL, Frontera-Rodríguez M, García-Ferré A, Rivera BP, Cintrón-Vélez G, Frontera-Rodríguez S. Muscle and Bone Mass Loss in the Elderly Population: Advances in diagnosis and treatment. J Biomed (Syd). 2018;3:40-49. doi: 10.7150/jbm.23390.
5. Prokopidis, K., Mazidi, M., Sankaranarayanan, R., Tajik, B., McArdle, A., & Isanejad, M. Effects of whey and soy protein supplementation on inflammatory cytokines in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Nutrition. 2022, p. 1-12. doi:10.1017/S0007114522001787
6. Isabelle Romieu, Raquel Garcia-Esteban, Jordi Sunyer, Camilo Rios, Mireya Alcaraz-Zubeldia, Silvia Ruiz Velasco, and Fernando Holguin. The Effect of Supplementation with Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Markers of Oxidative Stress in Elderly Exposed to PM2.5. Environmental Health Perspectives. 2008;116:9. CID: https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.10578
7. Hutchinson AN, Bergh C, Kruger K, Sűsserová M, Allen J, Améen S, Tingö L. The Effect of Probiotics on Health Outcomes in the Elderly: A Systematic Review of Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Studies. Microorganisms. 2021;9(6):1344. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms9061344.
8. Consumer Labs. How many cells or CFU should I look for as a dose? Is more necessarily better? 04/13/18.
9. Kliger B, Cohrssen A. Probiotics. Am Fam Physician. 2008;78(9):1073-1078.
10. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin B12: Fact Sheets for Consumers. July 2021. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-Consumer/
11. Smith LM, Gallagher JC. Dietary Vitamin D Intake for the Elderly Population: Update on the Recommended Dietary Allowance for Vitamin D. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2017; 46(4):871-884. doi: 10.1016/j.ecl.2017.07.003.
12. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements. Calcium: Fact Sheets for Professionals.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8234958/
