There is plenty of bad news that comes with getting
older. Here is some good news: Vitamin and mineral supplements,along with a nutritious diet and extra water, can bolster aging bodies."We need to make prevention a priority, and focus on the maintenance of healthy function," said Dr. Irwin Rosenberg, director of the Human Nutrition Center at Tufts University. "We must know how to maintain the function of our vision, cardiovascular abilities, senses and muscles."
Speaking to the Friends of the Center for Human Nutrition at their annual spring meeting in April, Rosenberg said vitamin and mineral supplementation tops the list of preventive measures for an aging American population.
"There are certain changes that we experience as we age. Our use of vitamins and minerals as aging adults are greatly influenced," Rosenberg said. Two important vitamin supplementations for older adults are vitamin B-12 and vitamin D.
Vitamin B-12 is found in meats, fish, poultry, milk, eggs, yeast and cheese. It aids in red blood cell formation and nervous system maintenance. Older adults often lose the ability to absorb vitamin B-12, Rosenberg said. "Some of the vitamin B-12 required in the diet will have to be met with some type of vitamin B-12 supplement, which is better absorbed in aging adults." He recommends people 70 and older take 25 micrograms of vitamin B-12.
Vitamin D is primarily found in fortified milk and dairy products, fish, liver and eggs. It aids in bone formation and calcium absorption. Vitamin D is rarely adequate in the diet of older Americans. Rosenberg recommends that people over 60 take 400 IU to 600 IU of vitamin D daily.
Older adults should also include more vitamin C and water in their diets."We must be very cognizant of our need for hydration as we grow older because the thirst mechanisms are not quite as effective as they used to be; therefore, it is very important that we think consciously of drinking enough fluids to maintain health," he said.
Calcium, which is found in dairy products, fish (with bones), tofu, legumes, kale, broccoli and fortified foods, plays a critical role in maintaining bone strength and bone health.
The recommended dosage of calcium for men 65 and older and for adult, post-menopausal women is 1,500 milligrams. Women over 24 should consume 1,000 mg. Diet and nutrition is critical at the beginning of life and throughout adulthood, Rosenberg said. New research shows that the nutritional life of the developing fetus during pregnancy will have an influence on the health of that individual 50 years later.
"We're starting to find out that some of the differences in response to cholesterol-lowering diets have to do with genes. At some point, we may be able to predict, to some extent, what cholesterol levels will be and how individuals will respond to different therapies," he said. The potential payoff for continued support of nutrition research will result in an overall better quality of life for everyone, Rosenberg said.
