Centrum promises that by taking a daily multivitamin, people can ensure they are getting the daily recommended amounts of vitamins and minerals, and that this is particularly important as people age since older adults may eat less than when they were younger. Centrum calls their Centrum Silver multivitamins "age-adjusted" for adults who are over 50.
Special Nutritional Needs
Keeping your heart and cardiovascular system healthy becomes a priority as you age, so Centrum Silver includes lycopene and vitamins B6 and B12 to promote heart health. Saving vision by preventing cataracts and macular degeneration is also important to seniors; Centrum Silver contains added lutein and vitamins A, C and E which is said to support eye health. Extra B vitamins are added to help support the body's production of energy, which can decline with age. Centrum Silver also contains high levels of vitamin D and calcium to support bone health and help prevent osteoporosis, often a health concern in older people. Judith Stern, professor of clinical nutrition a the University of California Davis Health System, encourages seniors to take a daily multivitamin especially formulated for older adults.
Vitamins
The Centrum Silver formula contains 2500 IU of vitamin A, 50 percent of daily recommended value; 60 mg of vitamin C, 100 percent; 500 IU of vitamin D, 125 percent; 50 IU of vitamin E, 167 percent; 30 mcg of vitamin K, 38 percent; 1.5 mg thiamine, 100 percent; 1.7 mg riboflavin, 100 percent; 20 mg niacin, 100 percent; 3 mg vitamin B6, 150 percent; 400 mcg folic acid, 100 percent; 25 mcg of vitamin B12, 417 percent; 30 mcg biotin, 10 percent; and 10 mg pantothenic acid, 100 percent.
Minerals
Minerals in the Centrum Silver formula include 220 mg calcium, 22 percent; 20 mg phosphorus, 2 percent; 150 mcg iodine, 100 percent; 50 mg magnesium, 13 percent; 11 mg zinc, 73 percent; 50 mcg selenium, 79 percent; 0.5 mg copper, 25 percent; 2.3 mg manganese, 115 percent; 45 mcg chromium, 38 percent; 45 mcg molybdenum, 60 percent; 72 mg chloride, 2 percent; and 80 mg potassium, 2 percent.
Other Supplements
Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has established no minimum daily value for certain other minerals and antioxidants, they are often added to multivitamin supplements. Centrum Silver also includes 150 mcg boron; 5 mcg nickel; 2 mg silicon; 10 mcg vanadium; 250 mcg lutein; and 300 mcg lycopene.
Centrum Silver Formulas
Centrum Silver comes in a regular tablet form as well as a chewable formulation which can be taken without water, useful for those seniors who have difficulty swallowing a pill. Centrum Silver Ultra Women's Tablets are similar to Centrum Silver but contain higher amounts of many of the vitamins and minerals; in particular it contains 8 mg of iron, which is not included in Centrum Silver or Centrum Silver for men, and 50 mcg of vitamin B12, which is 833 percent of the daily value. Centrum Silver Ultra Men's tablets are targeted specifically to older men's needs, containing extra amounts of many vitamins and minerals, in particular 600 mcg of lycopene, which is not included in the women's formula, and 100 mcg of vitamin B12, which is 1667 percent of the value.
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