Good nutrition continues to be essential to maintaining optimum health even as people grow older. Yet many elderly individuals do not get the vitamins and minerals their bodies need to fight illness and other effects of aging. To compound the problem, the body becomes less efficient at utilizing the essential nutrients it does receive. Medications can also interfere with the body's ability to break down nutrients. For these reasons, certain nutrients become more important as we get older.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D helps the body to absorb calcium, especially since as people grow older, they are at higher risk of developing osteoporosis. New evidence suggests that vitamin D may play a significant role in protecting against heart disease as well. Researchers at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine found that older adults with low levels of vitamin D were three times more likely to die from heart disease (see Reference 1). The study, published in the "Journal of the American Geriatrics Society," points out that mortality rates among elderly individuals with vitamin D deficiencies are higher than for people who have sufficient vitamin D levels. NHANES, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, provided data for the study. More than one-third of older Americans are currently estimated to have vitamin D deficiencies.
B Vitamins
For a number of reasons, some people lose the capacity to make stomach acid as they get older. This then can interfere with the body's ability to absorb vitamin B12 and folic acid. Many older individuals are also deficient in vitamin B6, which can cause neurological problems affecting memory and alertness. These three B vitamins in particular are needed for the brain to function normally. In addition, deficiencies of these vitamins may increase the risk of coronary vascular disease, stroke or thrombosis--all of which can cause cognitive dysfunction and dementia. Another study conducted at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School (see Reference 3) found that folic acid and B vitamin supplements may lower the risk of age-related macular degeneration, an incurable eye disease primarily characterized by blurred or distorted central vision. The research findings were published in the February 2009 issue of "Archives of Internal Medicine."
Vitamin K
Vitamin K deficiency has been linked to the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Although the primary function of this vitamin is in helping the blood to clot, vitamin K also plays a role in protecting against osteoporosis, a bone-weakening condition common among the elderly. Individuals already suffering from osteoporosis may benefit from taking a vitamin K supplement, as research findings reviewed in the American Medical Association journal "Archives of Internal Medicine" show that people with osteoporosis often have lower levels of vitamin K. Yet reports indicate that many seniors are not getting the recommended daily intake of this essential nutrient. Individuals taking medications for heart disease can also have lowered vitamin K levels. These and other kinds of medications can interfere with the body's ability to coagulate blood properly. This in turn prevents the body from producing sufficient amounts of vitamin K.
