Elderly women have special challenges regarding vitamin needs. For many elderly women medications, disability and gastrointestinal disorders result in poor appetite and malnourishment. Multi-vitamins can improve your overall nutrition and health by increasing the vitamins available to your body to prevent illness, disease and fight infections. Although beneficial, multi-vitamins are not regulated by the FDA. They are sold as supplements in grocery stores, health foods stores and pharmacies. You should choose vitamins manufactured by reputable companies.
Vitamin B Complex
In a study released from Brigham and Women's Hospital, researchers found that vitamin B and folic acid reduced the risk of age-related vision loss from macular degeneration. This is the leading cause of vision loss in elderly men and women. In this study women taking supplements of B-6, B-12 and folic acid had a 34 percent lower risk of macular degeneration than those who didn't. According to research published in September 2008 in "Neurology," elderly men and women with even slightly lower levels of B-12 can increase their risks of brain wasting, possibly leading to dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Brain volume loss was greater among those individuals over the age of 61 who had the lowest amount of circulating vitamin B-12. Elevated homocysteine levels are also associated with Alzheimer's disease and vitamin B-12 suppresses elevated homocysteine levels.
Vitamins D and K
In a study published in August 2000 in the "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition," researchers from the Netherlands found that post-menopausal women who had normal or below normal bone mass density benefited from supplementation with vitamin K. This additional supplementation was able to bring bone mass density up to normal in those women with low measurements. And, while supplementation with vitamin D increased their vitamin levels, it did not significantly influence their bone mass density. However, vitamin D supplementation does significantly impact the ability of the body to prevent viral infections and fight those viral infections that do occur. According to Dr. Mercola at Mercola.com, vitamin D deficiencies are epidemic in people who stay indoors, are dark skinned, who wear sun screen, children, women and the elderly. Current recommendations for supplementation are between 500 IU and 2,000 IU, depending upon age and wellness.
Vitamins C and E
Vitamins C and E are commonly used as supplements to boost immunity and cardiovascular health. However, in a study published in April 2004 in "Diabetes Care" and discussed in Medical News Today, researchers found that women who suffered from diabetes should first be screen for a genetic abnormality in their blood protein which may increase their risk of atherosclerosis if they take doses of antioxidant vitamins C and E. While these vitamins appear to hold no risk for those women who do not carry the abnormality, they are dangerous for those who do. There is a commercially-available test that your physician can order to determine your risk. This research may help explain some of the differing clinical study results using antioxidant vitamins in patients with heart disease.
References
- Brigham and Women's Hospital: Vitamin B and Folic Acid May Reduce Risk of Age-Related Vision Loss
- "Neurology"; Vitamin B12 Status and Rate of Brain Volume Loss in Community Dwelling Elderly; A. Vogiatzoglou MSc; September 2008
- PubMed.gov; Vitamin D(3) and vitamin K(1) supplementation of Dutch postmenopausal women with normal and low bone mineral densities; A. Schaafsma; August 2000
- Mercola.com: Vitamin D is a Key Player in Your Overall Health
- Medical News Today: Vitamins Good for Some Older Women/Bad for Others
- "Diabetes Care": The Effect of Vitamin Therapy on the Progression of Coronary Artery Atherosclerosis Varies by Haptoglobin Type in Postmenopausal Women; Andrew P. Levy, MD, et. al; April 2004
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