3 Supplements You Might Need After 50
Dietary supplements are the favorite products of people of all ages, but especially older adults who want to stay healthy. The fact that a 2021 AARP survey found that 78 percent of adults 50 and older said they took vitamins or supplements attests to their immense popularity. The percentage jumped to 83 percent among adults 65 and older.
Supplements come in different colors, flavors, and forms—from multivitamins to chocolate-flavored calcium chews. But with all the different types of dietary supplements available, which ones are worth taking?
“In most cases, it is person-specific,” Lingtak-Neander Chan, professor of pharmacy at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy in Seattle, told AARP. The decision, he says, should be based on “underlying health conditions, diet, access to food, and other individual factors.”
Most older adults can get the essential vitamins and minerals they need from a healthy, balanced diet of proteins, vegetables, fiber, and fluids. However, when it comes to supplements, Chan said three are very important to people over 50: Calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12.
1. Calcium
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Calcium helps muscles to move and nerves to send messages between your brain and other parts of your body. Almost all calcium is stored in bones and teeth, giving them structure and hardness. The body cannot make calcium, so it can only get this mineral through calcium-rich foods or supplements.
Women over 50 and men over 70 often do not consume enough calcium-fortified foods, the NIH says. So, when your body does not have enough calcium, it takes the mineral from your bones. This makes the bones weaker and may lead to osteoporosis, a disease that causes bones to become very fragile. The situation worsens when there is a lack of consistent weight-bearing exercises that help with bone strength, such as walking, dancing, running, climbing stairs, or lifting weights.
So, how much calcium should you take each day? The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements recommends:
- 1,200 milligrams (mg) of calcium per day for women 51 and older
- 1,000 mg of calcium per day for men ages 51 to 70
- 1,200 mg of calcium per day for men 71 and older
The two most common calcium supplements are calcium citrate and calcium carbonate. Calcium citrate is absorbed more efficiently than calcium carbonate and can be taken without food. Calcium carbonate, however, should be taken with food because the stomach acid that is produced when eating, makes it easier for your body to absorb it.
If you take a supplement that contains iron, Chan recommends taking a calcium supplement at least four hours later.
According to Chan, taking a “mega amount” of calcium can harm the body. Some studies suggest too much calcium in a supplement can affect the kidneys, heart, and prostate in middle-aged and older adults.
Because of the potential harm calcium can do to the body, health experts suggest getting as much calcium as you can from calcium-rich foods, such as:
- Broccoli
- Leafy greens, such as collard greens, turnip greens, kale, spinach
- Beans and lentils
- Salmon and sardines
- Dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, and cheese
- Fortified breads and cereals
- Tofu
If you are taking prescription medications, check with your doctor first to make sure calcium supplements will not interact with any of your medicines or if any side effects are cause for concern.
2. Vitamin D
Vitamin D supports bone health and the immune and nervous systems and may benefit the heart. For optimal absorption, it’s best to take a vitamin D supplement with food, preferably with food that contains some fat. Vitamin D also helps the body absorb calcium.
Your body makes vitamin D when your skin is exposed to sunlight, but too much exposure raises the risk of skin cancer. However, clouds, air pollution, the aging process, and having dark-colored skin, air pollution, and clouds can lower the body’s vitamin D production.
The NIH recommends:
- 15 micrograms (mcg)/600 international units (IU) per day for adults 19 to 70 years old
- 20 mcg/800 IU per day for those 71 and older
Vitamin D is also found in foods such as:
- Yogurt
- Milk
- Fatty fish
- Beef liver
- Mushrooms
Some studies suggest taking up to 2,000 IU of vitamin D per day. “But more recent clinical trials suggested that amount of intake does not show benefits (no harms either), so it may not be the best generic approach for everybody,” Chan told AARP.
Too much vitamin D, such as 100 mcg/4,000 IU, can cause vomiting, confusion, dehydration, and muscle weakness. What’s more, extremely high levels of vitamin D can lead to kidney failure and death. Additionally, people with Crohn’s disease and celiac disease are more likely to have a vitamin D deficiency.
Vitamin D has two main forms: D2, which is plant-based and more often prescribed by health care providers, and Vitamin D3, which is animal-derived and more common over the counter, according to experts from the Cleveland Clinic.
Check with your doctor to determine which form is best for you, especially if you are taking prescription medication. For example, some cholesterol-lowering statins like Lipitor, may not work as well with Vitamin D. In addition, Alli, a weight loss drug, can reduce the amount of vitamin D your body absorbs from food and supplements, according to the NIH.
3. Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 helps keep nerve and blood cells healthy and plays a role in controlling genetic health. Older adults are more likely to have a vitamin B12 deficiency because the aging process affects the body’s capacity to absorb this important vitamin. It’s estimated that 3 to 43 percent of older adults have a vitamin B12 deficiency, and they are more likely to develop anemia.
An even higher risk of B12 deficiency has been shown in older adults who are vegetarian or vegan, who take the antidiabetic medication metformin, or who use gastric acid inhibitors to treat specific digestive issues. People with Crohn’s or celiac disease are also more likely to have a B12 deficiency.
A lack of vitamin B12 in the blood can lead to weakness, tiredness, depression, confusion, poor memory, dementia-like symptoms, neuropathy or nerve damage (which may feel like tingling or numbness in your hands or feet), and problems with balance.
The NIH recommends adults get, on average, 2.4 mcg per day of vitamin B12. Because your body cannot make vitamin B12 on its own, it has to get the vitamin from supplements, drinks, and foods, such as:
- Animal meat
- Beef liver
- Clams
- Eggs
- Fortified cereals
- Poultry
- Milk
Like other supplements, check with your doctor before taking a vitamin B12 supplement because it could interact with the medications that you are taking. Unlike calcium and vitamin D, “vitamin B12 has not been shown to cause any harm, even at high doses,” according to the NIH.
Source Links:
https://www.aarp.org/health/drugs-supplements/info-2021/supplements-after-50.html?cmp=EMC-DSM-NLC-OTH-WBLTR-1532702-1950906-8285212-NA-05112024-Webletter-MS1-NA-NA-CLKBT-Health&encparam=FrpXHVVpy6GDKpHCoVBzxSjUd9bWzTGWcY42Dxffhwc=
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-Consumer/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/15-calcium-rich-foods#TOC_TITLE_HDR_11
