As the population of the world ages
more studies are being done on the effects of aging and various ways to slow
the inevitable. One of the easiest ways is diet
supplementation.
Supplements
and Diet:
The National Nutritional Foods
Association (NNFA) recently commissioned a survey of Americans aged 50 or
older and found they consider
supplements "essential for people in their age group. According
to David Seckman NNFA's executive director
"Older Americans face serious health issues, such as malnutrition, because
they take numerous medications and, often times do not follow a healthy diet.
Many seniors live alone and may not cook frequently. They have much to gain by
smart supplementation to their diets. Taking supplements plays an important role
in meeting the daily recommended vitamin and mineral intake, and health authorities
recommend that at minimum, older Americans should take a multivitamins on a
daily basis."
Age also brings on changes in the
digestive tract, which cause seniors to not absorb all the nutrients from
food. Eating high protein
foods can help with this problem,
but it is also good to take a vitamin.
Vitamin
Deficiency Diseases:
Vitamin deficiency diseases, many of
which can be life-threatening, can occur when
the body does not get enough of one
or more vitamins it needs.
Vitamin A:
Necessary for healthy skin,
body tissues and eyes. Deficiency can result in the inability to heal wounds
and loss of vision. Night
blindness is an early sign of Vitamin A deficiency.
Vitamin C:
Helps to maintain healthy bones,
connective tissue and cartilage, as well
as aiding metabolism
Vitamin D:
Involved in the absorption of calcium and phosphorous. The lack of Vitamin
D can lead to bone softening and serious
bone deformation.
Vitamin E:
One of the most powerful antioxidants
known. Vitamin E is thought to help protect against cataracts, cancer and some
forms of heart disease.
Vitamin K:
Helps the blood to clot. Since the body stores very little Vitamin K a
deficiency can develop quickly. Normally produced by the friendly bacteria in
the body, the taking of antibiotics can reduce the production of Vitamin K
resulting in bruising and slow clotting of cuts.
The B Vitamins:
A group of vitamins which occur together naturally, they aid in both
oxidation process and various digestive
processes. The deficiency symptom will include various digestive problems as well
as anemia.
Folic Acid:
An essential vitamin in preventing
anemia and protecting the body
against heart attacks.
Minerals and the
Body:
As important as vitamins are to the
body, minerals are the catalyst that makes most vitamins work, without
minerals the body cannot absorb vitamins. Although capable of producing some
vitamins, the body cannot produce any mineral. Minerals
must be obtained through the diet and supplementation.
Calcium:
Necessary for the maintenance
of healthy bones and teeth, calcium is also a known factor in maintaining
healthy heart rhythms and other body functions. A calcium deficiency can
result in muscle spasms or
cramps, tooth decay, and
osteoporosis.
Magnesium:
Also necessary for the maintenance of a healthy heart rhythm, Magnesium is a
major factor in the metabolism of Vitamin C and calcium. Without
the proper amount of magnesium one can experience heart spasms, calcium
depletion and kidney stones.
Zinc:
An antioxidant necessary for protein
synthesis, wound healing and prostate functions a deficiency can be responsible
for slower wound healing, white spots on fingernails, susceptibility to
infection, loss of energy and decreased alertness.
Copper:
An important mineral for the absorption
of iron, oxidation of Vitamin C to form Elastin, a major component in muscle
fibers, helps the body produce new
red blood cells and aids in the maintenance
of the bones. A copper deficiency can result in general weakness.
Potassium:
The mineral that works in conjunction
with Sodium to regulate the body's waste balance and normalize heart rhythms.
A stimulant to the kidneys to eliminate poisonous waste from the body, potassium
is also helpful in reducing high blood pressure and maintaining healthy skin.
Too little potassium may result in poor reflexes, muscle damage, cardiac
failure and respiratory failure.
Selenium:
A powerful antioxidant, selenium decreases the risk of cancer, heart and
blood vessel disease. It also helps preserve tissue elasticity, which slows
down the aging and hardening of tissues from
oxidation.
60 Tablets per Bottle - Take 1 tablet per day
References:
Copper, Dr. Kenneth H., Advanced
Nutritional Therapies, 1996. The
Merck Manual
of Diagnostics and Therapy,
Seventeenth Edition, 1995-2001 Sommer,
Elizabeth, M.A. , R.D.,The Essential
Guide To Vitamins
and
Minerals,
1992.
Vitamin & Mineral Supplementation,
Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 1996;96:73-77.
Older Americans Deem Supplements
Essential,Study Finds,
NNFA Today.Volume 16,
No. 1/January 2002.