Are supplements worth it?

Your body requires a good mix of vitamins and minerals to keep you functioning and healthy when you are older. However, you are more susceptible to deficiencies in certain vitamins and minerals during your old age.

In some cases, supplements can be very helpful in fueling your body with the right nutrients, if your normal diet is lacking. Supplements can also boost your nutrition even if you have a well-balanced diet.

Not all older adults need to take supplements or vitamin tablets to improve their nutritional intake, it definitely depends on how you are managing your own diet.

There are some instances where an older person can fall behind in their nutrition levels, explains

Margaret Hays, Accredited Practising

Dietitian and Spokesperson for

Dietitians Australia. be trying to screen all that and

“Supplements wouldn’t be for make suggestions.” everybody. Some people eat really well and some people eat really poorly. It would be that old thing of somewhere in between would be fine, but if at the other end of the spectrum you would definitely need to be looking at nutritional support,” says Ms Hays.

“You have to take it case by case.

A lot of people wouldn’t have access to a dietitian, but their

General Practitioner (GP) should

Before taking any supplement or vitamin tablets, you should check with your doctor about whether they are right for you. Additionally, a supplement may interfere or react with other medication you are taking. For instance, iron and zinc supplements should not be taken at the same time. If you have issues absorbing nutrients or with eating, like dysphagia, supplements may be beneficial.

However, you should never substitute supplements for actual food. All the nutrients and vitamins, fats and carbohydrates your body needs can be found in the day to day food you eat. It’s about finding the right foods that meet that criteria and eating enough of it.

Ms Hays adds that there may be instances where an older person would be aware of when they need to take supplements, for example, for more fibre or because they aren’t meeting their protein requirements.

In cases like iron levels, it is quite common for people, including older people, to have low levels of iron, so iron supplements are a great way to reduce the risk of issues like anemia that could result in a fall.

Although, Ms Hays explains that for some vitamin deficiencies, like iron, you really need to have a baseline blood test completed before taking iron supplements.

Vitamins and minerals become really important as you age, as your body needs a lot of nutrients to keep you fit and healthy.

On top of a balanced and nutritionrich diet, supplements may be able to assist in boosting your nutrition intake, particularly in areas that are more difficult to maintain.

Important vitamins to monitor are:

◆ Fibre, or rather a lack of fibre, can be a relatively common issue for older adults. Ms Hays explains that older people can struggle to chew foods or may not be bothered to cook their own food and aren’t eating as much fruit, vegetables and whole grains. Fibre is really important for digestive health and regular bowel movements and should be part of the day to day diet. ◆ Protein is another important vitamin for older adults, but it can be difficult to reach the level that an older body would need. Ms Hays says a lot of older people reach for sugary food and skip their main meals, and because you aren’t eating protein you are more likely to snack on food you don’t need. ◆ Your iron intake can go down quite easily at any age, but can have a more apparent affect when you are older, especially if you are not eating enough protein. You will feel tired, rundown and be more prone to colds and infections.

◆ Calcium is vital to reinforcing and strengthening your bones. Women are more susceptible to osteoporosis when they are older, so calcium is really important to consume. Additionally, calcium also has a benefit on other areas of the body, like your muscles, nerves, cells and blood.

◆ Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium the most effectively and is produced naturally in the body when you’re exposed to sunlight. If you are not meeting the mark with your Vitamin D levels, then your calcium intake won’t be working as well as it could and you’re at higher risk of developing bone conditions such as osteoporosis.

A lot of people assume they are getting weak due to old age, but Ms Hays explains that may actually be because they are not getting the right nutrients.

“If people are unsure, see your dietitian or see your GP and ask to be referred to a dietitian. We have really good advice that we can offer to people in a way that is not going to cost people a lot of money,” says Ms Hays.

“They are going to be able to increase their nutritional intake very easily because we would listen to their lifestyle and what barriers they have got when considering changes, and make some really useful and practical recommendations to help them get their nutrition up to speed and make their body perform and age better.”