Should Seniors take over the counter vitamins or supplements?

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Added: Tue. Nov 17, 2009 8:16am
Posted in: Medicine

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I don’t know since I am not a doctor or nutritionist, but what I do know is elderly folks shouldn’t take anything without their doctors permission. Geriatric patients are often on several different drugs at any one time. Your physician and pharmacist can best assess the possibility of any adverse drug interactions including the ingestion of vitamins and supplements.

As we get older our body doesn’t absorb vitamins and minerals as well as when we were younger so there may be certain supplements that could benefit the elderly. These are made for older adults and usually have less iron and vitamin K and more vitamin B12 and vitamin D.

Generally there are certain people who may benefit from supplementation:

·      People who are on a low-calorie diet.

·      People who have been sick or injured or who are recovering from surgery.

·      People who have a long-term (chronic) illness.

·      People who can't eat a variety of foods, such as people who have food allergies. For example, people who are allergic to milk and do not eat any milk products may not get enough calcium and vitamin D.

If you get the green light to take a vitamin or supplement and your physician didn’t specify an ingredient amount her is a general guideline: Pick one that provides no more than 100% of the daily value (DV) for each vitamin and mineral. Supplements that provide a lot more than 100% of the daily value can cause health problems. This is especially important for minerals and the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. These are stored more easily in the body, and they can build up to dangerous levels.

Generic vitamins are usually as good as store brand. Look for the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) seal. This means that the supplement has been tested and that it actually contains the amounts of vitamins and minerals that are listed on the label.

Remember, it is always better to get your daily nutrition from a variety of healthy foods. If you health professional suggests or agrees to you using supplements or vitamins then follow their instructions because more may not mean better, it could mean trouble.