We all know and realize, whether we want to admit it or not, that as we grow older, our bodies need a little extra help in the vitamins and mineral department. As our bodies age, they lose their ability to absorb certain nutrients that are valuable for the maintenance of our bodies and overall health, necessitating nutritional supplements (http://www.mitamins.com). Just like eyesight starts to go and hearing fades, so too do certain other body functions, including the digestive system. While it still works, we now experience a few more glitches, and the ability of our digestive systems to break down and distribute valuable components such as fats, sugars and carbohydrates, which can cause problems with general health and wellness.
This inability to not absorb essential vitamins and minerals with age often causes deficiencies (and a need for nutritional supplements) that cause problems such as malnutrition, weakened immune systems and illnesses. Most ‘recommended daily allowance’ charts are meant for the general population of adults between the ages of 18-50 years old. Older people need even more than the average daily requirements due to the decrease in performance mentioned above. In addition, many older people must also deal with the effects of medication on daily food intake and absorption. Many grow deficient in vitamins and minerals without even realizing it.
Older people, especially those who are ill or taking medications, must be especially attentive to their nutritional supplement health needs. Because medications often deplete natural stores of nutrients in the body or decrease the ability of the digestive system to absorb such nutrients from the food they eat, it is vital that seniors are provided adequate sources of proteins, vitamins (http://www.mitamins.com), minerals(http://www.mitamins.com), and enzymes that will help keep body systems in good working order. Such forms as nutritional supplements can provide adequate amounts of necessary daily vitamin needs.
Because many conditions begin with the aging process, seniors are especially at risk for vitamin depletion, and yet, senior health is often neglected. Whether poor eating habits develop from lack of money or because of decreased activity or desire to eat, nutritional supplements for seniors are required to help prevent health conditions such as malnutrition, anemia, iron deficiency and even more serious conditions such as osteoporosis, diabetes and other key issues that afflict seniors.
After losing life partners or other family members, many senior citizens don’t take care of themselves. Poor eating habits and lack of interest in food is often the first indication that a senior is more than likely not receiving an adequately balanced diet. It’s important for seniors to take nutritional supplements to offset lack of proper foods in their daily diet, which suffers with age anyway, but is often made worse when seniors seriously limit their dietary intake.
A lack of physical activity and physical problems often lead to poor nutrition among seniors, and it is up to friends and family members to make sure that foods are prepared properly and that adequate needs are being met. Good nutrition with seniors means making sure that adequate amounts of basic vitamins and mineral intake is met. That means they should be getting more than the daily recommended amount listed on general nutritional supplement bottles. Choose nutritional supplements designed for seniors to ensure that adequate amounts of iron, Vitamin A and Vitamin C are included, as well as Vitamin D are being consumed and absorbed.
However, the most important vitamin group that seniors should make sure they get comes those from the B vitamin family. Older people lose the ability to make stomach acid, which will reduce the body’s ability to absorb Vitamin B12 and folic acid. That may not sound alarming to you, but it can reduce alertness and hasten memory loss in seniors as well as cause numbness to extremities.If in doubt, ask the doctor to explain the type of medication you or your loved one is taking and how that medication will affect the absorption of vitamins and minerals in the body. Also determine what extra vitamins and minerals might be called for in order to give your body the best chance of maintaining optimal health as the aging process continues.
Article Source: http://www.fitnesshealtharticles.com.
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