Supplementation for the Elderly

With regard to nutritional status, elderly people are sometimes even more difficult to nourish than teenagers. Many are resentful or rebellious and eat an unbalanced diet consisting of a limited number of foods. Malnutrition is fairly common in the elderly, with low calorie and protein intakes, as well as many deficiencies of important vitamins and minerals. Many elders eat less because of such reasons as apathy, diminished sense of taste and smell, poor teeth, low income, or inability to obtain or prepare foods, and they further have reduced digestion and absorption, which makes their intake needs even higher than usual. The government RDAs become relatively meaningless for the elderly; they simply need more nutrients!

Many old-age problems, such as insomnia, anorexia, fatigue, depression, diminishing eyesight and hearing, fragile bones, and fractures, are a result of poor diets and nutritional deficiencies. This can also lead to a weakened immune system and more infections. The thymus gland, which produces the important T lymphocytes that mediate the cellular immune system and help to regulate antibody formation, tends to diminish in activity with aging—especially with a low vitality diet, living under stress, and possible emotional factors, such as loss of friends and relatives, anxieties of aging and loneliness, and depression—thus leading to problems of weakened resistance, infections, and sometimes cancer. Tissue weakness due to lack of cellular support can lead to decreased skin protection and increased aging of the skin.

Many people know that, as the years pass, our bodies slowly break down and become more fragile. Decades of wear and tear on our bodies stress out our joints, weather our muscles and make us susceptible to developing or contracting a variety of conditions and diseases.

However, while the effects of aging are inevitable, we can take steps to limiting the damage and living a healthy life as a senior. Along with moderate exercise (about 30 minutes daily), eating healthy and getting the proper nutrition is key to staying active and healthy during the later years of life.

Prevention through Nutrition
While eating healthily is essential to staying active, getting the proper nutrients is also key to warding off certain health problems that tend to affect the elderly. Some of the conditions that proper nutrition can help prevent include:

abnormal blood clotting
arthritis
cancers
cataracts and other eye disorders
circulatory problems
dementia
heart disease
insomnia
osteoporosis
Parkinson's disease.

Accumulating scientific research shows that the simple addition of nutritional supplements into a daily routine can provide significant health benefits for the elderly—such as potentially cutting in half the total number of days they are sick. A comprehensive new report released by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) found that consistent use of multivitamins with minerals and such single-nutrient supplements as calcium and antioxidants (vitamins C and E) demonstrated substantial positive impact on the immune systems of elderly people and played a key role in protecting eye and brain function and maintaining bone mass.

The 100-plus page report—titled The Benefits of Nutritional Supplements—reviewed more than a decade’s-worth of the most scientifically-significant studies measuring the health benefits of multivitamins and other nutritional supplements, including antioxidants (vitamins C and E), calcium, long chain omega-3 fatty acids (fish oils), vitamin D, vitamins B-6 and B-12, and folic acid. The quantifiable impact of supplementation for the elderly was a consistent theme throughout the report.

Research has found that while many Americans’ diets are deficient in the intake of critical nutrients like calcium, vitamin D and vitamin E, these deficiencies are far more common and pronounced among the elderly. In some studies, as many as 80% of subjects had inadequate intakes of four or more key nutrients.
• Elderly people residing in nursing homes are typically at even greater risk of unrecognized inadequacies of vitamins and minerals. While other nutritional problems commonly observed in the nursing home environment may be difficult to remedy, researchers have recognized the value of supplements in avoiding major “nutrition gaps.”
• Maintaining bone density is an area of particular importance for elderly women and men alike. One top researcher in the field estimates that proper supplementation with calcium and vitamin D in the elderly could reduce the rate of hip fracture by at least 20%—meaning 40,000 to 50,000 fewer hip fractures each year in the United States—for an average annual savings of $1.5 to $2 billion.

There is growing scientific evidence of the positive impact of antioxidants (vitamins C and E) on both eye and brain function. Studies have linked antioxidants with a reduced risk of developing cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 65 in the United States and other Western countries. Other research has found that use of vitamin C and E supplements had a significant protective effect in reducing the risk of dementia, as well as in improving overall cognitive function.

Resveratrol, has a widespread influence on the genetic influences on ageing and there had been high hopes that it would extend lifespan too.
Scientists report that it wards off the effects of age on heart, bones, eyes and muscle of mice on a standard diet, promising a way to curb the factors that make the elderly frail, such as osteoporosis, cataracts, and poor motor coordination. But there was no effect on longevity observed in lean mice. The supplement that contains antioxidants, Vitamins C, E and Resveratrol is Acai/Resveratrol/Macqui- (Antioxidant Formula)

The goji berry contains powerful antioxidants that slow down the aging process, strengthens the immune system and the heart, and has been used to treat ADD/ADHD, allergies, athletic performance, cancer, chronic fatigue, HIV, depression, diabetes, fibromyalgia and anxiety. It contains essential amino acids, vitamin C, vitamin E, Omega 6 fatty acid, Linoleic acid, B-complex vitamins, and more beta-carotene than any other substance on earth, including carrots. Study groups in Asia performed the first scientific research on Goji Berries. In these studies, which are being replicated in America and Europe, elderly subjects were given the berries once a day. 67 percent of the subjects were found to have doubled white-cell counts, increasing greatly in their immune system. Appetite improved among 95 percent of the subjects, 95 percent reported more restful sleep, and 35 percent reported increased sexual energy.




Ginkgo has been used in traditional medicine to treat circulatory disorders and enhance memory. Scientific studies throughout the years have found evidence to support these uses. Although not all studies agree, ginkgo may be especially effective in treating dementia (including Alzheimer's disease) and intermittent claudication (poor circulation in the legs). It also shows promise for enhancing memory in older adults. Laboratory studies have shown that ginkgo improves blood circulation by dilating blood vessels and reducing the stickiness of blood platelets.
In addition to Ginkgo, Octovite contains lutein and bilberry. This is beneficial for the elderly with poor eye health looking to better their vision. Lutein, a powerful antioxidant, is a carotenoid that cannot be produced naturally by the body. Lutein can be found in most fruits and vegetables. A lutein supplement might be for you if you do not consume enough fruits and vegetables.

Combined with bilberry, lutein has been known to prevent/treat cataracts and macular degeneration. If you or your loved one are struggling with your eye sight, Octovite with Lutein and Bilberry is for you.


Dark green vegetables are definitely super foods for the body, in large part due to the antioxidant content. Green Cell Therapy is a green product designed toward flushing out toxins. It also delivers a high antioxidant blend which helps alkalize and energize the body. Green Cell therapy also contains lactobacillus (probiotics). Elderly people should take probiotic supplements, according to scientists. They said the drinks, yoghurts or capsules could help protect older people against bowel conditions, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). People over 60 have about 1,000-fold less "friendly" bacteria in their guts compared with other adults.
Green Cell Therapy also contains 32 important ingredients including astragalus, coenzyme Q 10, chlorella, barley grass, and royal jelly to boost immune system function.