The Best Multivitamins to Take as an Older Adult
As you get older, your nutritional needs evolve. You can probably look back at your 20s and 30s and realize that the foods you ate then don’t appear too often on your current diet. While you can get many of the nutrients your body needs, it’s a good idea to start looking for multivitamins for older adults.
If you look at your local pharmacy or grocery store, you may find yourself overwhelmed by the choices available to you. However, choosing the right multivitamins is easier than you think. Today, learn more about the best multivitamins for senior citizens and how choosing the right one can help you live a healthier, happier life.
What Are Multivitamins
Multivitamins are supplements that contain multiple minerals, nutrients, and other elements that your body needs. When you look at the vitamin section in your local grocery store, pharmacy, or online, you’ve undoubtedly noticed how many options there are. A multivitamin condenses several of these vitamins into a single capsule, tablet, or gummy.
While multivitamins are available for people of every age, experts agree that they’re typically the best route for senior citizens. There’s certainly no substitute for a well-balanced diet when it comes to meeting your nutritional needs, but multivitamins for seniors can help. Taking a single multivitamin is much more convenient than taking multiple tablets or capsules, which is the primary purpose of these vitamins being packaged this way.
Why Seniors Need Multivitamins
No matter how much time you spend exercising, and no matter how much focus you put on your diet, your body at 65 is not the same as your body at 25. Over the years, things inside us change, resulting in our bodies developing unique needs. The biggest reason that seniors need multivitamins is that it often becomes impossible to get all of the nutrients we need from the food we eat. As your tastes change, you may not like some of the healthy foods you enjoyed in the past, but that doesn’t change the fact that your body needs those nutrients. Multivitamins help provide your body with what it needs to function at its best.
You’ve probably heard people say that vision is the first thing to go as we age. While it’s true that your eyesight probably isn’t as sharp as it was when you were in your teens and 20s, part of the reason that vision decreases in seniors is that they’re not getting the nutrients that they need. Several of the vitamins found in virtually every multivitamin for older adults, including Vitamins A, B, C, E, and Zinc aid in vision.
Vitamins also aid in bone health, which is incredibly important for aging adults. As we age, we run into a greater risk of bone-related issues such as osteoporosis. If you’re a senior, you probably know someone who has suffered a seemingly harmless fall that resulted in one or more broken bones. Vitamin D and calcium, which are found in most of the major multivitamins for seniors on the market, aid in bone health.
Finally, multivitamins help provide you with the energy that you need to get the most out of every day. While it’s completely normal for aging adults to notice themselves getting tired more quickly than they did in their youth, it doesn’t mean that you have to spend all of your time feeling like you barely have the energy to put one foot in front of the other.
It is important that you talk to your doctor before adding a multivitamin to your daily medication regimen. While it’s rare, there are some multivitamins that interact with other medications, so you’ll want to go over everything with your doctor. Also, some vitamins have the potential to cause some unpleasant side effects such as nausea, dizziness, and vomiting. As is always the case, you should have a detailed conversation with your physician before changing anything.
What to Look for in Multivitamins for Seniors
There are dozens of options on the market when it comes to multivitamins for seniors. This makes it incredibly difficult to feel confident in your choice, which further underscores the need to talk to your physician. Your doctor likely knows more about the best brands for your specific needs.
With this in mind, you need to know which vitamins to look for on the list of vitamins and nutrients on the label. We have put together a list of vitamins that you should look for.
Vitamin B12: Adults, regardless of their age, need at least 2.4 mcg of Vitamin B12 every day. Calcium: Men between the ages of 51 and 70 need 1,000 mg per day of calcium, while females need 1,200 mg. Also, everyone over 70 needs to aim for 1,200 mg of daily calcium. Magnesium: Regardless of age, men need 420 mg of magnesium every day while women need 320 mg per day. Vitamin D: Adults, regardless of their gender, between the ages of 51 and 70 need 15 mcg of Vitamin D per day. After the age of 70, adults need 20 mcg per day. However, it’s important to not get more than 100 mcg per day. Potassium: Regardless of age, men need 3,400 mg of potassium each day while females need 2,600 mg per day.
Your doctor may not tell you a specific brand of multivitamin that you should start taking. If that’s the case, but he or she encourages you to start taking a multivitamin for seniors, you’ll want to look at the ingredient list before making a decision.
Vitamins, unlike other medications, are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). With this in mind, you’ll want to look for brands that offer quality assurance. Most of the more prominent multivitamin brands boldly display their quality assurance on their packaging, so it’s a good idea to choose one of those.
Finally, you’ll want to consider your dietary needs. If you have any special diet restrictions or requirements, such as a cardiac diet, a diabetic diet, or you’re gluten-free, you’ll need to consider what additional nutrients you need. Fortunately, when it comes to most vitamins, your body will naturally remove the nutrients that it doesn’t need through your urine. However, things like potassium and Vitamin D can create some problems if you consume too much.
What Are the Best Multivitamins for Seniors?
With all of this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the most trusted names in the multivitamin industry.
One A Day: One A Day has a number of options on the market, so you’re sure to find something that works for your specific needs. They offer vitamins targeted at males and females, and there are even products that focus on age. For instance, you can find that are marked as being good for people ages 65 and older. As indicated by their name, you’ll usually only need to take one of these per day.
Centrum: Much like One A Day, Centrum offers a wide array of products that are tailored to your gender, age, and other needs. They also offer different options that focus on certain nutritional needs. For instance, you can find some Centrum multivitamins that focus on vision health and others that support bone health.
Mindbodygreen: mindbodygreen hasn’t been around quite as long as the other options on this list, but their products are widely considered among the best. They have a large variety of options, too. This ensures that you can choose a product that’s focused on your needs.
Multivitamins are a great way for older adults to continue to get the nutrients they need so they can get the most out of everyday life. Knowing what to look for and how to choose the best option, along with your doctor’s advice, allows you to keep your body running at its best, even as you enter the next chapter of your life.