As people age, one of the nutritional risks they face is failing to get enough protein and vitamins, says St. Louis University School of Medicine nutritionist Joy Short.
Supplements are OK, she says, but food definitely is a better source of nutrients.
“We prefer food first,” she notes. “Food is going to give you many more advantages than do supplements.”
Foods contain many additional chemicals, such as phytochemicals, which some scientists suspect help arm the body against cancer.
“What food does, nutritionally, can’t be packaged in a pill,” she says.
As for the herbal supplements that are all the rage, Short urges caution.
“They are a lot more risky than just vitamins because they are not tightly regulated,” she says.
One problem: The products are not always tested to make sure the pills contain the amount of the active substance advertised on their labels. Another issue is the active ingredient in some herbals may interact with some medications, she adds.
In older people, nutritionists sometimes see decreased levels of protein intake. That can lead to less absorption of vitamin B-12.
“You need acid production in the stomach for B-12 to be absorbed,” Short says. “Some people have trouble chewing, and that could lead to less protein intake.”
Older people who eat less could end up with lower B-12 levels, she says.
That condition can be aggravated by certain eating patterns such as vegetarianism, Short notes.
“If you take animal products out of the diet, you lose an important source of certain nutrients such as iron, B-12, zinc and calcium,” Short says. “That means you have to find vegetable sources to make up for this.”
Some good non-animal sources of these nutrients include calcium-fortified soy products, and whole grains or cereals fortified with vitamins and minerals, she says. Dark green leafy vegetables also are fair sources of iron.
Iron from plant foods is not as easily absorbed as it is from meats, Short cautions. Adding a source high in vitamin C will aid in iron absorption from foods such as spinach.
Calcium, important for maintaining bones as we age, also is an important nutrient, Short says. An older person needs a minimum 1,200 grams of the mineral daily, she says.
“That’s a case where, under certain circumstances, a supplement may be warranted,” she adds.
Another relatively common problem in older people is lack of fluid intake.
“We tend not to think of water as a nutrient,” Short notes, “but it is very important.”
For more on proper nutrition as you age, go to the Web site of the American Dietetic Association at www.eatright.org
The National Institute on Aging (www.nia.nih.gov) also contains information on good nutrition for older people.