Vitamins for the Elderly - Which Ones Do You Really Need

One great thing about aging is that we learn from experience and grow wiser. However, sometimes this does not apply to our food choices. It's important that we understand what vitamins are important to us older folks. We have different nutritional needs than a twenty year old person may have.
We older people need more vitamins and minerals in our diet than a younger person does. Why? Because as our bodies age they get less efficient when it comes to utilizing nutritional substances. Not getting the proper amount of vitamins and minerals can lead to illness and the need for prescription medicines which further decrease our nutritional uptake capabilities. It can be a vicious circle.
Elderly people need plenty of vitamin D. This vitamin is very important for strong bones. Many older people don't get enough of this important nutrient and suffer needlessly from broken bones due to simple falls. Easily broken bones and osteoporosis can be avoided by taking the proper amounts of vitamin D. Be sure to eat a lot of dairy products to keep your bones healthy. If you can't eat dairy products you can easily obtain a vitamin D supplement from your local drugstore or from an online store.

Watch out for dangerous free radicals. They destroy healthy cells in your body and cause oxidation. This can lead to all kinds of problems such as cancer, heart disease, arthritis, Parkinson's disease, cataracts and other serious conditions. Wrinkles and saggy skin are tell-tale signs of cell damage by free radicals. You can help prevent free radical damage by taking plenty of antioxidants such as vitamin A, C and E. These contain a high amount of beta carotene which protects your body from oxidation. Make sure you eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables to insure you're getting enough antioxidants. It's also a good idea to use an antioxidant supplement such as pine bark extract, red wine extract or raspberry extract. These all contain lot's of healthy free radical fighting antioxidants.
Vitamin K is another often neglected vitamin. It's especially important for seniors as it helps to keep the blood circulation in good working order. It also helps the blood to clot properly. Vitamin K is known to help prevent Alzheimer's disease too. Some great sources of Vitamin K are spinach, cabbage, green tea and dark green lettuce. Eating them fresh is best as freezing can destroy vitamin K.

Along with the vitamins already mentioned there are other important trace minerals your body needs on a regular basis. A great source of these trace minerals is green algae which is available in supplement form. Also any kind of sea vegetable such as kelp is good too.

Try to get a well balanced variety of vitamins by eating right and taking a multi-vitamin for seniors and some antioxidants every day. You'll live longer and look and feel a whole lot better.

Brad Bahr is the author of many health related articles and websites. Find out which all natural anti-aging supplement he recommends for improving health, looking younger and feeling great every day. You can visit his website at: http://www.feel-best.info.