The use of dietary supplements in the elderly: current issues and recommendations.
Research on dietary intake in the elderly shows evidence of both adequate and inadequate nutrient consumption from food. More recent studies have documented inadequate mineral intake from food and confirmed the overall decline in nutrient intake from food as people age. Food is incontrovertibly the best vehicle for nutrient consumption. However, some authorities have found reason to recommend a daily multivitamin-mineral for the elderly as a reasonable way to assure adequate micronutrient intake. There appears to be no reason to recommend complete liquid supplements or modular macronutrient supplements to the active free-living elderly population.
Tripp
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Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, New York University, NY 10012, USA.
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004435:Eating; D006801:Humans; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000193:education; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D014481:United States