Are "Senior" Vitamin Supplements a Health Gimmick?

With vitamin dealers making so many extravagant claims about their various products, and with all the hype about special supplements, is there any "science" to special senior vitamin formulations? You might be surprised that when it comes to daily vitamins, one size doesn't necessarily fit all!

Although you may not feel like a "senior" when you're 50 or older, that's the point at which recommendations for several nutrients change. The "senior" or "silver" formula vitamin products are supposed to meet the needs of this age group. Differences include:

• These products are almost always lower in iron. Adult men, and women after menopause, don't need as much iron. There's even some evidence that too much iron could increase the risk of heart disease and cancer by counteracting the activity of antioxidants.
  
  
• Senior formulas may also be higher in vitamin B-12. Current recommendations call for people over 50 to meet the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of 2.4 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin B-12 with a supplement or fortified foods, because some people have trouble absorbing this vitamin at this age.
  
  
• Senior products may be lower in vitamin A. Some studies suggest that as we get older, blood levels of this vitamin can easily rise to a range that increases the risk of hip fracture.

Since there is no standard "senior" formula, you should look at the details of what's in each multivitamin product. As you check the amounts of each nutrient, remember that more than the RDA is not always better— at any age.

Source: American Institute for Cancer Research

For More Information

See the table of Recommended Values for Vitamins on the Health Canada website.

The Dietitians of Canada offer a collection of "Senior Friendly Factsheets" with information on the needs of older adults.