Best Vitamins for Seniors: Nutrition and Aging - Cooper Complete
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Best Vitamins for Seniors: Nutrition and Aging

Photo of a healthy older couple

There are many factors that can hinder a balanced diet, especially for older adults. These issues can limit the ability to obtain some of the best vitamins for seniors from diet alone.

For example:

  • Many seniors spend less time cooking than before.
  • Aging can decrease the ability to metabolize key vitamins and can lead to a loss of appetite.
  • Dental conditions can affect the consumption of important foods.

In these cases, supplementation can be a helpful way to complement any gaps found in a normal diet. A Cooper Complete Healthy Body Pack supplies a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement along with two omega-3 soft gels in a handy tearable packet. Single-serving packets make this vitamin pack easy to manage and take on the go to fit any lifestyle.

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Advanced B Complex Supplement

Advanced Vitamin B Complex supplement contains the activated, methylated, most easily absorbable forms of eight essential B vitamins, including biotin and folate, to support energy production and immune, cardiovascular, and neurological health.†

$23.68 Add to cart

As mentioned before, vitamins and mineral needs change over time. More importantly, being aware of likely changes can reduce their impact and allow seniors to maintain optimal health.  Whether it is low energy, low immunity levels, joint pain or chronic inflammation.  Consuming the right supplements for seniors on top of a healthy diet can help increase the overall quality of life. Below are the key vitamins for seniors to monitor in their diet on a daily basis.

Vitamins and Supplements that Support Energy, Immunity and Improve Joint Health for Seniors

Vitamin B12 for Seniors to Create Energy from Food

For vitamin B12, meat and dairy products are the only way for the body to get this key vitamin. Unfortunately, as people age, their ability to absorb vitamin B12 decreases. Medications, surgeries and a natural reduction of stomach acid levels impact how much B12 the stomach processes.

Particularly, people over the age of 50 are more likely to have low B12 levels. Severe B12 deficiency can cause anemia and, in some cases, nerve damage. For seniors looking to reduce meat and dairy consumption, this is an important vitamin for seniors to monitor.

For instance, Cooper Clinic tests all patients 60 years and older for vitamin B12 deficiency. The normal range for vitamin B12 is 254-1320 picograms per milliliter (pg/mL) of blood serum, but Cooper Clinic physicians recommend levels at a minimum of 450 pg/mL. Even a slight vitamin B12 deficiency can cause a host of undesirable symptoms.

Vitamin D: Improving Bone and Heart Health with the Sunshine Vitamin

Vitamin D, or the “sunshine vitamin,” is a fat-soluble vitamin best absorbed by the skin from direct sunlight. Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D, and this has led to the introduction of vitamin D-fortified foods.

Increasingly, low vitamin D levels are becoming more common with an increase in skin cancer awareness. Chiefly, sunscreens can block up to 99 percent of the UV rays needed for vitamin D production. In addition, a decrease in outdoor activity and an increase in obesity throughout society are rising. Consequently, this has led to wider vitamin D deficiency among not only seniors. For those who are not able to enjoy sunshine year round or be outside, vitamin D becomes one of the most important vitamins for seniors.

Problems for seniors that can arise due to low vitamin D levels are depression, lowered immunity and osteoporosis. Recently, researchers are also finding associations between vitamin D and heart disease.

At Cooper Clinic, physicians suggest vitamin D levels of 40 ng/ml for a baseline level. To reach this level, they suggest getting 50 mcg (2000 IU) of vitamin D per day through sun, diet or supplementation. The only way to determine vitamin D levels is through a blood test called 25-hydroxyvitamin D.

Cooper Complete offers a vitamin D3 25 mcg (1000 IU) or 125 mcg (5000 IU) softgels to supplement the sun.

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Joint Health Supplement

Custom Formulated Nutritional Supplement with Glucosamine Sulfate (2KCI), Chondroitin Sulfate, and Bromelain.  

$39.98 Add to cart

Reducing Inflammation and Improving Heart Health with Omega-3 Fatty Acids

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends at least two servings of fatty fish each week for adults. Cooper Complete, like the AHA, always recommends getting your nutritional needs through diet before taking an additional supplement. However, for some, eating fish twice a week may not be an option. Also, a history of coronary artery disease increases the amount of omega-3 needed.

For these situations, we recommend adding fish oil supplements to complement dietary intake. Cooper Complete Advanced Omega-3 comes in a concentrated fish oil providing 1200 mg of EPA and DHA fatty acids per serving. 1200 mg is equal to a single 3 oz serving of salmon, eleven lobsters or thirty regular-sized shrimp.

Improving Joint Health with Glucosamine and Chondroitin

Our bodies must manufacture glucosamine and chondroitin because they do not occur naturally in food. Both are necessary components of healthy cartilage.

As the body ages, it may be helpful to take supplemental glucosamine and chondroitin to aid in the treatment of osteoarthritis by controlling joint pain and slowing the progression of the disease.

Cooper Complete Joint Health Supplement is a blend of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, along with magnesium, gelatin, and bromelain. Bromelain, to help lubricate joints, occurs naturally in pineapples. It acts as a natural anti-inflammatory and anti-swelling agent in the body. Gelatin works with collagen in the joints to help fight against chronic inflammation.

Calcium Supplements (Senior Supplement Recommendations for Women)

Ideally, we recommend getting calcium from your diet. Foods such as milk, cheese, yogurt, fortified orange juice, and kale are great sources of calcium. Yet, this is another nutrient that seniors can have difficulty getting from food intake.

The body stores 99 percent of its calcium supply in the bones and teeth to support their structure and health. Based on the latest research, Cooper Clinic recommends the following for daily calcium intake:

  • Women Ages 19-50: 1,000 mg
  • Women Ages 51+: 1,200 mg
  • Men Ages 19-70: 1,000 mg
  • Men Ages 71+: 1,200 mg

Cooper Complete Calcium Citrate contains 250 mg per tablet. Proper calcium intake, along with other nutrients such as magnesium and vitamin D (both found in all of the Cooper Complete multivitamins) and weight-bearing exercise are essential for healthy bones.

Prostate Supplement For Men

Physician formulated and recommended supplement with saw palmetto, pygeum, and lycopene recommended for men with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH).†

$31.48 Add to cart

Reducing Prostate Irritants for Senior Men

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), also known as an enlarged prostate, is common in aging men. More than 50 percent of men over 60 are affected by BPH, and 80 percent of men aged 80 or older experience symptoms, including discomfort in the groin area, a frequent or urgent need to urinate, a stop-and-start urine flow or weak urine stream, nocturia (waking up during the night because you have to urinate) and a feeling that the bladder hasn’t emptied fully. Cooper Complete Prostate Health Supplement has been formulated to include saw palmetto, pygeum, and lycopene to ease the symptoms of BPH.

The Cooper Complete supplements listed above are designed to be taken in conjunction with a Cooper Complete multivitamin.

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