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Supplements Help The Frail Elderly

Supplements may be the solution to hard-to-detect nutrient deficiencies among the elderly, according to a recent study from The Netherlands. Older people, especially those in frail health, are generally inactive and do not require as many calories, and thus as much food, as a younger person. What food they do eat often isn't well absorbed. The result is low intake of important vitamins and minerals.

Nynke de Jong and colleagues at Wageningen Agricultural University determined dietary intake and blood-nutrient levels of 143 frail elderly people living on their own (43 men and 102 women). Blood tests showed that a substantial number, especially women, had inadequate nutrient intakes. For 17 weeks, 75 subjects ate foods enriched with nutrients the elderly frequently lack, including vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D and E.

At 18 weeks, the blood serum levels of vitamins and minerals were significantly higher among people eating enriched foods, and very few of the subjects were classified as deficient at the study's end. Despite the higher blood-vitamin levels, clinical indicators of poor protein status and chronic illness, such as low white blood cell and lymphocyte counts, did not change. This suggests that age- or disease-related conditions may interfere with nutrient absorption in older people. If this is the case, the frail elderly risk developing delayed nutrient deficiencies, say the researchers, who call for a study of long-term supplementation.

—Journal of Nutrition 1999;129:2028-36.