Nutritional supplements in the ambulatory elderly population: patterns of use and requirements

Older persons are thought to be the most frequent consumers of vitamin and mineral supplements. In this review, the use of nutritional supplements by the elderly was found to be common but was not greatly different from other age groups. Elderly persons living in Dunedin, Florida, reported nutritional supplement use less frequently than a random sample of registered nurses. Neither the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council nor the World Health Organization has recognized the need for increasing the vitamin and mineral allowances for healthy elderly adults above those recommended for healthy young adults. It is important to recognize, however, that the elderly are at greater risk of developing nutritional deficiencies as a result of acute and chronic diseases, drug use, and social isolation, and they require careful monitoring.