As influenza continues to take its toll, a study by University of Florida researchers shows that nutrition can help seniors better weather the flu season. They set out to determine whether an experimental nutritional supplement would reduce in older people the number...
seniors
Studies show key picks for elderly
Hoping for good mental and physical health in your senior years? It may be as simple as A-B-C—or rather, C, D and E! These three vitamins are the focus of two recent studies on how we can head off common health issues associated with aging. At Harvard Medical School,...
Fainting spells in elderly: try B-12
If you feel faint when you stand up from a chair or bed, you may be low in vitamin B-12, according to new research. “Orthostatic hypotension” (OH) is a loss of blood pressure when standing up from a sitting or laying down position. Experienced by many older people,...
D Good for Gums: Vitamin found to improve oral health
Getting enough vitamin D could be important for oral health, based on findings of a recent study. The analytical study looked at a possible connection between vitamin D levels in the blood and periodontal disease, a widespread chronic inflammatory condition marked by...
Curb Cancer Risk: Nine guidelines to help older women avoid disease
Post-menopausal women who follow recommended dietary and lifestyle guidelines may reduce their risk of developing and dying from cancer, say researchers. Conversely, those women who followed one or none of nine recommended guidelines for diet and lifestyle had a 35%...
B for the Brain: B-12 linked to risk for memory problems among elderly
Among healthy people over the age of 75 who have the genotype associated with higher risk for Alzheimer’s, low levels of vitamin B-12 are associated with significantly worse performance on memory tests. Scientists already knew of a genetic predisposition for...
Arthritis Awareness: Vitamin D may play important role
Getting more vitamin D appears to improve muscle strength and physical function for vitamin D-deficient patients with knee osteoarthritis, say researchers. Previous studies have linked low vitamin D with a greater risk for severity of knee osteoarthritis; however,...
Alzheimer’s Answer? Vitamins E and C make a powerful combo
Elderly persons who take individual vitamin E and C supplements together may reduce their risk of Alzheimer disease (AD), according to researchers. Previous studies have shown that antioxidant vitamins may protect the brain against damage caused by free radicals and...
Vitamins Cut Health Care Costs: Billions could be saved if more took them
If governments covered the cost of a daily multivitamin for the older population, it could save health care costs in the long run, according to an economic impact study by a US health care consulting company, The Lewin Group. They determined that increased daily...
The B-12 Battle: Elderly may be most at risk for deficiency
Growing older carries more risks, among them the risk for vitamin B-12 deficiency. Emerging evidence points to B-12 deficiency as an increasingly common reason behind high levels of homocysteine in the blood — a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Deficiencies of...