Seniors: 5 Must-Have Dietary Supplements for Proactive Health

kagrawal

9 years ago

Categories: HealthLifestyle

Seniors: 5 Must-Have Dietary Supplements for Proactive Health

Today’s seniors are nothing like their previous generations. According to a USNews article entitled, “How to Profit from Aging Baby-Boomers”, this older generation is living healthier, more active lives. The focus on health and fitness is evident as seen in a national survey where 40 percent of seniors put physical health as the foremost concern about aging. This is driving the older generation to look for products that will help them continue to age healthy, live energetic and independent lives.

Marketers are chasing after Baby-Boomers. Are you?

If you’re in the supplement business, you have all the more reason not to miss out on this huge market potential. The biggest consumers of dietary supplements are the Baby-Boomers with usage relating to legitimate needs such as calcium and multi-nutrients, as well as proactive health concerns for joint and cognitive health. It’s not a question of whether you have enough products available for Baby-Boomers, but whether you have the best formulations and do they hit the sweet spot in terms of consumer demand. That’s because seniors these days are smart and savvy consumers. They’re well-read on the efficacy of the latest nutraceuticals and with the help of the Internet, they’re experts in comparison shopping. To stay on top of the competition, it’s important to find the right supplement manufacturer to partner with. NutraScience Labs knows the industry, stays on top of nutraceutical trends and can help you with formulations and label designs that make your products stand out from the competition.

To meet seniors’ consumer demand, here are 5 dietary supplements that can be marketed towards the health concerns of seniors and have been shown to support proactive health.

Protein supplementation^1-3

Protein is a macronutrient that is essential for everyone, including older adults because it supports muscle function, immunity and overall tissue health. There is a section of medical science that argues that the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) for older adults needs to be reviewed as older adults require more protein to compensate for muscle lost during the aging process. One study shows that protein nutrition combined with daily exercise (resistance training/aerobics) can help older adults sustain muscle strength and function. In this study, the panel of researchers suggests that healthy older people take 1 to 1.2 grams of protein/kilogram of body weight every day. Seniors may need more protein intake as they age.

Creatine Supplementation^4-5

Creatine is a compound that is formed from protein metabolism. It has an important function in supplying energy to all the cells in the body, particularly muscle tissue.

The benefits of creatine in the younger generation have been well-studied. These benefits include:

Increased lean body mass
Increased strength
Enhanced fatigue resistance

These benefits are especially important to older adults, as aging and sedentary lifestyle is associated with weakening of muscle mass, strength, power and function, and receding bone density and mineral content. Creatine, a nitrogenous organic acid, is needed by all cells of the body, and supplementation may show benefits for supporting cognitive health and bone health.

There is much evidence to suggest that supplementation of creatine in older adults may help support quality of daily life and healthy aging.

Immunity^6-9

As the body ages, immune functions begin to decline for various reasons. A common reason for immune deficiency in seniors is nutritional deficits in the diet. This can be corrected by nutritional supplements. Studies show that nutritional supplementation can have a “marked effect on immune responses” and older adults can benefit from immune supplements to help support healthy aging. Here are a few nutraceuticals that help support immune health for seniors:

Probiotics like B. lactis HN019
Multivitamin formulas containing vitamins A, C, D, and E as well as B6, folate and B12 and minerals like selenium, iron and copper (same)
Macronutrients such as protein and omega-3 fatty acids (same)

Vitamin D^10-11

Over the last decade, extensive research has been done on Vitamin D and scientists have discovered that Vitamin D may regulate numerous functions in the body, including heart health, immune health, the management of blood sugars, and cognitive health. In addition to these benefits, Vitamin D is of particular interest for seniors because of its bone health benefits.

Cognitive Health¹²

In a 2014 AARP survey, 93 percent of responders considered cognitive function as an extremely important health concern. According to the IoM, cognitive aging is a process of gradual yet highly variable changes in cognitive functions that occur as a person ages. Nutraceuticals for cognitive health support include:

Ginkgo biloba
Bacopa monnieri
B vitamins
Polyphenols
French maritime pine bark
Omega-3 fatty acids

By the year 2030, nearly one-third of the population in the United States will be over 65. Given the size of this market, supplement businesses have a huge potential to support healthy aging and make significant profit.

Resources:

Award Winning Director Diego Arredondo Will Direct the Feature Film "Sonambulo" »

« PFM Trading Reports Japan Equities Surge On Stimulus Hopes

kagrawal: Hi. I am Kevin Agrawal. I work at www.nutrasciencelabs.com. My expertise includes health, nutrition and nutraceuticals as they relate to vitamin & supplement manufacturing. I write educational & informative blogs & articles related to the dietary supplement industry.