Older people are consuming too much vitamin E and magnesium through supplements included in their diet, a new study finds.
Researchers from Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen - German Research Centre for Environmental Health conducted a study to investigate the prevalence of dietary supplement use in the general population and the daily ingestion of vitamins and minerals, according to a press statement.
The researchers collected date from the KORA-Age Study, undertaken to determine the link between lifestyle and health status of people aged 65 years or older. The date revealed approximately 54 percent women and 34 percent men aged 64 years or older took dietary supplements or medications containing vitamins, minerals or other substances such as omega-3 fatty acids or coenzyme Q10. The frequency and amount of this intake depends on gender, presence of neurological diseases, level of education, smoking habits and exercise.
For women the most common dietary supplements were magnesium and Vitamin D while for men it was magnesium and vitamin E. Collectively, in both sexes the amount of vitamin E and magnesium consumed was way above the Tolerable Upper Intake Levels established by the European Food Safety Authority. It was higher in 20 and 33 percent men, regularly taking magnesium and in 8 and 14 percent, respectively. Comparatively, Vitamin D, which is often recommended by heath experts, was taken by relatively few older people. Vitamin D has a positive effect on bone metabolism.
"Current and population-based data on the intake of supplements in older people are largely missing for Europe. Nevertheless, this population group is of special interest due to the age-related nutrient deficits", said Prof. Peters, Director of EPI II. "Industry and advertising appear to have a large influence on the selection of the preparations. Results such as these are therefore important in order to make it possible to give meaningful recommendations on dietary supplements for older people."
