There’s no doubt that the best way to ensure you’re getting all the vitamins and nutrients that you need is through a healthy, balanced diet. But life doesn’t always allow for that: maybe because of a medical condition your diet is restricted; or maybe, due to physical conditions involving chewing or swallowing, you can’t ingest certain foods; or maybe, because you’ve reached a certain age, your body just doesn’t absorb or maintain sufficient levels of certain vitamins and nutrients. In all of these cases, it may be necessary to add to your diet a vitamin or nutrient supplement in order to ensure you’ve got what you need to keep your body functioning and strong well into your later years. For insights into what vitamins and nutrients are recommended for the general adult population, click here, and for a good overview of what you need as the years tick by, take a look at this article about key vitamins and minerals for people over age 51, from the National Institute on Aging. 

As you’ve probably realized, different stages of life have different nutritional requirements. For older adults, there is widespread consensus that beyond calcium and vitamin D, you really need to pay attention to the B vitamins. There are 8 different types of B vitamins (including niacin, riboflavin, folate, and B12) that support a variety of functions in your body, including the formation of red blood cells, energy production, brain health, immune function, and healthy cell function. Older adults in particular are known to be more at risk for Vitamin B deficiencies, and recent research has raised the possibility that some of these deficiencies may lead to greater cognitive decline. For example, a recent study out of Trinity College Dublin found a strong link between low levels of folate (vitamin B-9) and accelerated cognitive decline. The good news is that this can be an easily modified risk factor for cognitive decline, with fortification through supplements or such foods as greens (spinach, kale, broccoli), legumes, poultry, pork, or shellfish. Another recent study published in the journal Evidence-Based Mental Health also found a link between low folate levels and heightened dementia and mortality risks in older adults. With estimates that up to 1 in 5 older adults is folate deficient, it’s recommended that your folate levels be routinely monitored as you get older, given its connection to cognition and nerve signaling in the brain.

Perhaps the B vitamin given the most attention as we age is B12. As we get older, less B12 is absorbed into our system through food. Estimates are that over 40% of older adults have a B12 deficiency. As described by Dr. Kernisan from Better Health While Aging, B12 deficiencies are common in older adults but are often missed by their doctors. And such deficiencies are often implicated in 2 common maladies affecting older adults: cognitive impairment and walking problems. The good news is that such deficiencies can be addressed either through B12 supplements or intramuscular shots, as long as this supplementation is started before permanent damage takes hold. A blood test can be used by your physician to check B12 levels but such tests are often not done because symptoms of B12 deficiency can be commonly confused with other conditions. Dr. Kernisan’s advice? “I especially recommend checking Vitamin B12 levels if you’re concerned about memory, brain function, neuropathy, walking, or anemia.” You can amp up your B12 intake by eating such foods as tuna, eggs, salmon, sardines, dairy products, and fortified cereals. Or consider one of these recommended supplements to get all of your important B vitamins up to speed. No matter what form you use to increase your intake, it’s important to remember that vitamin deficiencies of B-9 or B12 could be important (and reversible) factors when it comes to some of the most distressing aspects of aging, including balance and brain problems.