Why Seniors Should Take Supplements
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Why Senior Should seniors take supplements?
Just as much as your taste and food preferences change over the years, your nutritional needs change too. Eating well is the epitome of staying healthy and aging well because around our late 30s and early 40s, we begin to lose muscle mass at about 8% every proceeding decade*. This biological condition is called sarcopenia and though there is no cure, you can slow the effects of it.1, 2, 5 Besides muscle loss, our bodies also become less efficient in nutrient absorption and thus impede the ability of the immune system as well. Despite our best efforts, we may fall short of a well-rounded. This is one of the reasons why most healthcare professional doctors may sometimes recommend taking supplements like Ensure Gold with HMB that has high quality proteins (eg. Hydroxymethylbutyrate (HMB), a metabolite of amino acid Leucine) and supporting vitamins and minerals.1, 2, 5, 6
Muscle mass and weight are good indicators of health in older adults
Managing weight and muscle mass gets a little harder once we reach our 40s. Even if there is no medical illness causing a sudden loss of weight is not good. Due to deficiency in important nutrients, weight loss increases the risk of health problems including fatigue that further aggravates sarcopenia muscle loss conditions.2, 5 On the reverse side, an aging body has a slowed metabolism so, if a senior does not reduce the amount of caloric intake, they could gain unnecessary weight and develop heart related side effects. For this, building up muscle mass with exercise and nutrition helps maintain mobility, strength, energy levels, and independence.1, 3
Supplements are for efficient Protein consumption and fill in for Food
Senior adults require 30% more daily protein intake compared to younger adults. This is because just like metabolism, the body is also less efficient at absorbing nutrients.1, 3 Logically, a senior should eat about 3 times the amount of food, but that cannot be the reality. A doctor or a dietitian can best provide what vitamins and minerals you should consume more of, but generally speaking, about 2 servings of supplements is efficient.3 So as long as the nutritional supplements come packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and the most important high-quality protein HMB. Vitamin D is for calcium absorption for normalizing functioning of muscles and bones, and vitamin B is for red blood cell production to support circulation and nutrient delivery. But since the precious HMB breaks down easily, you need the supplement to have a sufficient number of antioxidants like Beta-carotene (Vitamin A).4, 5
This all seems like too much work for a senior to adhere to and because sometimes food alone is not enough, nutritional supplements like Ensure Gold with HMB can help. Why choose Ensure Gold? Supported with more than 30 clinical studies, Ensure has been shown scientifically to meet the nutritional needs of adults for strength and vitality. Rated as No.1 Physician Recommended Oral Nutritional Supplement in the U.S.^, Ensure Gold can provide all-in-one nutrition with a formulation of nutrients and ingredients that support muscle, bone, heart, immune and digestive tract health#. Please visit Ensure Myanmar for additional support and request samples.2, 6
REFERENCES
- https://ensure.com/health-articles-tips/nutrition/changing-nutrition-needs
- https://www.ensure.abbott/za/products/ensure-gold/
- https://abbottfamily.com.sg/adult/articles/active-aging/oral-nutritional-supplement-with-hmb-plays-a-vital-role-in-building-muscle-mass-in-elderly-study-shows#
- https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/dietary-supplements-older-adults
- https://www.nutritionnews.abbott/healthy-living/aging-well/why-hmb-is-important-for-aging-muscles/
- https://abbottfamily.com.sg/brands/ensure/range
*Flakoll P et al. Nutrition. 2004;20:445-451
# Ensure provides all-in-one nutrition and contains nutrients and ingredients to support muscle, bone, heart, immune and digestive tract health.
^IQVIA, using the ProVoice Survey, fielded to 14,711 physicians from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020