As people age their bones become less dense. This is especially true for post-menopausal women, who experience a significant drop in estrogen, which helps provide calcium to the bones. To prevent the weakening of bones and reduce the risk of age-related injury, consider the following supplements which have been proven to support senior bone health:
Calcium Citrate
As people age, they’re less efficient at absorbing calcium. Dietitians recommend that older people take a calcium citrate supplement with their meals. Foods which contain plenty of calcium include salmon, sardines, milk and other dairy products, tofu, and leafy green vegetables.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is also important for bone health, especially in the elderly. As with calcium, elderly people don’t absorb Vitamin K the way younger people do. Studies have shown that when elderly people take Vitamin K supplements, the calcium lost from their bones decreases. However, Vitamin K should be taken with care because it can cause allergic reactions in some people.
Foods that are abundant in Vitamin K include green, leafy vegetables, root vegetables like beets, parsnips and carrots, dairy products, meat, eggs and alfalfa sprouts.
Copper
People don’t need that much copper, but a lot of people are still deficient in it. A copper deficiency can cause the bones to actually lose minerals. This is because copper is a mineral that helps make collagen, which is not only necessary for strong bones but cartilage, skin and tendons.
Foods that are rich in copper include shellfish like oysters, nuts, fruit and legumes.
Vitamin D
This vitamin is one of the few that the body produces naturally, but elderly people are still at risk for being deficient. A deficiency in Vitamin D causes a condition called osteomalacia, which is pain in the bones and brittle bones. Therefore, it’s important for elderly people to have at least 15 minutes in the sun on a regular basis. Vitamin D is made when the skin is exposed to the sun’s UV rays. If an elderly person is going to take supplemental Vitamin D, he or she should check with their physician first. Too much Vitamin D can cause dangerously high levels of calcium in the blood.
Foods that are high in Vitamin D are fatty fish like canned salmon and canned sardines and milk fortified with Vitamin D.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is crucial in supporting the absorption of calcium. Most elderly people can get their recommended dietary allowance of calcium by eating vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts or drinking orange juice, but elderly people who smoke may need Vitamin C supplements.
Informational Credit to LakePoint Nursing & Rehabilitation Center