Senior-Level Sustenance

  Men and women ages 65 or older need 1,500 mg of calcium daily. For women, bone loss is very rapid just before menopause; a loss of about 3% of skeletal mass occurs annually for about five years. For every year after that, bone loss slows down to about 1%. For men and women, bone calcium continues dwindling throughout life, as does the ability to absorb dietary calcium.

  Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and deposit it in bones and teeth. Most vitamin D comes not from dietary sources, but from sunlight. In addition to absorbing vitamin D less efficiently, older adults, who may have difficulty in moving or who find themselves socially isolated, often do not get enough sunlight for its manufacture.

  Pernicious anemia, or a B12 deficiency, damages the myelin sheath surrounding the nerves. "Over time, neurological problems that can impair balance and sensation can occur, in addition to the onset of dementia and mental confusion," says Dr. Patrick Stover, assistant professor at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. He notes that folic acid fortification can mask a B12 deficiency.

  Studies show that folic acid helps reduce blood levels of homocysteine, a product from the amino acid methionine and a strong predicator for heart disease and stroke. "It looks as if folic acid can be protective against heart disease, but it is also important to get enough of the B complex, including vitamins B6 and B12," says Katherine Tucker, Ph.D., associate professor at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston.

  Preliminary research indicates that folic acid seems to reduce the risk of polyps and colorectal cancer. "One of folic acid's roles is to transfer methyl groups to DNA," Stover says. "Some studies have shown that this methylation might decrease the onset of cancer."

  Many older adults have noticed the pounds creeping up on them, even though they have not changed their eating patterns. "Their BMR, or basal metabolic rate, slows with age," Cohen says. "BMR measures the calories one burns by 'doing nothing' — just breathing and metabolizing your food. Therefore, seniors cannot afford to consume empty calories as much as younger folks can, or they will gain weight. Increasing physical activity will help reduce body weight as well as increase BMR."