Give your healthy diet a boost with supplements – USA TODAY

Mary Helen Berg, USA TODAY Best Years magazine Published 9:55 a.m. ET Aug. 18, 2017

Dietary supplements can help prevent deficiencies and improve your health.(Photo: Getty Images)

Dietary supplements cant replace a healthy diet and lifestyle, but as we age, we may need a little boost to stay in top shape.

The bodies of older women dont absorb or process vitamins and minerals the way they did when they were younger, and require more of some micronutrients to run smoothly, says Alexander Michels, clinical research coordinator for Oregon State Universitys Linus Pauling Institute, where scientists study the role of vitamins, minerals and plant chemicals.

Supplements can help prevent deficiencies and improve your health.

Here are the best to try:

Calcium

Women 50 and older need 1,200 milligrams a day. It:

Vitamin D

Our bodies make less vitamin D as we age, says Michels. It:

Magnesium

This multitasking mineral is one of the most important, says Dr. Todd Born, a naturopathic doctor and certified nutrition specialist in Alameda, Calif. It:

Omega-3 fatty acids

These are the most widely used natural supplement in the U.S., according to the National Institutes of Health. They:

May help prevent, treat or lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, breast cancer, arthritis pain and stiffness, diabetes, Alzheimers and dementia.

Vitamin B12

If I have to pick just one vitamin that we need as we age, B12 is the one, Born says. Older adults have difficulty absorbing B12 from food. It:

Resveratrol

Found in red wine, red grape skins, mulberries, blueberries and peanuts, this substance has been found to prolong life in non-human primates, fish, flies, mice and worms. In humans, it combats:

Turmeric

One of my favorite botanicals, says Born. It seems as if there isnt anything that Curcuma longa cant do. One 2017 study questions turmerics promise as a cure-all, but others show the super-spice, the main flavoring for curry, has the potential for treating:

Grapeseed extract

Found in grape skins and seeds byproducts of winemaking the extract is available in capsule, tablet and liquid form. It:

Coenzyme Q10

With age, your level of this naturally occurring antioxidant, also known as CoQ10, drops. Studies show it may prevent or treat:

Multivitamins

A new study will test whether multivitamins and cocoa extracts prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease in women. Multivitamins:

Not all supplements are ready for prime time, advises Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Harvard University-affiliated Brigham and Womens Hospital. Consult your doctor before adding supplements. Some have side effects or can interfere with medications.

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Give your healthy diet a boost with supplements - USA TODAY