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DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS 42
41 Getting your vitamins

In recent years there has been increasing evidence that multivitamins
and single or combination vitamin-mineral supplements may not
provide the health benefit consumers expect In some cases, the
opposite or no beneficial effects have been reported If you eat a
balanced diet, taking a multivitamin may mean you’ll exceed what
your body needs or can use Talk to your doctor or dietitian to weigh
the possible benefits and risks of a vitamin supplements
• Get enough calcium
Women age 51 and older and men 71 and older need 1,200
milligrams (mg) of calcium a day For men ages 51 to 70, the
recommendation is 1,000 mg daily See “Consider a calcium
supplement,” page 11
• Get enough vitamin D
This helps the body absorb calcium and is essential to maintain
proper bone strength Because many older adults don’t get regular
exposure to sunlight and have trouble absorbing vitamin D, taking
a supplement with 600 international units (IU), or 800 IU if you’re
older than 70, may help improve bone health
• Look for vitamin B-12 (cobalamin)

Adequate levels of this vitamin may reduce your risk of anemia,
cardiovascular disease and stroke Older adults often don’t absorb
this vitamin well A supplement with 2 micrograms (mcg) may help
You also may need supplemental vitamin B-12 if you take a proton
pump inhibitor, your stomach doesn’t have enough acid, you’ve had
gastric bypass surgery or you’re a strict vegetarian
• Check the iron content

Adult men and women who are beyond menopause generally don’t
need iron supplements Because of the risk of iron overload, don’t
take a multivitamin with iron unless your doctor recommends it

38 Mayo Clinic