People over 65 years old can benefit from a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement, according to a review of studies on nutritional interventions for older adults conducted by Dr. Kevin P. High of Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Go deeper with GlobalData
High says that while the “right dose” of many nutrients has yet to be determined, daily doses of multivitamins had positive health effects. This was also the case when additional supplements bought the daily intake of zinc to 20 milligrams (mg), selenium to 100 micrograms and vitamin E to 200mg.
High’s conclusions, which were reported in last month’s issue of the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, found: “Available evidence suggests these supplements are likely to enhance immune function and may boost vaccine responses in healthy older adults, and reduce the risk of infectious illness in both healthy and frail elders.”
