According to a study, daily intake of vitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acid pills will not prevent the elderly from suffering from inflammation and weakening.
Scientists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Massachusetts urged Americans over the age of 50 behind the five-year study Tuesday to quit “unnecessary” pills and focus on exercise and the Mediterranean diet to improve their health to stay healthy.
Herbal sellers say the supplements, sold by a $1.05 billion industry, can help reduce inflammation and slow age-related muscle loss, at greater risk of frailty. But the scientific evidence for this is patchy as the latest papers suggest little benefit.
Dr. “We should consider eliminating unnecessary pills and promoting healthy lifestyle habits instead,” said aging expert Ariela Orkaby, who led the research.
“Regular exercise and the Mediterranean diet are proven strategies to prevent frailty and should be encouraged for all seniors.”
Dr. Epidemiologist JoAnn Manson, who participated in the study, added: “These new results from VITAL are an important reminder that dietary supplements are not miracle pills or youth elixirs.”
Above are the vulnerability scores for US adults aged 50+ who took a once-daily omega-3 fatty acid supplement (yellow dot) and not supplemented (blue dot) for the five-year study. It shows no difference in frailty levels (represented by the Y-axis) between the groups, meaning that the pills did not reduce the risk of developing frailty.
This chart shows the vulnerability scores (Y-axis) of US adults over 50 who took once-daily vitamin D3 tablets (yellow) for the study versus those who did not take the pill (blue dot). It shows no difference in frailty levels between the groups, meaning the pills have no effect on lowering frailty levels.
Above you can see Omega-3 fatty acid supplements coming off a production line.
HOW SHOULD A BALANCED NUTRITION BE?
According to the NHS, meals should be potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grains.
• Eat at least 5 servings of different fruits and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruits and vegetables count
• Basic meals based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, preferably wholemeal
• 30 grams of fiber per day: Equivalent to eating all of the following: 5 servings of fruit and vegetables, 2 whole-grain biscuits, 2 thick slices of wholemeal bread, and a large baked potato in the crust
• Have some alternatives to milk or dairy products (such as soy drinks) and choose lower-fat and less-sugar options.
• Eat beans, legumes, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 servings of fish per week, one of which is fat)
• Choose unsaturated fats and spreads and consume sparingly.
• Drink 6-8 glasses / glass of water a day
• Adults should have less than 6 g of salt per day and less than 20 g of saturated fat for women and less than 30 g for men.
Source: Eatwell NHS Guide
In the study, published today in the journal JAMA Open Network, scientists reviewed data from the VITAL study, which looked at whether supplements could fight heart disease or cancer.
They recruited 25,000 adults over the age of 50 with a uniform distribution by sex and a BMI of about 28, and placed them in the overweight group. They come from all 50 states of the United States.
First, the participants were divided into four groups, with a quarter taking both vitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acids, one with only one of the supplements and the other with none.
The participants were then asked to take the pills daily with vitamin D pills containing 2,000 international units (IU), while the others contained 840 micrograms of omega-3 fatty acids.
This was above the recommended levels set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to which every American adult should aim for 800 IU of vitamin D and up to 500 mg of omega-3 fatty acids per day.
To measure vulnerability, they filled out a questionnaire about their physical activity, mood, and underlying health conditions at the start of the study.
Participants completed the questionnaire again six months later and annually for the next four years.
The results showed that 3,174 people (12.7%) were classified as frail at the start of the study.
But five years later, another 2,487 people (more 11.3%) were classified as vulnerable.
The vulnerability score, a measure of status, was calculated as 0.109 at the start of the study. But it eventually rose to 0.121.
There was no significant difference in the numbers of those who were vulnerable between the groups that received the supplements and those that did not.
The scientists concluded: “These findings do not support the routine supplementation of healthy community-dwelling adults with vitamin D3 or omega-3 fatty acids for the prevention of frailty.
‘[But] Regular exercise and the Mediterranean diet are proven strategies to prevent frailty and should be encouraged in the elderly.
Vulnerability can result from inflammation and malnutrition, and some suggest that supplements can help fight it.
The scientists added that the pills could still have a positive effect on the population with serious health problems. These have not been examined in this article.
Participants were recruited between November 2011 and March 2014, and the study continued until December 2017. The data was reanalyzed last year by scientists from Massachusetts.
Industry data estimates the omega-3 fatty acid market in North America to be worth $0.62 billion annually, while the vitamin D3 market is worth $0.43 billion.
Source: Daily Mail
Errol Villanueva is an author and lifestyle journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a passion for exploring the latest trends in fashion, food, travel, and wellness, Errol’s articles are a must-read for anyone interested in living a stylish and fulfilling life.
