Study: Little benefit for vitamin D, omega-3, exercise in seniors

Robert59

Robert59

Well-known Member
Location
Now I live in Tennesee. Did live in Michigan.
Vitamin D, omega-3 supplements and exercising regularly -- either alone or in combination -- won't necessarily lower blood pressure, improve cognitive function or reduce risk for bone fractures in older adults, a study published Tuesday by JAMA found.

Vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids may help reduce the risk for infections in some older adults, however, the researchers said.

https://www.upi.com/Health_News/202...-D-omega-3-exercise-in-seniors/2191605028709/
 

I've come to believe that aside from keeping the makers of such vitamins and supplements wallowing in money, vitamins and supplements in general, do little, and have little effect on a person's overall health and well-being.
 
My doctor gave me a prescription for vitamin D; not the over-the-counter kind. I figured it can't hurt and it isn't too expensive. My first thought was that big pharma is trying to make up for lost opioid revenue.
 
Robert59 said:
Vitamin D, omega-3 supplements and exercising regularly -- either alone or in combination -- won't necessarily lower blood pressure, improve cognitive function or reduce risk for bone fractures in older adults, a study published Tuesday by JAMA found.

Vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids may help reduce the risk for infections in some older adults, however, the researchers said.

https://www.upi.com/Health_News/202...-D-omega-3-exercise-in-seniors/2191605028709/
Click to expand...

The article talks about strength training exercise specifically, not exercising in general. So I'm fairly sure all of the articles I've seen about exercise being important for maintaining cognitive levels as one ages are still valid.
 
Let me put it this way: One group of people sits in front of their computer or watches 12 hours of TV each day.
Another group of people walk outside daily, try to eat healthy, don't drink pop, watch their calories, have yearly medical checkup & watch their weight.
You tell me which group you think will have a better lifestyle, feel better about themselves or perhaps live longer?
 
I look upon vitamins as "insurance". I take a daily multivitamin, and a Lutein pill and a Fish oil capsule. The multivitamin in case I don't eat right, and the Lutein/fish oil per recommendation from my eye doctor as a means of staving off Macular Degeneration....which my old Dad got in his later years. I also try to get outdoors every day when the weather permits, and get some exercise/outdoor work so as to keep the old body in fairly good physical shape.
So far this routine seems to be working...my annual physicals look good, my eye exams show no eyesight deterioration, and I take NO prescription drugs. A few pennies/day for these supplements seems, to me, to be a good investment in trying to maintain my health.
 
Don M. said:
I look upon vitamins as "insurance". I take a daily multivitamin, and a Lutein pill and a Fish oil capsule. The multivitamin in case I don't eat right, and the Lutein/fish oil per recommendation from my eye doctor as a means of staving off Macular Degeneration....which my old Dad got in his later years. I also try to get outdoors every day when the weather permits, and get some exercise/outdoor work so as to keep the old body in fairly good physical shape.
So far this routine seems to be working...my annual physicals look good, my eye exams show no eyesight deterioration, and I take NO prescription drugs. A few pennies/day for these supplements seems, to me, to be a good investment in trying to maintain my health.
Click to expand...
My opinion, good genetics have kept you healthy, not the multivitamin, the lutein pill, or the fish oil capsule that you take daily.
 
Aunt Marg said:
My opinion, good genetics have kept you healthy, not the multivitamin, the lutein pill, or the fish oil capsule that you take daily.
Click to expand...

My opinion.....if the eye doctor says that Lutein and Fish oil can help prevent Macular Degeneration...I'm all for it....my old Dad had that stuff and it ruined his ability to drive. Far better, IMO, to spend pennies a day on "prevention", than going halfway broke buying prescription drugs...which often have bad side effects
 
Don M. said:
My opinion.....if the eye doctor says that Lutein and Fish oil can help prevent Macular Degeneration...I'm all for it....my old Dad had that stuff and it ruined his ability to drive. Far better, IMO, to spend pennies a day on "prevention", than going halfway broke buying prescription drugs...which often have bad side effects
Click to expand...
I guess that's what's important at the end of the day, feeling good about what one does for the good of their health and well-being, even if what they are doing doesn't necessarily attribute to their healthy state.
 
Aunt Marg said:
I guess that's what's important at the end of the day, feeling good about what one does for the good of their health and well-being, even if what they are doing doesn't necessarily attribute to their healthy state.
Click to expand...

I forgot to mention that the reason I started this Lutein/oil regimen was I started having "floaters" in my vision, 5 or 6 years ago. That's when my eye doctor suggested this routine....and over about 6 months the "floaters" went away, and haven't returned. If left untreated "floaters" can lead to surgery and even more troubles. If appears that these supplements HAVE helped my particular situation.
 
As we've seen, many doctors & dentists will promote products that they are well paid to promote.
Dr. Oz - "Green Coffee Extract" for miraculous weight loss
Cologuard.......
Crest toothpaste - (kills bacteria)
Mouthwash - (kills bacteria)

Oh.....I forgot something important: Charmin gives you a cleaner bottom.
 
Last edited:
Packerjohn said:
Let me put it this way: One group of people sits in front of their computer or watches 12 hours of TV each day.
Another group of people walk outside daily, try to eat healthy, don't drink pop, watch their calories, have yearly medical checkup & watch their weight.
You tell me which group you think will have a better lifestyle, feel better about themselves or perhaps live longer?
Click to expand...
Hmm, I am in the first group. I sit at the computer and watch tv, I sit in my recliner and watch tv, I lay in bed and watch tv. But your assumptions are wrong. IMO

Walking outside, trying to eat healthy, not drinking pop, watching calories, watching weight, and having medical checkups would have no effect whatsoever on many medical issues that people have or how people feel about themselves.

My mother did none of what you suggested. She smoked like a truck engine, never went for a walk, drank pop with liquor in it and without, worked but also watched a lot of tv. She is 95 years old and I don’t think she ever saw a doctor when she was a child, not once.

Generalizations are silly. IMO.
 
Last edited:

ManjaroKDE said:
Add to that thought, getting your vitamin D up it is more beneficial to get sunlight for your D infusion than from a pill. Your body knows what to do with that.
Click to expand...

Skin produces less Vitamin D with age. Kidney function also slows for many with age and even a slight decrease keeps the kidneys from converting Vitamin D into the form in which the body can use.

There are other factors detailed by Harvard Health that impact Vitamin D production by the skin.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/time-for-more-vitamin-d

Excerpt:

Except during the summer months, the skin makes little if any vitamin D from the sun at latitudes above 37 degrees north (in the United States, the shaded region in the map) or below 37 degrees south of the equator. People who live in these areas are at relatively greater risk for vitamin D deficiency.

Under the right circumstances, 10 to 15 minutes of sun on the arms and legs a few times a week can generate nearly all the vitamin D we need. Unfortunately, the "right circumstances" are elusive: the season, the time of day, where you live, cloud cover, and even pollution affect the amount of UVB that reaches your skin. What's more, your skin's production of vitamin D is influenced by age (people ages 65 and over generate only one-fourth as much as people in their 20s do), skin color (African Americans have, on average, about half as much vitamin D in their blood as white Americans), and sunscreen use



1012.jpg
 
Last edited:
Don M. said:
I forgot to mention that the reason I started this Lutein/oil regimen was I started having "floaters" in my vision, 5 or 6 years ago. That's when my eye doctor suggested this routine....and over about 6 months the "floaters" went away, and haven't returned. If left untreated "floaters" can lead to surgery and even more troubles. If appears that these supplements HAVE helped my particular situation.
Click to expand...
I have floaters in the left eye and my optometrist says it could be a precursor to glaucoma. Could you be more specific on the Lutein/fish oil you take like the brands and where bought? I would like to try it.
 
Chet said:
I have floaters in the left eye and my optometrist says it could be a precursor to glaucoma. Could you be more specific on the Lutein/fish oil you take like the brands and where bought? I would like to try it.
Click to expand...
I have several friends in their mid 80's. Some have many floaters & some don't. When I first noticed mine (at 66) & didn't know what they were, my optometrist's receptionist also said she has "a whole bunch of them." She's 42. Some people get them & some don't. They are a precursor to glaucoma in the same way that life is a precursor to death.

Your optometrist is out to lunch.
"Eye floaters are a normal part of the aging process. The American Society of Retina Specialists note that conditions such as vitreous detachment, which causes more floaters, are more common after the age of 60. Everyone can get eye floaters at some point, though most people ignore them.Jul 17, 2019"
 
win231 said:
I have several friends in their mid 80's. Some have many floaters & some don't. When I first noticed mine (at 66) & didn't know what they were, my optometrist's receptionist also said she has "a whole bunch of them." She's 42. Some people get them & some don't. They are a precursor to glaucoma in the same way that life is a precursor to death.

Your optometrist is out to lunch.
"Eye floaters are a normal part of the aging process. The American Society of Retina Specialists note that conditions such as vitreous detachment, which causes more floaters, are more common after the age of 60. Everyone can get eye floaters at some point, though most people ignore them.Jul 17, 2019"
Click to expand...
Yes you are so right! I have floaters. When I had eye surgery, the surgeon also removed the floaters. When I have the next eye operated on, which I’ve been putting off due to COVID and a bit of fear, he will removed the other floater in that eye which is huge.
 
Well, I've been taking supplements since my 30s on a regular basis, and exercising, even simple as walking every day outdoors. I had a lot of colds in my younger days and I know that some supplements can make the immune system stronger and fight colds, flu and other infections.

I'm in my late 60s, overweight but not obese, and am not on any prescription drugs. I have type 2 diabetes in my immediate family and my glucose reading was getting high years ago, but no longer.

For Chet, I have floaters too and take supplements for eye health, they haven't gotten any worse. My eyesight is getting worse with age and recently started wearing prescription glasses. This is what I'm taking currently and have been for awhile.

Lutein & Zeaxanthin (25mg/5mg), Trunature brand from Costco, but any quality Lutein (20mg) is fine.
NOW brand OptiZinc 30mg (Zinc and Copper)
NOW brand liquid (lemon flavored) Omega3 fish oil.
Country Life liquid Vitamin E Complex
I buy some of these from local Natural Grocers store, available in other stores and online.
 
Aneeda72 said:
Hmm, I am in the first group. I sit at the computer and watch tv, I sit in my recliner and watch tv, I lay in bed and watch tv. But your assumptions are wrong. IMO

Walking outside, trying to eat healthy, not drinking pop, watching calories, watching weight, and having medical checkups would have no effect whatsoever on many medical issues that people have or how people feel about themselves.

My mother did none of what you suggested. She smoked like a truck engine, never went for a walk, drank pop with liquor in it and without, worked but also watched a lot of tv. She is 95 years old and I don’t think she ever saw a doctor when she was a child, not once.

Generalizations are silly. IMO.
Click to expand...
Then there are those stories that say this old geezer drank home brew everyday of this life & lived to be a 100; while the guy next door followed all the health rules & died at the age of 50. I suppose it's your choice.
 
Packerjohn said:
Then there are those stories that say this old geezer drank home brew everyday of this life & lived to be a 100; while the guy next door followed all the health rules & died at the age of 50. I suppose it's your choice.
Click to expand...
Well, I am 74 and have survived 23 operations which include stuff like non diabetic related kidney failure and the removal of that kidney, two colon resections, a brain bleed, a ruptured tubal pregnancy and on and on and on. I don’t want to live till I am a 100, but seems I might 😂.

I agree with you, everyone has a choice to follow the “health rules” or not. Guess I never knew their were actual rules. 😂. But, as you say, following the rules does not guarantee long life, just a stressful life as you try to follow the ever changing rules and live longer.
 
Vit D is useful if you're like me and stay out of the sun. Wayyyy out of the sun, and have for decades.

For bone density I take chelated calcium-magnesium. Also for decades, ever since I became allergic to milk at age 20.

When I finally managed to wrangle a bone density test out of my HMO at age 57, I was congratulated on having the bone density of a 23 yr old.

My elder sister had asked me to get a bone density test as she was diagnosed with osteoporosis that was apparently caused by malfunctioning parathyroids. Like me she took cal-mag supplements, but in her case the glandular malfunction caused calcium to just circulate around in her blood, rather than deposit it into the bones.

No one had any idea anything was wrong (no symptoms, obviously) until bones started breaking in her feet - she was an ICU nurse. As she weighs maybe 85 lbs soaking wet they had to search for a cause for almost two years before finally doing the surgery!

It's always best to eat a healthy diet. But very few people DO eat a completely healthy diet, day in and day out. And as you age, you eat less and less. This does not even take into consideration your digestive process slows down and becomes less efficient at getting nutrients out of the food you are eating.

I watched my MIL as she aged and her diet was atrocious. All she concentrated on was salt and portion size. She was the perfect weight for her height, but nutritionally she was a disaster. Finally one day she fainted from low blood sugar (she wasn't diabetic) and I had to insist she start drinking a liquid protein supplement every day.
 
Lethe200 said:
Vit D is useful if you're like me and stay out of the sun. Wayyyy out of the sun, and have for decades.

For bone density I take chelated calcium-magnesium. Also for decades, ever since I became allergic to milk at age 20.

When I finally managed to wrangle a bone density test out of my HMO at age 57, I was congratulated on having the bone density of a 23 yr old.

My elder sister had asked me to get a bone density test as she was diagnosed with osteoporosis that was apparently caused by malfunctioning parathyroids. Like me she took cal-mag supplements, but in her case the glandular malfunction caused calcium to just circulate around in her blood, rather than deposit it into the bones.

No one had any idea anything was wrong (no symptoms, obviously) until bones started breaking in her feet - she was an ICU nurse. As she weighs maybe 85 lbs soaking wet they had to search for a cause for almost two years before finally doing the surgery!

It's always best to eat a healthy diet. But very few people DO eat a completely healthy diet, day in and day out. And as you age, you eat less and less. This does not even take into consideration your digestive process slows down and becomes less efficient at getting nutrients out of the food you are eating.

I watched my MIL as she aged and her diet was atrocious. All she concentrated on was salt and portion size. She was the perfect weight for her height, but nutritionally she was a disaster. Finally one day she fainted from low blood sugar (she wasn't diabetic) and I had to insist she start drinking a liquid protein supplement every day.
Click to expand...
I am 74, when does the eating less and less start? 😂
 


Back
Top