Nutrients Cut Your Risk of Infection by 50%

Health Alert 292

Do you wonder if a daily multivitamin will really do anything? Today, I want to show you new evidence to answer that question in very stark terms.

We’ll look at the risk of nutrient deficiencies and how they change through your life. It turns out that seniors are at particular risk for serious deficiencies. I’ll also give you a list of some most important nutrients to take.

Reduce Your Sick Days by Half

I’ve found that most of my retirement age patients are missing essential nutrients. Both our diet history and our blood testing confirm this. National studies confirm this, as well.

Researchers at the University of Iowa found that 80% of people age 79 and older were not getting enough of four or more nutrients. As a result, these elders were at higher risk for heart disease, stroke and osteoporosis.(1)

I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Ranjit Chandra. He is one of the leading authorities on nutrition and the elderly. After years of clinical research, he has published new research showing that seniors who took a daily multi-vitamin cut their risk of infection-related illness by 50%.(2)

Here are some other benefits:

  • Dramatic increase of muscle power.
  • Strengthened immune system.
  • Improved short-term memory.
  • Increased attention and problem-solving ability.
  • Better able to perform activities of daily living.

A Simple Way to Improve Your Quality of Life

Taking vitamins doesn’t mean you have to stuff your medicine cabinet or force down handfuls of pills. Below is a short list of my recommended nutrients for elders to lower their risk of infection as found in Dr Chandra’s study:

Vitamin A – 1,333 IU Vitamin D – 4 mcg (160 IUs)
Beta Carotene – 16 mg Vitamin E – 44 mg (44 IUs)
Thiamine – 2.2 mg Iron – 16 mg
Riboflavin – 1.5 mg Zinc – 14 mg
Niacin – 16 mg Copper – 1.4 mg
Vitamin B6 – 3 mg Selenium – 20 mcg
Folate – 400 mcg Iodine – 0.2 mg
Vitamin B12 – 4 mcg Calcium – 200 mg
Vitamin C – 80 mg Magnesium – 100 mg

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

(1) Nutrition is a Key to Better Health for Elderly. Aetna InteliHEALTH. Aug 22, 2001. www.intelihealth.com

(2) Chandra RK. Effect of Vitamin and Trace Element Supplementation on Immune Responses and Infection in Elderly Subjects. Lancet 1992; 340:1124-1127