American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 62, 493-505, Copyright © 1995 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc

REVIEW ARTICLES

Mineral requirements of elderly people

RJ Wood, PM Suter and RM Russell
Jean Mayer United States Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA.

Poor mineral nutrition reported in elderly people is attributed in large part to low dietary intake. Evaluation of the adequacy of mineral nutriture is limited for several minerals because of inadequate methods for assessing mineral status. In addition, there is a general lack of information about mineral nutriture and metabolism in very old people (> 85 y). Given these reservations, the 1989 recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for iron, zinc, and selenium appears adequate for elderly people, as does the estimated safe and adequate daily dietary intake (ESADDI) recommendation for copper. In contrast, the current RDAs for calcium and magnesium and the ESADDI for chromium need careful reevaluation. Current recommendations for calcium may be too low, whereas those for magnesium and chromium may be higher than necessary. For phosphorus, iodine, manganese, fluoride, and molybdenum the available data are insufficient to make a critical judgment about the appropriateness of the dietary recommendations for elderly people.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Navarro and R. J. Wood Plasma Changes in Micronutrients Following a Multivitamin and Mineral Supplement in Healthy Adults J. Am. Coll. Nutr., April 1, 2003; 22(2): 124 - 132. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Martini and R. J Wood Relative bioavailability of calcium-rich dietary sources in the elderly Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, December 1, 2002; 76(6): 1345 - 1350. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. Bureau, F. Laporte, M. Favier, H. Faure, M. Fields, A. E. Favier, and A.-M. Roussel No Antioxidant Effect of Combined HRT on LDL Oxidizability and Oxidative Stress Biomarkers in Treated Post-Menopausal Women J. Am. Coll. Nutr., August 1, 2002; 21(4): 333 - 338. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Wakimoto and G. Block Dietary Intake, Dietary Patterns, and Changes With Age: An Epidemiological Perspective J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., October 1, 2001; 56(90002): 65 - 80. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. R. Briefel, K. Bialostosky, J. Kennedy-Stephenson, M. A. McDowell, R. B. Ervin, and J. D. Wright Zinc Intake of the U.S. Population: Findings from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994 J. Nutr., May 1, 2000; 130(5): 1367S - 1373. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				P. J. Garry, W. C. Hunt, and R. N. Baumgartner Effects of Iron Intake on Iron Stores in Elderly Men and Women: Longitudinal and Cross-Sectional Results J. Am. Coll. Nutr., April 1, 2000; 19(2): 262 - 269. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]