Senior News Line: Do we need vitamin supplements?

Many of us have made our list of resolutions for the New Year, and some of those resolutions involve health and fitness. We’ve decided to get healthy and believe that the answers lie in exercise, diet, social interaction for mental health — and vitamin supplements.

Of those, the one that puts up red flags is the vitamin supplements. If we don’t know what we’re doing, however, we can cause problems because what we take might be unsafe.

National Institutes of Health has explored the topic — https://tinyurl.com/Supplements-for-Older-Adults — and the site is full of caveats and warnings.

To be considered:

• If you’re hunting for supplement information on the internet or by watching TV ads, be wary about who is behind it. Do they have a reason — such as profit — for promoting a certain supplement?

• Remember that more is not necessarily better. Too much “more” of any supplement might be harmful to you.

Check the NIH dietary supplement database at dsld.od.nih.gov. They have over 200,000 supplements listed, and you can search by product, brand or ingredient.

Before you start taking supplements, talk to your doctor. You might be advised to make some adjustments to your diet instead, or they might know of a reason in your medical profile that indicates a certain supplement could cause problems for you.

The NIH also recommends looking at the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, a free publication online at https://tinyurl.com/Make-Every-Bite-Count. There is a whole section for older adults.

When it comes to our prescription drugs, we need to be aware there, as well. To check for any interactions with drugs you are taking, go to drugs.com, click “Drugs Interaction Checker” and enter the drug name. You’ll get a result that shows any interactions, as well as warnings, side effects and uses of the drug.

Here’s to a healthy 2026 — with or without vitamin supplements!