1. Introduction
micronutrient deficiencies
SECONDARY
Despite the reported prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies in older adults, it is not yet established whether multivitamin/multimineral (MV/MM) supplements improve blood micronutrient status in individuals over the age of 65. Therefore, a cohort of 35 healthy men (>67 years) was recruited for an MV/MM supplementation trial. The primary endpoint was, as an indicator of micronutrient status, changes in blood micronutrient biomarkers from baseline to at least six months of supplementation with MV/MM or placebo. The secondary endpoint was basal OA balanced diet that is high in fruits and vegetables provides many of the micronutrients that humans need for normal metabolism and physiological function. However, even in the United States and other economically advantaged countries, large nutritional survey data indicate that a healthy diet may not adequately provide sufficient quantities of certain vitamins and minerals [Poor micronutrient status, which is determined by vitamin and mineral concentrations in the blood, is also more likely with advanced age [Thus, it is commonly reported that food alone is often insufficient to sustain the metabolic requirements of older adults [Based on the aforementioned confounding factors, we conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in a cohort of healthy older men (averaging 70 years of age at the start of the trial). These participants were purposely selected with few age-associated pathophysiologies. These strict inclusion criteria were designed to eliminate as many variables as possible so that age-associated changes to micronutrient status may be discerned. Men were chosen for this study because diet and lifestyle behaviors are more likely to adversely impact micronutrient status in this sex with age [