The Science of Healthy Aging: Where Nutraceuticals Fit In

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Your Health Magazine Contributor

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The Science of Healthy Aging: Where Nutraceuticals Fit In

Healthy aging is influenced by many factors, including genetics, physical activity, sleep, medical care and, importantly, nutrition. As people grow older, maintaining muscle strength, bone health and cognitive function becomes increasingly important for preserving independence and quality of life.

Nutraceuticals—a broad term commonly used for nutrients, supplements and other food-derived compounds—may have a supporting role. However, the evidence varies considerably from one ingredient to another. Correcting a genuine nutrient deficiency can produce meaningful health benefits, while taking additional nutrients when the body already has enough does not necessarily provide further advantages.

The most evidence-based approach is therefore not to search for an “anti-aging” supplement, but to build a strong nutritional and lifestyle foundation and use supplementation selectively when appropriate.

Maintaining Muscle With Age

Loss of muscle mass and strength is common with advancing age. Adequate dietary protein is one of the most important nutritional factors for maintaining muscle tissue.

The European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) recommends at least 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day for older adults, with individual requirements adjusted according to health, nutritional status and physical activity. Protein-rich foods such as fish, eggs, dairy products, lean meats, beans, lentils, soy foods, nuts and seeds can help meet these needs.

Protein supplements can be useful when adequate protein is difficult to obtain through food—for example, because of reduced appetite or practical difficulties preparing meals. They should generally be viewed as a convenient way to meet nutritional needs rather than something inherently superior to dietary protein.

Creatine is another supplement receiving substantial research attention. A 2026 systematic review of randomized trials involving adults aged 60 and older found that adding creatine to resistance training produced a modest additional improvement in muscle strength. However, evidence for additional improvements in muscle mass and physical function was less certain.

That distinction matters. Supplements should not replace exercise. Resistance training provides a powerful stimulus for preserving strength and function, and the World Health Organization recommends muscle-strengthening activities involving major muscle groups on at least two days each week for older adults.

Nutrition and Bone Health

Bones also change throughout adulthood as the balance between bone formation and breakdown shifts. Calcium, vitamin D, protein and regular weight-bearing activity all contribute to normal bone health.

Calcium is essential to bone structure, while vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. In people with inadequate intake or vitamin D deficiency, addressing the shortfall is important. But this does not mean increasingly large supplement doses provide increasingly greater protection.

Clinical trials of calcium and vitamin D supplementation in generally healthy, community-dwelling older adults have produced mixed findings. Some studies show small improvements in bone mineral density or reduced fracture risk in particular populations, while others show little or no benefit. Vitamin D supplementation alone has not consistently reduced fracture or fall risk in adults who already have adequate vitamin D status.

This illustrates an important principle in nutritional science: the benefit of supplementation often depends on where someone starts. Correcting deficiency is fundamentally different from giving additional nutrients to someone who is already well nourished.

Food should therefore remain the first source of calcium and other nutrients when practical. Individual supplementation needs may differ for people with osteoporosis, restricted diets, malabsorption or other medical conditions and should be discussed with an appropriate healthcare professional.

Cognitive Function: Promising Research, Important Limitations

Nutrition also plays an important role in normal brain function. Healthy dietary patterns that emphasize vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, nuts, fish and unsaturated fats have been associated with healthier cognitive aging, although observational associations cannot by themselves prove cause and effect.

Several individual nutrients have also attracted attention.

Vitamin B12 is especially relevant because deficiency becomes more common with age, partly because some older adults have difficulty absorbing B12 from food. Identifying and treating a B12 deficiency is important for normal neurological function. That is different, however, from suggesting that high-dose B12 supplementation improves cognition in people who already have adequate B12 status.

Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA and EPA, are another example. Fish consumption has been associated with favorable cognitive outcomes in some observational studies, but randomized trials of omega-3 supplements in cognitively healthy older adults have generally not demonstrated consistent improvements in cognitive function.

Multivitamins are also being studied. Some recent randomized trials have reported modest improvements in selected memory or cognitive measures among older adults, but these findings do not establish that multivitamins prevent dementia. The National Institute on Aging currently notes that no vitamin or dietary supplement is recommended for preventing Alzheimer’s disease or cognitive decline.

Supplement Quality Matters Too

When supplements are appropriate, product quality deserves attention alongside the ingredient itself. Nutraceutical manufacturing requires accurate formulation, appropriate testing, contaminant controls and consistency between batches.

The commercial supplement industry includes businesses providing services such as private label nutrition and companies operating as a Contract Manufacturer Europe. These manufacturing services should not be confused with clinical evidence: whether a particular supplement is beneficial depends on research into the ingredient, dose and population in which it is being used.

Consumers should also remember that supplements can interact with medications and that excessive doses of some nutrients can cause harm.

The Bigger Picture

No nutraceutical can substitute for the fundamentals of healthy aging. Adequate protein and nutrient intake, regular resistance and aerobic exercise, sufficient sleep, social engagement, avoidance of smoking and appropriate medical care have much broader evidence behind them than any single supplement.

Nutraceuticals may fill specific nutritional gaps or provide modest additional benefits in certain circumstances. Their value is greatest when the reason for taking them is clear and supported by evidence—not when they are promoted as a shortcut to reversing aging.

Scientific References

1. Volkert D, et al. ESPEN practical guideline: Clinical nutrition and hydration in geriatrics. Clinical Nutrition. 2022;41:958–989.
2. World Health Organization. WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour. 2020.
3. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
4. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Calcium Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
5. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin B12 Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
6. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Omega-3 Fatty Acids Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
7. National Institute on Aging. Cognitive Health and Older Adults.
8. Yao L, Yang D, Gao J. Effects of resistance training combined with creatine supplementation on muscle strength, physical function, and muscle mass in older adults: a systematic review and three-level meta-analysis. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2026.