Wednesday, June 22, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Volunteers sought
for vitamin study
By David Stauth
Correspondent
C O R VA L L I S
—
Participants are being sought
for a study at Oregon State
University that hopes to
answer a long-overdue
question — does the use
of multivitamin supple-
ments really improve the
nutritional status, and ulti-
mately the health, of elderly
adults?
Almost no research has
been done that measures
what improvements in nutri-
tional status actually occur
when people take a multivi-
tamin and mineral supple-
ment. Even less is known
about effects in the elderly, a
time of life when substantial
evidence shows that vitamin
and mineral demands are
higher and more difficult to
meet.
In this research, which
will be a double-blind,
placebo-controlled study,
40 men age 70 or older,
in generally good health,
will be tested to measure
their response to the use of
a multivitamin, or lack of
one. Men are being chosen
because, even more than
women, their diet as older
adults is known to often be
deficient in vitamins A, C, D,
E, and K, as well as calcium,
magnesium and potassium.
For four months two
groups of men will receive
either a placebo or the multi-
vitamin Centrum Silver, and
measurements will be made
of any changes in their nutri-
tional status as well as mark-
ers of health, such as activ-
ity levels, energy reserve
and cognitive function. The
study is being funded by a
grant from Pfizer Consumer
Healthcare, the company
which markets that product.
“It’s clear that older indi-
viduals have even higher
nutritional deficiencies
than the general popula-
tion, at a time in their life
when those nutrients may
be more important than
ever,” said Tory Hagen, the
Helen P. Rumbel Professor
for Healthy Aging Research
in OSU’s Linus Pauling
Institute.
“Older adults often have
poor nutrition, they lose
some of their sense of taste
and flavor, and they absorb
micronutrients such as vita-
mins and minerals less
effectively. They are get-
ting fewer of these nutrients
even as the demand for those
nutrients increases with age.
This can increase their risk
for chronic disease.”
Hagen, a biochemist in
the OSU College of Science,
said it is worth noting that
almost all research to estab-
lish the recommended daily
allowance for micronutri-
ents is based on the needs
of younger adults, ages
18-48. As aging takes its
natural toll and the abil-
ity to absorb micronutri-
ents decreases, the amounts
needed may increase sig-
nificantly in older adults, he
said. This study will exam-
ine how well a multivita-
min and mineral supplement
can improve markers that
reflect optimal metabolic
status.
“We’ll finally learn more
about how these micronu-
trients are being used in the
body, especially in older
adults, and whether or not
the levels being taken will
help address health issues,”
Hagen said.
Measurements will be
made on the effect of supple-
ments on a complete meta-
bolic panel using plasma or
blood cells, on such issues
as antioxidant status, lipo-
protein profiles, metabolic
health, and inflammation.
Individuals will also be
required to wear an activity
monitoring device, along
with other measurements
made of “cellular energy
transduction” that show
general energy reserve, and
cognitive testing will assess
common functions that
do or do not decline with
age.
Any eligible men inter-
ested in participating in
the study may contact Alex
Michels in OSU’s Linus
Pauling Institute, via email
at alex.michels@oregon
state.edu.
Individuals will be eli-
gible if they have no current
or past history of serious
chronic illness, such as can-
cer, heart disease, or diabe-
tes. Men who are already
taking a multivitamin sup-
plement are eligible, if they
are willing to stop taking it
for a period before the study
begins.
Older adults are at
increased risk of various
chronic diseases, Hagen
said, in which inadequate
levels of vitamins and min-
erals may play a significant
role, including cardiovas-
cular disease, Alzheimer’s
disease, liver disease and
cancer.
The Linus Pauling
Institute offers recommen-
dations for supplements that
could be of value to older
adults, in some cases at lev-
els substantially higher even
than those found in a multivi-
tamin. It can be found online
at http://bit.ly/1W2azki.
23
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