> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smartseniordaily.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Popular Supplements Seniors Take — and Why “More” Isn’t Better - URL: https://www.smartseniordaily.com/popular-supplements-seniors-take-and-why-more-isnt-better/ - Published: 2025-12-24T05:09:15.000Z - Updated: 2025-12-24T05:09:14.000Z - Description: The upside people hope for — and the downside many don’t expect - Author: Smart Senior Daily Staff - Tags: Medications & Supplements, Vitamins --- Some people swear by **St. John’s wort** for mood. Others take **ginkgo biloba** hoping to help memory or circulation. Many reach for **ginseng** to boost energy. And then there are the “responsible” supplements — **calcium and vitamin D** — taken to protect bones, prevent fractures, and stay upright longer. Here’s the problem the NIH keeps circling back to: **Supplements don’t live in isolation. And bodies over 60 don’t respond the way they used to.** [Stop taking Vitamin C in the Afternoon, Darn it!What science says—and how to avoid bedtime troubles![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d9/1a/d91a71e8-ed81-4ec8-8028-ec14ba129b35/content/images/icon/SSD-FavIcon1-35.png)Smart Senior DailySmart Senior Daily Staff![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d9/1a/d91a71e8-ed81-4ec8-8028-ec14ba129b35/content/images/thumbnail/VitaminC.png)](https://www.smartseniordaily.com/vitamin%5Fc%5Fafternoon%5Fsleep/) ## Why health experts urge caution — not panic Across NIH-backed resources like **MedlinePlus**, the **Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS)**, and the **National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)**, the concern isn’t that supplements are useless. It’s that: - they interact with medications, - some build up in the body, and - higher doses don’t always mean better outcomes. That’s especially true for older adults juggling multiple prescriptions — a situation NIH researchers [call](https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/did-you-know-supplements-and-medications-can-interact-in-unexpected-ways?ref=smartseniordaily.com) **polypharmacy**. --- ## When “natural” supplements come with tradeoffs ### St. John’s wort — “for mood” People often take it hoping for a gentler antidepressant effect. NIH fact sheets [warn](https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/StJohnsWort-Consumer?ref=smartseniordaily.com) that St. John’s wort can **reduce the effectiveness** of antidepressants, blood thinners, heart medications, transplant drugs, and some cancer treatments. - **Upside:** mood support for some - **Downside:** broad drug interference --- ### Ginkgo biloba — “for memory and circulation” Ginkgo is widely marketed for brain health and blood flow. NIH-linked [sources](https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/natural/333.html?ref=smartseniordaily.com) warn it can **increase bleeding risk**, especially when combined with aspirin, warfarin, or newer blood thinners — medications many seniors already take. - **Upside:** possible circulation effects - **Downside:** increased bleeding risk --- [Vitamin B3 May Help Cut Skin Cancer RiskNew research suggests early use makes a difference![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d9/1a/d91a71e8-ed81-4ec8-8028-ec14ba129b35/content/images/icon/SSD-FavIcon1-33.png)Smart Senior DailyGary P Guthrie![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d9/1a/d91a71e8-ed81-4ec8-8028-ec14ba129b35/content/images/thumbnail/Skin-Cancer-1.png)](https://www.smartseniordaily.com/vitamin-b3-may-help-cut-skin-cancer-risk/) ## Calcium & vitamin D: necessary — but not unlimited This is where the conversation around supplements gets more nuanced — and more important for seniors. According to [**Bess Dawson-Hughes, MD**](https://hnrca.tufts.edu/people/faculty/bess-dawson-hughes?ref=smartseniordaily.com), a senior scientist at the [**Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging**](https://hnrca.tufts.edu/?ref=smartseniordaily.com) **at Tufts University**, bone loss accelerates as we age, especially for women during and after menopause. > “As we enter our 50s, it’s time to reassess our intake of calcium, which helps mitigate bone loss, and vitamin D, which helps us absorb calcium,” Dawson-Hughes explains. Women can lose about **3% of their bone mass each year during the menopause transition**, and continue losing bone at roughly **1% per year afterward** as estrogen levels decline. Men aren’t immune either. Starting around age 50, men lose bone at a steady rate of about **1% per year**. This bone loss weakens the skeleton and raises fracture risk — especially hip fractures, which become far more common as people move from their 70s into their 80s. ### When “more” starts working against you Calcium and vitamin D matter — but piling on higher doses doesn’t keep improving outcomes. > “But more and more calcium and vitamin D is not better and better, particularly in older people,” Dawson-Hughes cautions. “If your calcium intake gets too high, you’re set up for kidney stones.” Vitamin D follows a similar pattern. Clinical trials show that vitamin D supplements can **reduce falls in people who are deficient**. But as doses rise, the benefits level off — and then reverse. In fact, older adults with **high blood levels of vitamin D** have been found to face an *increased* risk of falls and fractures, not a lower one. That finding aligns with broader NIH guidance warning that fat-soluble vitamins and supplements affecting muscle strength or balance can become counterproductive when taken in excess. --- [These 2 Popular Vitamin Supplements Might Be Doing More Harm Than GoodPossibly others, too![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d9/1a/d91a71e8-ed81-4ec8-8028-ec14ba129b35/content/images/icon/SSD-FavIcon1-34.png)Smart Senior DailySmart Senior Daily Staff![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d9/1a/d91a71e8-ed81-4ec8-8028-ec14ba129b35/content/images/thumbnail/Rx-1.jpg)](https://www.smartseniordaily.com/seniors-beware-these-2-popular-vitamin-supplements-and-possibly-others-might-be-doing-more-harm-than-good/) ## What experts actually recommend According to the **Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine**: **Daily calcium needs** - Women 51+: **1,200 mg** - Men 51–70: **1,000 mg** - Men 71+: **1,200 mg** **Daily vitamin D** - Ages 51–70: **15 mcg (600 IU)** - Ages 71+: **20 mcg (800 IU)** Most Americans get calcium from **dairy** — milk, yogurt, cheese. If you’re not getting about **two servings a day**, a modest **500-mg calcium supplement** may make sense. If you are, supplementation may not be necessary. Vitamin D is different. If you spend winters golfing in Florida and actually get sun exposure, you may not need supplements year-round. But in northern states, from **October through March**, skin doesn’t reliably produce vitamin D — making modest supplementation reasonable. Source: Tufts University / National Academies --- ## The real risk seniors face The danger isn’t taking supplements. The danger is assuming they’re **harmless, interchangeable, or endlessly beneficial**. Vitamin A builds up. Vitamin D plateaus. Herbs interfere. And “just in case” can quietly become “too much.” The NIH and Tufts aren’t warning seniors away from supplements. They’re warning them away from **guesswork**.