Vitamin-Rich Diet Tied to Lower Risk of Frailty in Older Adults

A study published in Age & Ageing suggests diets high in vitamins are less likely to cause older adults to become frail than those who lack such diets, reports Reuters . The researchers analyzed data on 1,643 adults aged 65 and older who were not frail, of whom 5.4 percent developed frailty 3.5 years later. Individuals whose diets had the lowest amounts of vitamin B6 at the start of the study were 2.8 times more likely to develop frailty by the study's conclusion than participants who consumed the most foods rich in vitamin B6. Those who had the lowest levels of vitamin E were 2.3 times more likely to develop frailty than peers whose diets contained the most foods rich in vitamin E. Furthermore, subjects who got the lowest levels of vitamin C at the start of the study were 93 percent more likely to develop frailty than subjects who consumed the most foods rich in vitamin C. In comparison to nonfrail individuals, people who developed frailty were more likely to be female, older, less educated, and obese. They also spent more time watching TV and had a higher incidence of chronic health problems, including heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Although higher consumption of every vitamin factored into the study was tied to a reduced risk of frailty, the connection was too small to rule out the possibility it was due to chance for all vitamins but vitamin B6, vitamin E, and vitamin C.