Film director Woody Allen once famously stated: “Some people hope to achieve immortality through their works or their children. I would prefer to achieve it by not dying.”

However, what kind of lifestyle would Mr. Allen expect as his years stretch out into the future? Would he be satisfied with simply lying in bed, his body wracked with pain, his mind sapped of memory? Or would he need to remain alert and vigorous, and continue to enjoy a good joke, in order to truly prefer immortality?

Old age and illness may be topics of humor for a professional comic, but it’s no laughing matter to about 72 million Americans—including the last of the Baby Boomers to turn 65 by the year 2030. This “silver generation” will represent more than 20% of the total U.S. population at that time.

If the phrase “healthy aging” is to be anything more than an oxymoron to these seniors, they will need to pay attention to diet, exercise, sleep and targeted dietary supplements. And they will also need to seek out healthcare professionals who believe in prevention, not just the relief of symptoms.

“An important component of this is do-it-yourself (DIY) nutrition, where people seek effective solutions to their different health issues via their diet and dietary supplements,” said Isaac Berzin, PhD, founder and chief technology officer of Jerusalem-based Qualitas Health.

According to Dr. Berzin, this trend is seen most often in households having higher disposable income and greater willingness to spend on health and wellness. “Clinically supported and well-known ingredients that can easily be incorporated into the diet and daily schedule provide an answer for the desire of an active and long life,” he said.

“Younger people, in particular, are more open-minded and willing to self-educate,” said Michael Crabtree, technical sales director for Bioenergy Life Science, Minneapolis, MN. And this younger generation could help drive a more naturopathic approach to healthcare in the U.S.

Defining Healthy Aging
“For the most part, the idea of healthy aging means ‘keeping what I have now’—whether this is in physical ability, mental ability or appearance,” said Barbara Davis, PhD, RD, vice president of medical and scientific affairs for PLT Health Solutions, Morristown, NJ.

The words “healthy aging” are typically applied to ameliorating conditions specific to an older demographic. However, Dr. Davis said, “For different individuals, the idea of achieving and/or maintaining peak performance begins at different ages and is focused on different conditions.”

“Aging can be described as a decline in function and performance of the entire organism,” said Vladimir Badmaev, MD, PhD, CEO and founder of American Medical Holdings, New York, NY. This enhances the likelihood of wear-and-tear damage, acute inflammation and obvious pain of affected organs and systems, he explained.

“What is less obvious is that aging can mask chronic inflammation affecting multiple organs and systems with a minimum of subjective symptoms.” This often leads to degenerative conditions, Dr. Badmaev added. Cardiovascular disease would be an apt example.

For society at large, the “graying of America” will bring both challenges and benefits. As Francis Foley, president of Morristown, NJ-based Xsto Solutions, LLC sees it, the sheer volume of the elderly will stretch healthcare resources uncomfortably thin.

But there is good news too, he reported. “Seniors are healthier and more active than ever, eating better, and we are making tremendous strides in medical care and out-patient procedures.”

The situation holds enormous promise for businesses that aim to keep people healthy, Mr. Foley suggested. The growing numbers and increased longevity of seniors should fuel strong sales of supplements for decades to come, he said.

“Conditions of aging are more publicized, and consumers are looking beyond prescriptions for healthy alternatives,” said Kathy Lund, vice president of business development and marketing for AIDP Inc., City of Industry, CA.

“This has created a growth opportunity for research-based natural ingredients and herbs, and a return to simple, whole food solutions, such as plant-based proteins,” Ms. Lund explained.

Market Scope
There are numerous areas of health that seniors may require additional help in supporting, including muscle and bone health, cognition, immunity, energy/vitality, heart health, weight control, blood sugar management, eyesight, hearing, digestion, skin health, etc. In short, one could not go amiss by saying the whole human body deserves increasing attention with advanced age.

Ms. Lund said Alzheimer’s disease is the world’s most costly disease per patient. “More than $203 billion was projected to be spent on total U.S. care for Alzheimer’s patients in 2013, which presents a major cost to families and society,” she said, citing statistics from the Alzheimer’s Association.

Alzhiemer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., Ms. Lund added. Deaths from Alzheimer’s increased 66% between 2000 and 2008, while deaths from other major diseases, including the number one cause of death, heart disease, decreased.

Statistics from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) indicate “More than 70 million people in the U.S. are affected by sleep troubles,” Ms. Lund said. “The prescription sleep aid market is now over $2 billion and expected to grow as Baby Boomers advance in age, obesity rates climb, and stress from the economy and longer workdays increases.”

Osteoporosis, too, is a “major public health threat,” said Ms. Lund. “Approximately 25% of postmenopausal Caucasian women in the U.S. will develop osteoporosis, posting an estimated cost of $13.8 billion annually. Some 10 million individuals are estimated to already have the disease, and almost 34 million more are estimated to have low bone density, placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis and broken bones.”

“The North American diet is often deficient in calcium. Although the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of calcium is 1,200 mg per day, most American women over age 40 consume less than half of this amount,” said Todd Johnson, director of marketing at Albion Minerals, Clearfield, UT.

According to Mr. Johnson, a five-year year study of 830 postmenopausal women who consumed 1,200 mg of calcium carbonate per day found they had only 66% of the risk of fracture compared to a control group of women not taking supplemental calcium.

This suggested that about a third of fractures among aging women could be prevented by supplementation with a simple mineral.

Dealing with Disability
“A recent report commissioned by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) discovered that nearly 16 million Americans aged 65 and older say they have at least one disability,” said Frank Jaksch Jr., co-founder and CEO of Irvine, CA-based ChromaDex.

Two of the six types of disabilities covered by the report were walking and cognition, Mr. Jaksch said. “Difficulty in walking or climbing stairs is the most common disability, reported by two-thirds of the subjects,” he said.

Baby Boomers—those born between the years 1946 and 1964 and now between the ages of 50 and 69—already purchase nearly half of all dietary supplements, Mr. Jaksch noted. “As their bodies age people require fewer calories. But the need for vitamins and minerals increases due to various physiological factors, including digestive systems that become less efficient.”

Dr. Davis speculated, “It is probably accurate to say that weight management is the single most important and effective thing that people can do—at any point in their lives—to age more healthfully. An unhealthy weight is the underlying or contributing cause to any number of chronic health conditions present in later years.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), being overweight often shares a connection with the following list of chronic conditions, most of which are also associated with the aging process: coronary heart disease; type 2 diabetes; cancers (endometrial, breast and colon); hypertension (high blood pressure); dyslipidemia (e.g., high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides); stroke; liver and gallbladder disease; sleep apnea and breathing problems; and osteoarthritis (a breakdown of cartilage and bone within a joint).

Dr. Davis called blood sugar health “the elephant in the room,” that is too often overlooked, except as an adjunct of weight management. The CDC predicted half (50%) of people in the U.S. will be diabetic or pre-diabetic by the year 2020. Dr. Davis urged more aggressive, dedicated work in this area.

Why hasn’t that happened already? Dr. Davis suggested, “Making blood sugar management claims may be more expensive than the natural ingredients industry or the food and beverage industries want to undertake, or more costly than the consumer can support.”

“There may also be an issue of consumer confusion about how to address this critical area of health,” she added. “It may be the case that the natural products and food and beverage industries need to show some leadership here.”

In the meantime, some supplements featuring ingredients like chromium and cinnamon may be effective in managing blood sugar levels.

The accompanying article (Healthy Aging Ingredient Round-Up), presents information about dozens of supplement ingredients believed to support healthy aging. 

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Alan Richman, former editor/associate publisher of Whole Foods Magazine, is a full-time freelancer focusing on the health and nutrition industry. His most recent article for Nutraceuticals World was “Cannabis Conundrum,” which appeared in the March 2015 issue. He can be reached at arkr@comcast.net.