Trace Element Requirements in the Elderly

The nutritional requirements of older adults have attracted the interest of scientists and nutritionists in recent years. Until recently, the Recommended Dietary Allowances provided guidelines for adults over age 50 but without subdivision into more precise age ranges (1). This leaves a broad gap in definitive recommendations for a large proportion of the population, particularly because life expectancy continues to increase; during the 20th century human life expectancy from birth has nearly doubled (2). The risk for inadequate nutrition in older adults is related to a variety of physiologic, economic, and social factors.