Vitamins for over 50s, 60s and 70s: what the NHS advises and what you can skip

Vitamins for over 50s: the short list

Walk into a high-street chemist or scroll iHerb and you’ll find dozens of “50+” and “senior” formulas. Official advice is much shorter, and almost the same for men and women.

Pick your situation to see which parts apply to you:

Vitamin D: who needs it all year

The NHS advises adults to take 10 mcg (400 IU) of vitamin D a day in autumn and winter. Some people should take it all year: those who are frail or housebound, live in a care home, or usually cover up their skin when outside. People with darker skin may also not make enough from sunlight.

Don’t take more than 100 mcg (4,000 IU) a day, as it could be harmful; that NHS limit applies to older people too. If your GP has prescribed a higher dose after a blood test, follow their plan. Forms and doses are covered in our vitamin D3 dosage guide.

Vitamin B12 over 50

The NIH advises people over 50 to get most of their B12 from fortified foods or supplements. It comes down to stomach acid: many older adults have too little of it, and without it B12 isn’t released well from meat and dairy. B12 from a tablet or fortified cereal skips that step.

Some medicines also reduce B12 absorption, notably metformin for diabetes and acid reducers such as omeprazole. If you’ve taken them for years, ask your GP to check your B12.

Numbness, tingling in the feet, unsteadiness or memory problems are reasons to get tested before starting tablets. Why the order matters, and which form to choose, is explained in our vitamin B12 guide.

Calcium: mostly from food

Figures differ. According to the NHS, adults need 700 mg of calcium a day and should be able to get it all from their diet. For women over 50 and men over 70 the NIH sets 1,200 mg, and 1,000 mg for men aged 51–70. Absorption of calcium from food also falls with age.

• Sources: milk, yoghurt, cheese, green leafy vegetables, fortified soya drinks, fortified bread, and fish eaten with the bones, such as tinned sardines.
• Take a supplement only to fill a gap. Absorption from tablets is best at 500 mg or less per dose.
• The NHS says 1,500 mg a day or less from supplements is unlikely to cause harm. The NIH upper limit for over 50s is 2,000 mg from all sources.

Calcium, vitamin D and K2 are covered in our calcium and vitamin K2 guide, and fracture and fall risk in bone health and osteoporosis supplements.

Protein matters more than most vitamins

Muscle fades quietly with age, and strength and balance go with it. ESPEN, the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, advises older people to eat at least 1 g of protein per kilo of body weight a day. At 70 kg, that’s at least 70 g.

In practice, that means protein at every meal: eggs or yoghurt at breakfast, fish, meat, beans or lentils at lunch and dinner. A protein powder helps if your appetite is poor. Creatine and exercise are covered in sarcopenia and muscle loss.

What you can usually skip

• Megadoses. A 5,000 IU vitamin D tablet is already above the NHS limit of 4,000 IU. Doses like that are for a confirmed deficiency, prescribed for a set time.
• Anti-ageing blends. NHS and NIH advice for over 50s covers vitamin D, B12, calcium and protein. Anti-ageing blends aren’t part of it.
• Iron without a test. From 50, men and women need 8.7 mg of iron a day, which normal food covers. The NHS notes that high doses cause constipation and nausea.
• Extra vitamin A. Women past the menopause and older men should keep to 1.5 mg a day or less from food and supplements, says the NHS. More may make bones more likely to fracture. If you eat liver once a week, skip vitamin A supplements, including fish liver oil.
• Two bottles of the same thing. Vitamin D in your multivitamin plus vitamin D drops; calcium in a multivitamin plus a separate calcium tablet.

See how far daily needs sit from the limits:

Vitamins for women over 50

Two things change after the menopause. Your iron need drops from 14.8 mg to 8.7 mg a day (NHS), so a women’s formula with plenty of iron is no longer needed. Calcium and vitamin D for bones move up the list. NHS guidance also warns that older women are already at higher risk of osteoporosis, so extra vitamin A is especially unwelcome.

More in our guide to supplements for women.

Vitamins for men over 50

Men don’t need iron supplements without a blood test: the need stays at 8.7 mg a day. The NIH sets calcium at 1,000 mg aged 51–70 and 1,200 mg after 70, mostly from food. Check the label of any “men’s health” formula for high zinc and vitamin A. More in supplements for men.

Supplements for over 70s

After 70 the list is the same, but life around it changes. Many people go out less, so vitamin D is needed all year. Tablets get harder to swallow, and there are more medicines. So:

• choose drops or chewables if tablets stick (see trouble swallowing pills);
• keep every supplement on one medicines list for your GP;
• set out the week’s doses in a pill organiser or a printable pill calendar.

Is a multivitamin for over 50s worth it?

A multivitamin is handy if your diet is limited or your appetite is poor. It won’t make up for a poor diet on its own: see our multivitamin guide. If you buy one, check the label:

1. No iron, or very little.
2. Vitamin A, plus what you eat, stays within 1.5 mg a day.
3. Vitamin D and calcium don’t duplicate other bottles.
4. The tablet is a size you can comfortably swallow.

Who should take care: medicines and conditions

• Warfarin. Vitamin K changes how it works; ginkgo and high-dose vitamin E may add to bleeding risk.
• Levothyroxine. Keep calcium and iron at least 4 hours apart from it. See our vitamin compatibility chart.
• Thiazide diuretics. With calcium or high-dose vitamin D they can raise blood calcium.
• Kidney disease. Minerals and vitamin D only on medical advice; see supplements to avoid with kidney disease.
• Metformin, omeprazole. Ask about a B12 test.

How to choose vitamins on iHerb

1. Show your GP or pharmacist a list of every medicine and supplement you take.
2. Start with vitamin D 400–1,000 IU and, if needed, B12 500–1,000 mcg.
3. Get calcium from food; if you need a supplement, keep each dose to 500 mg or less.
4. Choose a form you’ll actually take: drops, chewables, small capsules.
5. Compare all your bottles so you don’t double up on D, calcium or vitamin A. Unsure? Try our vitamin check.