Healthy Aging Supplements: Key Nutrients to Support Your Health as You Age†

We all age; you can't stop it any more than you can stop the sun from setting. Aging is a natural part of life. Many adults want to support their health as they age, and may wonder why is nutrition important as we age?

As we reach our older and wiser years, it's essential to aim for a balanced diet that meets all your nutrient needs, and it's good to know that supplements can help support your nutrient needs and fill potential micronutrient gaps if needed.

Our experts at Nature Made have put together a guide to the key nutrients that support healthy aging, including how to get these nutrients through a balanced, nutrient-dense diet, and ways dietary supplements may help support your daily routine.^†

Why Nutrition Matters for Healthy Aging Support

As with many things, nutrient needs may change with age. How do nutritional needs change over time? The daily recommended value of certain nutrients increases with age. This can happen for several reasons, including changes in metabolism, bone and muscle mass, health conditions, or medications. It's common for nutrient needs to increase as we age.

While the best way to meet your nutritional needs is to include nutrient-dense foods in your diet, supplements can complement a healthy diet with micronutrient support, supporting your overall well-being and helping to bridge nutrient gaps that may arise from your body's changing needs or your changing lifestyle. We'll get into some key healthy aging supplements to focus on when supporting your overall wellness.^†

Key Vitamins and Nutrients That Support Healthy Aging^†

Your body needs to consume essential vitamins and minerals daily, but a few are especially important for healthy aging. Here are a couple of those key vitamins and nutrients that support healthy aging.^†

#1 Vitamin A

Preformed Vitamin A, found in eggs and dairy products, and vitamin A precursors, found in fruits and vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, and spinach, both support healthy vision and immune system function. Vitamin A is a component of the light-sensitive protein "rhodopsin," which responds when light enters our eyes.^†

This essential vitamin also plays a role in normal cell growth and development, helping cells differentiate into their different functions.^[1] If you find your diet lacking in vitamin A and its precursors, you might be interested in a multivitamin supplement containing this essential vitamin, such as our Advanced Multivitamin for Adults Gummies or For Him Gummies^† and For Her Gummies.^† 

#2 B Vitamins

There are eight different B vitamins, and they all play essential roles in supporting cellular energy production. When we eat food, we need to metabolize it to convert it into energy our cells can use. All B vitamins, including vitamin B5, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12, play a role in turning food into cellular energy, also known as ATP.^†

B vitamins function as coenzymes in chemical reactions within the body, and each B vitamin works with different enzymes.^[2] That's why it's essential to get all of them, not just one or two. B vitamins also support normal brain and nervous system function.^†

Including sources of B vitamins, like leafy green vegetables, fortified cereals, and animal proteins, can help you include these essential nutrients in your diet. Explore Nature Made's B-Complex Supplements for a range of B vitamin supplementation to suit your preferences.^†

Biotin

One of these B vitamins, biotin, plays a particular role in supporting healthy hair, skin, and nails, which is why it's often included in "beauty" supplements. Biotin also supports carbohydrate metabolism and cellular energy production. You can find biotin in your diet in eggs, nuts, and whole grains. Nature Made also offers Biotin supplements, such as Extra Strength Biotin Softgels, which supports healthy hair, skin, and nails.^†

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12, found in salmon, beef, and Greek yogurt, is an essential B vitamin that supports healthy aging, brain cell function and helps convert food into cellular energy. B12 also supports mood health^‡ and helps reduce fatigue in those with low vitamin B12 levels.^†

Because this vitamin is found primarily in animal products, vegetarians and vegans may struggle to include consistent sources of B12 in their diet. Nature Made B12 Supplements can offer a convenient way to incorporate Vitamin B12 in your daily routine.^†

#3 Choline

Choline is an essential nutrient that supports healthy brain, nervous system, and liver function. While the body can make some choline, it doesn’t produce enough on its own, so getting additional choline from food is important. Food sources of choline include eggs, fish, beef, poultry, soybeans, wheat germ, and vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli. However, 90% of adults don't offer a tasty, convenient way to support a healthy brain and nervous system with this essential nutrient.^† Choline Gummies offer a tasty, convenient way to support a healthy brain and nervous system with this essential nutrient.^†

#4 Vitamin C

Vitamin C is one of the most famous vitamins, and for good reason. Vitamin C supports the immune system and provides antioxidant support to help neutralize free radicals in the body. Free radicals are molecules formed during chemical reactions that can cause oxidative stress.^†

Vitamin C also helps support healthy skin by helping collagen formation, an essential component of healthy skin. Vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits, such as as oranges, lemons and grapefruits, as well as in strawberries, bell peppers, and tomatoes. Almost half of adults in the US don't get enough vitamin C in their diet. Find a vitamin C supplement that works for you with Nature Made, like our Vitamin C Extra Strength Gummies.^†

#5 Vitamin D

Vitamin D is found in some foods, such as fortified dairy and cereals, as well as fatty fish. However, humans get most of their vitamin D from sun exposure. Vitamin D and calcium work together, supporting bone, teeth, and muscle health by aiding calcium absorption. It's also crucial for supporting the body's immune defenses.^†

Getting 15 minutes of sun exposure without sunscreen, with uncovered limbs and head, helps your body produce this essential nutrient. However, access to sunlight can be limited by location, time of year, and lifestyle, so a vitamin D supplement can help you maintain a consistent source of vitamin D throughout the day. If you're looking for vitamin D benefits for women, or vitamin D benefits for men, you may be interested in Vitamin D3 + K2 Gummies, which include two essential nutrients that work together to direct calcium towards your bones in two daily peach-flavored gummies.^†

A clinical study showed that older adults taking 2000 IU vitamin D3 supplements consistently for 4 years helped prevent some leukocyte telomere shortening. Telomeres are the end caps of chromosomes, and they wear down over time, which is why telomere length is a key indicator of cellular age.^[3]

#6 Vitamin E

Vitamin E plays a vital role as an antioxidant in fat-based tissues, where it helps neutralize free radicals. Vitamin E also supports immune system health. 84% of US adults don't get enough vitamin E from food sources like nuts and vegetable oils.^[4]†

#7 Vitamin K

There are two forms of vitamin K, both of which help support healthy aging.^†

Vitamin K2

Vitamin K2 works with Vitamin D3 to support healthy bones by guiding calcium to where it needs to go. Vitamin K2 can be found in some fermented foods and animal products.^[5] You can get Vitamin D3 and K2 in a single supplement with Vitamin D3 + K2 Softgels.^†

Vitamin K1

Vitamin K1 helps support healthy vascular function. Vitamin K1 can be found in leafy greens like spinach, collards, kale, and broccoli, along with vegetable oils like soybean and canola oil.^[5]†

Many of the supplements in Nature Made's Multivitamin Collection include all of these essential nutrients, providing a solid foundation of nutritional support as you age.^†

How to Incorporate Supplements Into Your Healthy Aging Routine

Remember, supplements don't replace a balanced diet. The best way to get the nutrients you need for healthy aging is to include nutrient-dense foods in your diet; however, supplements can help complement your diet with broad nutritional support, helping to bridge nutrient gaps that may arise. It's always essential to speak with your primary healthcare practitioner before starting or changing a supplement routine, especially if you are managing health conditions or medications. They can give you tips on how to live a healthy lifestyle.

Here are some quick tips for keeping up that all-important consistency with your daily supplement routine. First, keep your supplements visible to remind you to take them, storing them in a cool, dry place. Be sure to take your supplements at the same time every day, particularly with a regular meal like breakfast or dinner. This keeps your supplement timing consistent and helps you take them with water and a meal for better absorption. You can also set an alarm on your phone to remind you to take your supplements.

Supporting Your Health Through Every Stage of Aging

Aging is unavoidable, but it doesn't have to be intimidating. Supporting your body with healthy habits like good nutrition, regular exercise, hydration, and high-quality sleep can help support your aging journey.

Pay attention to the key nutrients highlighted above, including sources in your diet and supplementing with the above supplements if needed, as they all support essential functions that grow in importance as we age, such as bone and immune health and cellular energy production.^†

Discuss diet and supplementation with your primary care provider as an excellent start to support healthy aging, and explore high-quality, science-backed ingredients in supplements from brands you can trust, like Nature Made. Healthy aging isn't something that happens by magic; it's about taking small, consistent, intentional steps every day. By showing interest in educating yourself, you've already made a great start!^†

† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

References

1. National Institutes of Health. Vitamin A and Carotenoids. Nih.gov. Published 2023. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-HealthProfessional/
2. Cleveland clinic. A Close Look at All the B Vitamins. Cleveland Clinic. Published 2024. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/b-vitamin-benefits
3. Zhu H, Manson JE, Cook NR, et al. Vitamin D3 and Marine Omega-3 Fatty Acids Supplementation and Leukocyte Telomere Length: 4-Year Findings from the VITAL Randomized Controlled Trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Published online May 21, 2025. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2025.05.003
4. Reider, Carroll A et al. "Inadequacy of Immune Health Nutrients: Intakes in US Adults, the 2005-2016 NHANES." Nutrients vol. 12,6 1735. 10 Jun. 2020, doi:10.3390/nu12061735
5. National Institutes of Health. Vitamin K. National Institutes of Health. Published March 29, 2021. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitaminK-HealthProfessional/