What are the best supplements for the elderly to live longer?

As age increases, the digestive capacity of elderly weakens, and the intake of various trace elements also gradually decreases. Although the content of trace elements in the human body is very low, they play an extremely important role in the life activities of the human body. It is of great significance for the elderly to properly supplement trace elements to fight aging, prevent and treat diseases.

Chromium is one of the essential trace elements for the metabolism of glucose sugar and lipids in the human body. It is a cofactor for the normal work of insulin in the body. In addition, chromium can repair and activate pancreatic islet cells, regulate blood sugar, lower blood lipids, prevent cardiovascular diseases, and enhance the body's immune function.

In 1988, the Chinese Nutrition Society listed chromium as an "essential trace element in daily diet". In 1989, the US FDA recommended a daily intake of chromium of 50-200 micrograms. Animal experiments have proven that the higher the concentration of chromium in the serum, the longer the animal's life span. Epidemiological surveys have found that long-lived elderly people have higher blood chromium levels.

As age increases, the blood chromium concentration in the human body will gradually decrease. After middle age, if blood chromium continues to decrease, it will easily lead to sugar and lipid metabolism disorders and arteriosclerosis. After entering old age, these pathological changes will be further strengthened, leading to the occurrence and aggravation of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and decreased immunity. Therefore, the elderly should pay attention to supplementing with chromium.

Food is rich in chromium. Eating more chromium-rich foods can fully meet the elderly’s needs for chromium. The elderly should eat more foods containing more chromium, such as whole grains, wheat, peanuts, mushrooms, peppers, liver, beef, eggs, brown sugar, dairy products, etc. In addition, tea, ginseng, Ganoderma lucidum, astragalus, turtle shell, Polygonum multiflorum, etc. are rich in chromium, and the elderly can also eat some.