Seniors have special concerns and special needs. As we age, our bodies change. We don't have the same ability to repair tissue damage and build bones as we did in our youth. Appetite and the sense of taste often diminish, resulting in less than optimum nutrition. Disorders such as osteoporosis, memory loss, and cataracts, although not inevitable, become more likely.

Many disorders that we didn't consider in our youth concern us more as we age. These include bowel regularity, adequate digestion, malnutrition, arthritis, bone fragility, heart disease, hypertension, macular degeneration, and memory loss.

Also as we age, we often eat less. This means we get fewer of the nutrients we need. Nutritional deficiencies often seen in seniors include deficiencies in the minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, chromium, iron, copper, and selenium, and in the vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C, D, and folic acid. Dehydration is also often a problem. Seniors also have the same bad diet as most of us. Other factors include insufficient digestive enzymes, lack of fiber, lack of exercise, social isolation, and lack of mental stimulation.