India’s supplement market has grown drastically in the last few years, and people over 50 are driving much of that growth. Greater health awareness post-Covid, more frequent blood testing revealing deficiencies,
and a genuine desire to stay active in the decades ahead are all contributing. This is a positive shift.
Dr Radhika Vishveshwar, Medical Advisor, Meru Life, says, “During our conversations with people from this age group, we’ve see a pattern that needs attention. Many choose supplements based on a friend’s recommendation, an advertisement, or simply the bottle with the highest milligram count. The intention is right, but he process needs work.”
The most common gap is supplementing without testing. People hear that vitamin D or calcium is important, pick up a bottle, and take it for months without ever checking their actual levels. And a higher milligram count does not mean a better outcome – particularly after 50, when the body’s ability to absorb nutrients changes. What matters is not what is on the label, but what your body can actually use.
What Clinicians Wish More People Understood About Supplements
The enthusiasm for supplements is a welcome change, but it needs to be matched with understanding. Dr Radhika says, “In my practice, I regularly see issues that better awareness could prevent.” Take Vitamin D, the most widely consumed supplement in India today. The ICMR recommends 600 IU per day for adults over 50. Yet what many people actually take is a single 60,000 IU tablet once a month – often continuing for months without retesting their levels. These high-dose tablets are meant for short-term, higher levels deficiency correction under medical supervision, not as a long-term routine. Vitamin D is fat-soluble, meaning excess is stored in the body, not flushed out.
Over time, this can lead to calcium buildup in the blood, kidney stress, and other complications. A consistent daily dose, well absorbed, is far safer and more effective than an occasional megadose.
The same principle applies to nutrient imbalance. When someone supplements with calcium without adequate vitamin D, the calcium is poorly absorbed and can accumulate where it should not, such as in arteries and soft tissue. When someone takes high-dose iron without a confirmed deficiency, it can trigger oxidative stress. Nutrients work as a system. Taking one in excess while ignoring others creates imbalance, not health.
There is also the assumption that all supplements are the same. After 50, gastric acidity drops, gut motility slows, and the liver becomes less efficient at activating nutrients. The form and delivery of a supplement – how it crosses the gut barrier and reaches the bloodstream – matters as much as the ingredient itself.
Mihir Karkare, Co-founder & CEO, Meru Activs, says, “None of this means supplements are unnecessary. For most adults over 50, they are genuinely important. The point is that supplementation should be informed, targeted, and reviewed periodically.”
The supplement market is only going to grow. For India’s 200 million people over 50, that is a good thing, provided the choices are informed and personalised. The goal is not to take more supplements. It is to take the right ones, in the right way, for the right reasons.
How to Build a Supplement Routine That Actually Works
If you are over 50 and taking, or considering taking, supplements, here is a simple framework:
- Start with a blood test: Vitamin D, B12, calcium, liver enzymes, lipid profiles, iron, etc. – let the data guide your choices, not hearsay.
- Supplement for what your body needs, not for a trend: What your neighbour needs may not be what you need. Your routine should be personal.
- Check the form and absorption: Especially after 50, how a nutrient is delivered to your body matters as much as which nutrient it is.
- Review your routine bi-annually: Your body’s needs change. What was right two years ago may not be right today.
- Work with a healthcare professional. A good doctor or nutritionist can help you avoid both deficiency and excess, and that balance is the real goal.
