India, March 7 -- Every morning, across India, a lot of people over 50 reach for a bottle of supplements, swallow a tablet or two, and believe they have done something meaningful for their health. In many cases, they have not. Then there is another cohort that eats well, sleeps adequately, stays active, and is convinced they don't need supplements at all. Both groups, in their own way, may be getting it wrong.

India is ageing fast. By 2030, one in five Indians will be over 50. Yet our supplement industry has not caught up with what science now tells us about how the ageing body absorbs and utilises nutrition.

After 50, the body's ability to absorb and use nutrients, from both food and supplements, changes in ways that are measurable and...