WASHINGTON (March 31, 2026) - As America’s population ages, older adults are often managing multiple daily medications – what clinicians call polypharmacy. While many may be necessary, others may be treating symptoms rooted in nutrient deficiencies, inflammation, or gut health imbalances that can be addressed alongside careful, clinician-guided deprescribing.
Researchers at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences are calling for a practical shift in how clinicians approach aging: start with nutrition.
Mikhail Kogan, associate professor of medicine at the GW School of Medicine & Health Sciences, and Leigh Frame, associate professor of clinical research and leadership and executive director of the GW Office of Integrative Medicine and Health, are highlighting how targeted nutrition strategies can help improve strength, cognition, and resilience in older adults – and, in some cases, safely reduce unnecessary medications.
Their proposed four-pillar approach focuses on:
- Food-based strategies for mild, self-limiting conditions before adding prescriptions
- Correcting common nutrient gaps that affect function and resilience (like vitamin D, magnesium, choline, and creatine)
- Anti-inflammatory, whole-food dietary patterns, which are nutrient-dense and account for the food matrix and bioavailability
- Supporting gut health
- The gut microbiome can be disrupted by common medications
- Microbiome-centered strategies – including a diverse, plant-forward diet – support muscle, mood, cognition, and immune function, particularly in the context of polypharmacy
The framework is designed to be a practical guide for clinicians who care for older adults and may be looking for alternatives to prescribing numerous medications.
The goal isn’t to replace necessary medications, but to strengthen the physiological foundation that allows older adults to age with greater independence and fewer avoidable prescriptions.
The concept comes from a newly published review, “Successful Aging Through Integrative Nutrition: A Four-Pillar Framework for Deprescribing and Resilience.” The review, which was published in Aging Pathobiology and Therapeutics.
If you would like to speak to one of the researchers, please contact Kathy Fackelmann at kfackelmann
gwu [dot] edu (kfackelmann[at]gwu[dot]edu).