Aging and nutrition

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Aging and nutrition - part 1

What is aging and nutrition?

Recent research suggests that nutrition may be a key factor in preventing or forestalling many adverse effects of aging. By the same token, some geriatricians (doctors who specialize in treating patients over age 65) estimate that one-third to one-half of the health problems in the elderly are related to nutrition.

While much remains to be learned about precisely how various vitamins and minerals work in the body, increased understanding of the aging process supports the theory that some nutrients possess antiaging properties. Some bolster the body's immune system. Others are antioxidants, which counter the harmful effects of free radicals, the unstable molecules that are given off when the body burns oxygen.

Some disorders of the aged are directly linked to nutrition. Inadequate dietary calcium, for example, can lead to osteoporosis, the bone loss that is common in older women. Excessive dietary sodium can exacerbate high blood pressure and congestive heart failure.

Simply eating may become a chore. Missing teeth impair chewing ability, a problem dentures don't always correct. Secretion of saliva slows with age, and the sense of taste diminishes — problems that can be compounded by many of the medications older people commonly take.

Nutritional problems arise not only from the physical changes of aging, but also from social isolation and other circumstances common among the elderly. Older people who live alone tend to eat processed convenience foods rather than nutritious meals. Those on small, fixed incomes may simply be too poor to eat well without careful planning. Loneliness often breeds depression, leading to further appetite loss.

Why is aging and nutrition important?

As noted, many chronic or degenerative disorders associated with aging are due to cellular damage caused by free radicals. Researchers, for example, theorize that free radicals are responsible for the cell mutations that lead to cancer. Others think free radicals are instrumental in causing arthritis, heart disease, cataracts, and other chronic disorders.

Although it has not been proved that antioxidant nutrients — principally beta carotene, vitamins A, C, and E, and selenium — actually prevent

Meals with friends or in a group setting make eating more pleasurable, and can improve nutrition.

disease or stave off aging, there is mounting evidence that they can be beneficial. Studies have found that people who take vitamin E supplements have a reduced risk of heart attacks. Numerous other studies suggest that people who eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables — foods high in beta carotene and vitamins A and C — have fewer cancers than those who shun such foods.

Many foods provide other beneficial chemicals. For example, broccoli, cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables contain large amounts of sulforaphane, a chemical that is believed to be one of nature's most powerful anticancer compounds.

How much nutrition do the aging need?

The same general rules of good nutrition apply to all ages: Eat a variety of foods from each of the five food groups, and avoid excesses of any single food.

Unfortunately, many older people have disorders that restrict certain nutrients. People who have kidney disease, for example, may need to restrict protein.

The task of balancing the body's nutritional requirements against its energy needs is further complicated by the fact that, with age, the body's ratio of muscle to fat naturally diminishes, as fat replaces muscle. This body change results in a lower calorie requirement. On the other hand, an older person may need more calcium, almost as much iron, and as many vitamins as previously. Packing the same amount of nutrients into a lower-calorie diet is a major nutritional challenge for the elderly. Older people need to pay particular attention to certain nutrients, including:

Antioxidant vitamins and minerals. Citrus fruits, leafy greens, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, and other yellow or orange fruits and

WARNING!

Older people are often the victims of nutrition quacks who promise that expensive and often dangerous vitamin supplements can cure a host of ills and even halt the process of aging. All vitamins are toxic at high doses; toxicity can occur at even moderately high doses in older people whose systems are already weakened by chronic illness. Furthermore, unnecessary vitamin supplements, including many found in health-food stores, can interfere with absorption of medications. Before taking any nutritional supplement, check with a doctor or dietitian.

vegetables are rich in vitamins C and beta carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A. Meat and seafood are high in selenium; vitamin E is found in vegetable oils, meats, nuts, and leafy greens.

Advice about nutrition for the aging.

These measures help make eating more enjoyable:

Eat at regular times during the day. Set the table, even it it's just for yourself, and use a plate rather than eating from a cooking or serving dish.
Try to get some regular exercise, which will stimulate your appetite. Walking is a good choice.
Consider joining a senior citizen's center or other organization that offers an opportunity to eat with other people. This saves the bother of preparing food, and the company can make the meal more pleasurable.
Organize regular potluck meals with friends and neighbors.
Cook large batches of soups, casseroles, and similar dishes and freeze individual portions.
Prepare ground meat, fish, cottage cheese, well-cooked beans, and pureed soups if you have trouble chewing.
A small glass of wine with your meal aids digestion and makes eating more pleasurable. But don't substitute alcohol for food, and don't drink without a doctor's approval if you are taking any kind of medication.

This article was last reviewed December 2, 2005 by Dr. James Krider.
Reproduced in part with permission of Home Health Handbook.

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