Dietary Science for the Elderly Part 1

Handbook of Elderly Health Education

As they age, the organ functions of the elderly may decline to varying degrees, and they may suffer from tooth loss, decreased digestion and absorption, increased calcium loss, degenerative lesions of joints and nervous system, etc., which weakens their physical activity and changes their demand for energy and nutrients. At the same time, many elderly people suffer from chronic diseases and take multiple medications for a long time, which can easily cause loss of appetite and aggravate nutritional imbalance.

Dietary recommendations for the elderly

Many elderly people have tooth defects, weakened digestive juice secretion and gastrointestinal motility, which can easily lead to decreased appetite and early satiety, resulting in insufficient food intake and nutrient deficiencies.

① Eat a variety of foods, prepare them carefully and eat small and frequent meals

The body's tolerance to water deprivation decreases in the elderly.

② Take the initiative to drink enough water

Drink 1500ml to 1700ml of water every day

Warm boiled water is preferred

③ Eat enough food and encourage eating together

Elderly people should eat at least 12 kinds of food every day

Breakfast should include 1-2 staple foods, 1 egg, 1 cup of milk, and vegetables or fruits.

Lunch and dinner should have at least 2 staple foods, 1-2 meat dishes, 1-2 vegetables, and 1 bean product

The elderly participate in family and social activities, eat or do activities with family or friends, and actively enjoy life happily.

Family members should pay more attention to the elderly, provide companionship and communication, pay attention to changes in diet and weight, and promptly detect and prevent the occurrence and development of diseases.

④ Delay muscle attenuation, actively participate in outdoor activities, and maintain a suitable weight

Skeletal muscle is an important part of the body. Delaying muscle atrophy is extremely important for maintaining the mobility and health of the elderly. An effective way to delay muscle atrophy is to combine eating and exercise.

On the one hand, increase the intake of foods rich in high-quality protein such as lean meat, marine fish, beans, etc.

The other side is to do aerobic exercise and appropriate resistance exercise

Outdoor activities can also better expose you to ultraviolet light, which is beneficial to the synthesis of vitamin D in the body and delays the development of osteoporosis.

The weight of the elderly should be maintained at a normal and stable level, and they should not be too demanding to lose weight. Being too high or too low in weight will affect their health. From the perspective of reducing the risk of malnutrition and death, the body mass index (BMI) of the elderly over 70 years old should not be less than 20kg/m2. When blood lipids and other indicators are normal, the upper limit of the body mass index (BMI) can be slightly relaxed to 26kg/m2.