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Nutritional needs change as people reduce activity
By Rita Baum
We are what we eat. The words have a ring of truth, according to the nutrition experts. Research indicates that the foods we consume play a significant role in our overall health and well-being, and influence the ability to stave off some diseases.
In the United States, the incidence of nutrition-related diseases, especially prominent in the elderly, is due chiefly to inadequate intake of essential nutrients. Many of the diseases that develop in older people, such as osteoporosis, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, some cancers, gastrointestinal problems, mental confusion and obesity, can be influenced positively or negatively by nutritional habits.
Dietary needs change in older people due to reduced energy and activity levels, consumption of fewer calories and an aging body which may affect the ability to process and assimilate essential foods. Adequate hydration is a chronic problem for older people, as is decreased thirst sensation. Also, some medications affect the body's ability to regulate fluid balance.
Most adults would like to maintain a healthy diet, but conflicting advice and information that contain unclear terms can make the topic difficult to grasp. In the mid 1990s, the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) made public the Food Guide Pyramid that lists the essential foods needed from five food groups.
Nutrition Resources: Places to request further information on diet and nutrition.
Last year Tufts University School of Nutrition Science and Policy modified the USDA pyramid to produce the 70+ food pyramid that they believe more accurately represents the nutritional needs of older adults. The Tufts Food Pyramid is more slender because the number of servings in each group are fewer, and it adds a tier at the bottom, listing eight glasses of fluid daily.
Also added to the Tufts 70+ pyramid is a flag at the peak that illustrates the need for dietary supplements such as calcium and vitamins B-12 and D. The ability to absorb these nutrients declines with age. The B12 vitamins--found in whole grains, meat, fish, beans and green vegetables--are essential for mental clarity, energy and appetite, the normal functioning of the nervous system, the formation of red blood cells and antibodies, and protein metabolism. Strict vegetarians may be low in vitamin B-12.
Both the USDA and Tufts food pyramids list six or more servings daily in the grains group, which includes bread (whole wheat, rye and oats), fortified cereal, brown rice and pasta, all proven essential elements of good nutrition for all ages. "Whole" grains means the essential nutrients have not been stripped by bleaching, refining or other processes that make food more pleasing and palatable, such as white or some enriched wheat breads or white rice. Check labels for the words 100 percent whole grain or whole wheat.
Whole grains counter cholesterol, help maintain normal glucose levels, and are an excellent source of fiber. The B-gluten in whole oats reduces the risk of coronary disease.
Fresh, frozen or canned fruits and vegetables provide valuable vitamins, including vitamin A that is essential for healthy skin and vision. Foods rich in vitamin A include carrots, spinach (also a source for vitamin B), brussels sprouts, broccoli and tomatoes. Five servings daily are recommended from the fruits and vegetables group for those 70 and older--and more for younger people--yet only one in four Americans comes close to consuming this amount. Vegetables are loaded with important nutrients that protect against cancer, heart disease, diabetes and vision problems.
Nutrient-rich garlic increases immune function and provides strong anti-viral effects. Along with onions, garlic provides a complementary flavor enhancement when cooked with other vegetables, reducing the need for salt. Red grapes block the formation of coronary artery plaque. Along with other valuable properties, broccoli, spinach (Popeye ate his right out of the can) and other leafy greens provide us with calcium. Men who eat 10 servings per week of lycopene-rich tomatoes reduce their risk of prostate cancer by 66 percent.
Five daily servings are recommended from the protein-rich dairy, meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nut group. The amount of protein the body needs to maintain muscle mass does not decline with age. In fact the protein requirement may increase in older people. The meat/dairy food group packs a nutritional wallop, but choose lean and nonfat. In addition to protein, this group provides highly essential calcium, vitamins and nutrients that promote strong bones and teeth, help in the formation of red blood cells and the maintenance of healthy skin, nerves and digestive systems.
Calcium-rich foods keep bone structure dense and help protect against colon cancer and high blood pressure. Essential vitamins B-6, B-12 and folic acid are found in beans, nuts, fish, eggs and beef. Nuts and beans are an important part of this group, and canned beans contain nearly the same nutrients as dry without the long cooking time.
The Cornell University Food & Fitness Advisor suggests that every time you eat fish instead of meat, your are doing your heart a double favor. You are not only lowering your saturated fat intake, but you're also boosting intake of beneficial omega-3.
The body needs some fat to help it absorb vitamins A, D and E, and fat plays an essential role in cell building and keeping skin and hair healthy. But there are harmful fats and healthy fats, sometimes called fats that kill and fats that heal.
Saturated fats are bad fats that increase the risk of coronary heart disease by raising blood cholesterol and contributing to the formation of plaque in the arteries. Saturated or harmful fats are found in animal products, such as meat, cheese, whole milk, butter, and in coconut and palm oil and some margarine.
Check labels on all foods so that harmful fats can be kept to a minimum. Good or unsaturated fats and oils are labeled monounsaturated--olive and canola oil, and polyunsaturated--safflower, sunflower and corn oil (also found in fish and nuts).
Savvy nutrition watchers have adopted one of the two unsaturated margarines approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Benecol and Take Control. In a two-month study Benecol users had 11 percent lower total cholesterol and 14 percent lower LDL cholesterol levels than participants consuming regular margarine. Study participants consuming Take Control had similar benefits.
Studies show that people who eat one egg a day are no more likely to suffer from heart attack or stroke than those who rarely eat eggs, unless diabetes is a factor.
Sugar contains no nutrients and is harmful to teeth. It is generally combined with fat and white flour in desserts and breakfast rolls. A better breakfast choice would be hot or cold whole grain cereal topped with blueberries or other fruit, and nonfat milk.
Moderate consumption of salt works with potassium to maintain fluid balance. However, too much salt and too little potassium cause a fluid imbalance. Studies show a strong link between high sodium consumption and high blood pressure, calcium depletion, stomach cancer and kidney disease. Read labels and rinse salt from canned foods.
If we are lucky we will each take our turn at being old. Making a few changes to help us feed our bodies and minds wisely could help us enjoy a happy, healthy old age. And it's never too late to start.
Rita Baum has a master's degree in gerontology and has worked in the field of aging for 20 years.
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
