A myriad of specific elderly nutrition problems tend to increase as we age — and proper nutrition is often more challenging to get. Nutrition (or lack of it) in our older loved ones is often hidden. And it may be difficult to discover exactly what is going on. Older adults face a lot of nutritional problems; some of them are even because of oral issues. For that, you can have a look at our top oral hygiene tips for seniors.
Plenty of healthy snack food (including protein) is very important, plus be sure that the elderly get at least one good protein meal a day.
Certainly, taking vitamins and supplements can help. And a balanced diet plan is a must. Nutritious recipes for cooking can help. We know all these things, at least in the back of our minds. But the consequences of not getting enough high nutrition foods are very serious.
Just imagine consuming a shake with a bulk of nutrients and minerals by skipping your meals; doesn’t it sound amazing? Of course, it does. That is why Ensure Plus Nutrition Shake will serve you as your whole meal plan. There’s no need to worry about your nutrient needs. Available in everyone’s favorite flavor – strawberry, it will be loved by every senior.
The ingredients include water, corn syrup, corn maltodextrin, sodium, and calcium that are enough to meet your body’s needs and keep your energy levels high.
Consequences
Proper elderly nutrition and eating habits are crucial to maintain quality of life: control blood sugar levels to avoid diabetes, maintain good vision, a positive mood, good sleep, better eyesight, energy, bone and muscle strength, digestion, good elimination, etc. These are severely affected by poor diet, causing sometimes serious elderly nutrition problems.
Turmeric and ginger play the leading role in boosting your immune system, but how can you consume it? Turmeric Curcumin with Bio Perine and Ginger is an excellent choice to opt for. It contains black pepper for better absorption of nutrients in your body. Containing the most beneficial herbs in the form of turmeric and curcumin, it is considered the richest powerhouse of nutrients.
Furthermore, it contains a balanced amount of immune boosters, ginger, and black pepper, which are responsible for the bioavailability of various herbs and spices. This extract proves to be a 2000x better option for nutrient consumption.
Startling Studies and Statistics
Some of the studies we came upon floored me. Elderly nutrition problems are, and have been, an important concern for health officials — the Centers for Disease Control estimate that by 2030 the U.S. population will double, to about 71 million older adults. That is about one in every five people.
In 2000, the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion did a study with a group of elderly, their nutrition, and elderly nutrition problems. The study’s average age was 72.3 years old, with 48% men and 52% women.
They concluded that the elderly who did not eat sufficient amounts of quality food (i.e., meat, fish, and vegetables) took in, of course, fewer calories, good carbs, good fats, and protein. Key vitamins and minerals (such as the B’s, iron, and zinc) that are crucial to brain and immune system function were also lacking. They thus were more greatly susceptible to infection, as well as cognitive disorders and chronic illness.
The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) studies also say that of Americans over age 65, malnutrition and obesity are common. This can be partly due to having cheap, nutrition-less food because of budget concerns. In fact, the studies indicate that if the elderly receive what is known as “nutritional intervention,” many diseases could be prevented.
Intervention studies indicate that malnutrition is a major reason for hospitalization for the elderly — one of the more severe elderly nutrition problems. As we age, we have the same Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) as when we were young, with Vitamins D, B6, and calcium as exceptions.
Yet, the elderly don’t need as many calories. So with fewer calories, often, these needed nutrients are not obtained. Women need even fewer calories, so they can have even a more difficult time.
It is evident that highly nutritious foods with lower calories are vital, and a wide variety of foods in moderate portions. But many elderly enjoy comfort food and snacking — often, their choices are not healthy.
So healthy snacks are a very important means of getting those nutrient-dense foods.
Consuming fruits in the form of snacks sounds good. However, most of us don’t get enough time to eat fruits regularly. For them, Welch’s fruit snacks is the best option to go with. It contains 100% vitamin C and about 25% vitamin A and E.
Its gluten-free and fat-free properties make it one of the best items for daily consumption. You can also give this snack to your children at lunch, sports games, and other activities for boosting their energy.
Food Stamps can assist the elderly in obtaining healthy groceries, yet according to the U.S. government, very few participate because of lack of information about the program, and as importantly, about nutritional needs. They do not perceive that there is an elderly nutrition problem. Many elderly also perceive a negative stigma attached to Food Stamps.
There are other elderly nutrition problems, however. They’re serious; sometimes subtle elderly dietary problems are from changes in eating patterns. And we need to get to the root of it, as they pose a real health threat.
Nutritional and Dietary issues can also be due to medical issues. Like the elderly with dementia and Alzheimer’s can’t take care of their nutritional health as well as a healthy person. To tackle this problem, check out our article on the most effective ways to prevent dementia and other such conditions.
There Are Many Reasons for Poor Eating
Like the inability to grocery shop, poor digestion, chewing difficulties, difficulties with dentures, poor appetite, loved ones may pick at food, or even forget to eat. Or they might like what they like, and it’s not necessarily all good.
There are also specialty concerns, such as diabetes. And if your loved one has any serious vision loss, there is a specially recommended nutrition for eyes you should know about. It’s particularly for vision and macular degeneration nutrition. Macular degeneration is extremely common. So a particularly interested in anything that can help prevent or help this. An eye doctor can tell you about this particular nutrition for eyes if you are concerned.
If you need more tips and recommendations, you may read our Guide to Selecting Adaptive Dinnerware for Those Who Have Trouble Eating.
Solutions
No doubt, a number of preventative measures can assist in elderly heath besides good nutrition.
Also important is regular exercise (which aids in all body functions, including digestion), quitting tobacco products, and getting regular preventative medical check-ups, including dementia screening (dementia greatly impacts eating and nutrition), and depression. Other issues can occur with elderly nutrition food safety as well, and we discuss more solutions on that page.
An interesting consideration, Goat milk products have special properties that can help provide proper nutrition for the elderly.
The Centers for Disease Control state that although there is, of course, a higher possibility of poor health as we age, it is not an inevitable consequence!