A well balanced diet with adequate nutrition levels is of vital importance in Old age so as to prevent the common problem of Aging.
Many factors like poor income, decreased mobility, social isolation and depression are known to affect the health and well being of the elderly.
Diabetes,Obesity, cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis have been identified as the most important and commonly prevalent nutrition related health problems in Old Age.
Diet Pattern:
Since good nutrition is of immense significance during old age, care should be taken that the diets of elderly are nutritionally adequate and well balanced.
It would be quite difficult to manage the nutrition levels of an elderly and toddlers.
The energy needs are reduced with the aging advancements, and as a result the total intake of food is lowered while the other nutrients requirement remains same. Therefore, it is most important to provide adequate amounts of all the nutrients within the decreased energy levels.
Few factors to be kept in mind while planning balanced meals for the elderly:
In order to meet the vitamin and mineral needs, fresh fruits and green leafy vegetables should be included in the diet. Since the digestion levels are low in age advancements, milk and milk products have to be consumed in leberal amounta while the intake of energy rich foods like sweets, fried or high fat foods, cereals and starches needs to be reduced
High intakes of iron or iron syrups may lead to constipation.
Generally, there is a gradual demineralization of bones associated with aging, so inorder to avoid that, an adequate intake of calcium should be ensured to compensate for its losses
Intake of simple sugars should be reduced as these provide only empty calories.
Sunlight is the best source of vitamin D for body.So,in case of elderly individuals confined to bed, suppliments of this vitamin need to be provided.
Food rich in fats, especially saturated fats, should be avoided and instead oils containing high levels of poly unsaturated fatty acids such as sunflower oils, soyabean oil etc. should be used to prevent and control the condition of hypertension and other cardio-vascular diseases.
Adequate amount of food rich in dietary fibre should be included in the diet as Dietary fibre benefits in various various conditions associated with aging such as constipation, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
With the advancement of age, the capacity to digest and tolerate large meals often decreases. Therefore, the quantity of food given at a time needs to be decreased. If required number of meals can be increased as per the individual's tolerance
Due to the loss of teeth particularly if dentures are not used, modifications in consistency needs to be done. The diet should be soft, well cooked and should include foods that need little or no mastication such as milk and milk products, soft cooked eggs, tender meats, gruels, soft cooked vegetables, grated salads, fruit juices, soft fruits like banana or stewed fruits.
The food should be attractive and tasty and should be served in pleasant surroundings so as to arouse their appetite and interest in the food.
Apart from the diet, the elderly are advised to continue with their physical activity and light exercises to keep fit and prevent the occurrence of diseases like arthritis, gout and obesity. Regular or periodic health checkups and weight monitoring also helps in physical fitness and early detection of complications, if any
