Does Aging Affect Our Nutritional Needs?
Hey Everyone,
We all know that aging is linked to a variety of changes, like growing wiser and hopefully showing more patience, but there are also other changes that happen to the body, including muscle loss, thinner skin, nutrient deficiencies, (and in some folks) decreased quality of life and poor health outcomes...
Aging bodies can also struggle to recognize hunger and thirst, which leads to dehydration and unintentional weight loss. And the consequences of that can especially affect seniors detrimentally more than their younger counterparts.
So it's no shocker that eating healthy, nutrient-rich, whole foods is crucial as we continue on into elderhood.
Hear Me Out...
My specialty isn't nutrition, but I've done alot of research for this blog, and I'll explain how our nutritional requirements change with age, and throw in some tips to address those changing needs.
Needing Fewer Calories, but More Nutrients
Our daily caloric intake is determined by a number of factors like height, weight, muscle mass, and activity level. Since some older adults move and exercise less and carry less muscle mass, they may not need as many daily calories as they once did back in the day, aka their younger years.
In fact, if older folks ate as they did when they were younger, they'd easily gain extra fat, especially around the belly area.
According to the National Institute of Health, this is especially true in postmenopausal women, as the decline in estrogen levels seen during this time may promote belly fat storage.
The irony is, even though older adults need fewer calories, they need just as high or even higher levels of some nutrients, compared to younger people.
So, for older folks, it's imperative to eat as I mentioned above, a variety of whole foods like fruits, veggies, fish, and lean meats. This can help ward off nutrient deficiencies, without widening the waistline. 👍
Nutrients that become especially important as you age include:
- protein
- vitamin D and calcium
- vitamin B12
- fiber
Protein
In case you didn't know, as we age, it's common to lose muscle and strength.
In fact, Douglas Paddon-Jones Ph.D. at the University of Texas' PT. Dept. says the average adult loses 3–8% of their muscle mass each decade after age 30.
This loss of muscle mass and strength is known as sarcopenia and it's a major cause of weakness, fractures and poor health among seniors and the elderly. Eating more protein could help our aging bodies maintain muscle and fight sarcopenia.
Furthermore, combining a protein-rich diet with resistance exercise seems to be the most effective way to fight sarcopenia.
Calcium and Vitamin D
Calcium and vitamin D are two of the most important nutrients for bone health. Calcium helps build and maintain healthy bones, while vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. Older adults tend to absorb less calcium from their diets, and simply aging can make the body less efficient at producing calcium.
As a result, a significant enough deficiency in both calcium and vitamin D could invite muscle loss, potentially leading to increased risk of fractures.
Solution: consider adding foods that contain calcium (with your Physician's approval), like dairy products and dark green, leafy vegetables. Vitamin D is found in fish, such as salmon and herring. Cod liver oil is a vitamin D supplement, however, consult with your doctor or dietician before taking any new supplements. They could interfere with medications.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin. It's important in making red blood cells and maintaining healthy brain function. Studies estimate that 10–30% of people over age 50 have a reduced ability to absorb vitamin B12 from their diet, which could cause a vitamin B12 deficiency over time.
For those who are vegan or vegetarian, their diets have less sources of vitamin B12, since VitB12 is more abundant in animal foods such as eggs, fish, meat and dairy. Therefore, it could be helpful to add a vitamin B12 supplement or consuming foods fortified with vitamin B12.
More Fiber
Constipation is a common health problem in people 65+ and among the elderly. And it’s 2-3x more common in women. Imagine that...😐 According to some sources, this is due to certain medications that cause constipation as a side effect and that individuals on these meds, usually 65+, tend to move less.
Eating fiber may help relieve constipation and promote regular bowel movements.
Additionally, a high-fiber diet may prevent diverticular disease, a condition affecting nearly 50% of folks 50+, in which small pouches form along the colon wall and become infected or inflamed.
This condition is especially common among the elderly.
**Always consult with your physician before adjusting your diet.
Here are a few ways to up your fiber intake:
- Eat whole fruits and veggies like pears, berries, oranges, spinach, carrots, and Brussel sprouts.
- Choose whole grains over refined ones. Brown rice, quinoa, whole grain pasta etc.
- Add in legumes like beans, lentil, and chickpeas to your soups, salads, stews, and casseroles. You can even blend them into dips like hummus.
- Snack on nuts and seeds if your body allows. Sprinkle them on top of yogurt, salads, even oatmeal!
- Include high-fiber snacks like popcorn (without all the added butter/salt), whole grain crackers with hummus and raw veggies with guacamole.
- Start the day with a fiber-rich breakfast like whole grain cereal or oatmeal topped with fresh fruit, nuts, or seeds. I personally like to blend my seeds into my smoothies.
- Drink plenty of water! Fiber absorbs water and water helps move fiber through our digestive system.
🍑🍑🍐🍅
Other Helpful Nutrients
Several other nutrients may helpful, including:
- Potassium: lowers risk of high blood pressure, kidney stones, osteoporosis and heart disease.
- Omega-3 fatty acids: studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids can lower high blood pressure and triglycerides
- Magnesium: elderly people are at risk of deficiency because of poor intake, medication use and age-related changes in gut function
- Iron: deficiency may cause anemia, a condition where the blood doesn't supply enough oxygen to the body
Most of these nutrients can be found in a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fish and lean meats.
However, people who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet could benefit from taking an iron or omega-3 supplement.
More Prone to Dehydration
Since our bodies are about 60% water and is constantly losing water (mainly through sweat and urine), it's important for all of us to stay on top of our water intake. Simply aging can cause thirst receptors in the brain to become less adept to detecting thirst, thus making it easier to fall prey to dehydration.
And unfortunately, dehydration comes with harsh consequences for older people. Long-term dehydration can reduce the fluid in the cells, lowering older individuals' ability to absorb medicine.
Still, all of us should make conscious efforts to drink enough water every single day.
Decreased Appetite
Another concern is decreased appetite, and I've seen this all too often. And for older people this can easily become a serious issue as it will lead to (like I mentioned previously) unintended weight loss and nutritional deficiencies, and is linked to poor health and a higher risk of death.💀💀
Aging can also affect our sense of smell and taste, making foods seem less appealing. Studies have found that older people tend to have lower levels of hunger hormones and higher levels of fullness hormones, which means they could get hungry less often and feel fuller more quickly.
Also, tooth loss, loneliness, underlying illnesses, and medications can also contribute to decreased appetite.
Solution: try dividing meals into smaller ones, eating every few hours. Or try snacks like almonds, yogurt and boiled eggs, which provide lots of nutrients and a good number of calories. Continue regular visits to the dentist and have correct fitting dentures.
Be Conscientious
Because aging isn't for sissies, right?
And it isn't a one-sized fits all process.
So, should we alter our food to complement our advancing age?
Yes, yes we should. And it's important to be aware of and to understand our body's individual needs. And that if they are left unattended to, we will likely have vitamin deficiencies, be unable to detect dehydration and hunger, experience unintended weight loss, have increased risk for fractures and consequently, worsening health outcomes.
One silver lining to consider is that preventative measures aren't nearly as daunting to implement as reversing negative outcomes that have already come to pass.
EM
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