Nutrition For Seniors: Ensuring The Elderly Eat Well And Enough For Longevity

Core Recommendations for Elderly Dietary Guidelines

I. Core Recommendations for General Elderly (65-79 years old) Dietary Guidelines:

  • Diverse food varieties, ample animal-based foods, and frequent consumption of soybean products.
  • Encourage communal meals, maintain good appetite, and enjoy the deliciousness of food.
  • Engage in regular outdoor activities to delay muscle decline and maintain a suitable weight.
  • Regular health check-ups, nutritional assessments, and prevention of nutritional deficiencies.

II. Core Recommendations for Elderly (80 years and older) Dietary Guidelines:

  • Diverse food choices and encouragement of various ways of eating.
  • Select soft-textured foods with high energy and nutrient density.
  • Eat more fish, poultry, meat, eggs, milk, and beans; balance with moderate amounts of vegetables and fruits.
  • Monitor weight loss, conduct regular nutritional screenings, and prevent malnutrition.
  • Timely and appropriate nutritional supplements to improve quality of life.
  • Persist in fitness and cognitive activities to promote physical and mental health.

Misconception 1: “Eating vegetarian is healthier and leads to longevity”

There has been a widespread belief that “eating vegetarian is healthier” and “eating vegetarian leads to longevity.” Is this belief correct? The new guidelines for elderly people aged 65-79 recommend “diverse food varieties, ample animal-based foods, and frequent consumption of soybean products,” and for those aged 80 and older, “eat more fish, poultry, meat, eggs, milk, and beans, with moderate vegetables and fruits.” In other words, the belief that “eating vegetarian is healthier and leads to longevity” lacks scientific basis.

“As activity levels decrease, the energy needs of the elderly are reduced, but the need for most nutrients does not decrease. For some important nutrients, such as protein, calcium, minerals, and vitamins, the demand actually increases,” said Zhang Jian, a researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Nutrition and Health Institute. As age increases, the elderly’s digestive and absorption functions decline, and their tastes become more rigid, making it easy to have a limited food variety. Therefore, it is important to enhance the elderly’s understanding of the importance of food variety.

How can one achieve a diverse food variety? The new guidelines clearly recommend that the elderly try to consume 12 types of food daily and 25 types weekly, with attention to balancing coarse and fine grains, meat and vegetables, dairy and eggs, and vegetables and fruits.

“Based on the balanced diet for general adults, the elderly should be provided with a more diverse range of foods, especially animal-based foods and soybean products that are easy to digest and absorb and rich in protein,” Zhang Jian said. For the elderly diet, efforts should be made to have vegetables at every meal, preferably different types, especially dark-colored vegetables such as bok choy, spinach, and purple cabbage; choose various kinds of fruits, with smaller quantities of each type; animal-based foods like meat, poultry, fish, and shrimp should be alternated; and different types of dairy and bean foods should be consumed.

Why ensure sufficient intake of animal-based foods and soybean products? Zhang Jian explained that these foods provide high-quality protein, rich vitamins, and trace elements such as calcium, iron, and zinc, and have high digestibility and absorption rates.

Some elderly with “three highs” (high blood pressure, high blood lipids, high blood sugar) worry that eating animal-based foods will affect their blood lipids, so they avoid or eat less meat. Sun Jianqin pointed out that eating an entirely vegetarian diet can easily lead to nutritional deficiencies, such as insufficient protein intake, leading to low protein blood levels, anemia, osteoporosis, and decreased immunity.

The new guidelines recommend that the elderly consume 40-50 grams each of fish, meat, and poultry daily, 15 grams of soybean products, and drink 300-400 milliliters of milk or equivalent dairy products daily.

Moreover, considering the decline in chewing and swallowing abilities, physical weakness, and reduced digestive and absorption functions in elderly people over 80, the new guidelines suggest selecting soft-textured, high-energy, and nutrient-dense foods. Sun Jianqin said the diet for elderly people over 80 should focus on soft foods, such as boneless fish, minced or meatballs, and tofu or soy milk.

Misconception 2: “It’s priceless to be thin in old age”

The saying “It’s priceless to be thin in old age” is widely accepted by many elderly people who believe that being thin means being healthy. Zhang Jian explained that while being overweight is unhealthy, being too thin can also significantly harm the elderly’s health.

The new guidelines specify that the elderly should maintain an appropriate weight, with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 20.0-26.9. In old age, whether overweight or underweight, extreme measures should not be taken to change weight significantly in a short period. Instead, the possible causes should be analyzed, and moderate adjustments in diet and physical activity should be made to gradually bring weight within the normal range.

“Elderly people over 80 need to pay more attention to weight changes, as weight loss is an important signal of malnutrition and health deterioration,” Sun Jianqin warned. Due to severely declining physiological functions and reduced digestive and absorption capabilities, the elderly have high rates of malnutrition, anemia, muscle decline, osteoporosis, and frailty. They need more refined nutritional support and medical nutritional supplements, with special medical food and nutritional supplements being important nutritional sources.

Nursing homes, hospitals, and communities should strengthen nutritional screening and guidance for the elderly and, if necessary, provide appropriate nutritional supplements under the guidance of doctors and clinical nutritionists.

Based on reasonable nutrition, the new guidelines suggest that the elderly actively participate in outdoor activities according to their health status to delay muscle decline, which is also important for maintaining an appropriate weight.

Zhang Jian explained that outdoor activities in sunlight help synthesize vitamin D, enhance bone density, improve spinal and joint flexibility, and reduce muscle decline. He advised the elderly to exercise within their limits, choose various physical activities, and ensure the whole body gets a workout; activities like walking, brisk walking, and Tai Chi are recommended to avoid excessive exercise that might cause injury or falls; and reduce sedentary behaviors like watching TV or playing on mobile phones, as prolonged sitting can lead to muscle strain and exacerbate back pain, decreased cardiopulmonary function, dizziness, etc.

Misconception 3: Eating is only to satisfy physiological needs

Many people believe eating is just to satisfy physiological needs, and there is no difference between eating alone or with others. This is not true. Eating is a social behavior, hence the saying “food tastes better with company.” The new guidelines emphasize “encouraging communal meals, maintaining good appetite, and enjoying delicious food.”

“Declining bodily functions, reduced taste, smell, and vision abilities can all affect the elderly’s appetite,” Zhang Jian explained. Appetite decline in the elderly has multiple causes, including medication and emotional factors, such as loneliness and depression in some elderly living alone, which can also lead to decreased appetite.

Therefore, specific issues need specific analysis, and elderly people should be encouraged to participate in group activities. Preparing and sharing food with others can enhance mood and stimulate appetite.

For general elderly people, the new guidelines suggest family and friends encourage the elderly to choose, prepare, taste, and comment on food together, making them feel the care and support from loved ones and maintain a good mental state.

Governments, elderly service institutions, and related social organizations can encourage and organize elderly people to participate in preparing and eating meals together when building elder-friendly dining halls and elderly dining tables, creating a good dining atmosphere.

“Empty-nesters and elderly living alone especially need a communal dining environment. Efforts should be made to create collective dining opportunities for them, helping them engage in social interactions,” Sun Jianqin said.

High-aged elderly living at home should be encouraged to dine with family, and they can also participate in some food preparation as much as possible to increase appetite and food intake. For elderly people who cannot care for themselves, more dining assistance is needed, with careful observation of their eating conditions to ensure safe eating.

It is worth noting that the new guidelines remind the elderly to have regular health check-ups, assess nutritional status, and prevent nutritional deficiencies according to their condition. For elderly people over 80, frequent weight monitoring is recommended to watch for weight loss. Zhang Jian believes this can help identify nutritional problems and health risks early, allowing targeted improvements to delay disease onset and progression.

Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “