Elderly Nutrition

Good nutrition is vital for maintaining optimal health and vitality - especially as we age.

However for many older people, attaining the level of nutrition they need from their diet becomes difficult, due to many and varied factors. These include age-related decrease in digestive function, reduced taste sensation, poor appetite, dental problems, use of medications, reduced mobility and ability for self-care, and depleted social and economic resources.

It is estimated up to 30% of Australians aged over 60 may be suffering from some degree of malnutrition – higher amongst those hospitalised or in homes.¹

This can result in a lack of energy and vitality, and may eventually lead to other more serious complications such as anaemia or osteoporosis.

What can be done? 

Balanced Diet

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) developed the following dietary guidelines in 1999. The aim is to assist older Australians in making the right choices in regards to diet and lifestyle.²

The guidelines include:

• Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods
• Eat at least three meals per day
• Eat plenty of vegetables, fruit and legumes
• Eat plenty of cereals, breads and pasta
• Eat a diet low in saturated fat
• Drink adequate amounts of water and/or other fluids
• If you drink alcohol, limit your intake
• Choose foods low in salt and use salt sparingly. (High salt has been linked with high blood pressure.³)
• Include foods high in calcium
• Use added sugars in moderation

Take care in food storage and preparation – cold food should be kept at or below 5 degrees Celsius and hot food should be kept at above 60 degrees Celsius. For maximum retention of vitamins and minerals, try microwaving or steaming vegetables instead of boiling them.

The full guidelines and other information can be found at www.nutritionaustralia.org

Nutritional Supplements

While supplements should not replace a balanced diet, they can assist in meeting vitamin and mineral needs which may be lacking due to poor diet, illness, medication or other factors.

Some nutrients also become more important as we age, and supplements can provide peace of mind.

These include:

• Calcium
  Top of the list is calcium. It is needed to help maintain healthy bones and prevent the crippling disease of osteoporosis. Yet studies have found many older Australians have an inadequate intake of calcium in their daily diet.⁴
• Zinc
  Zinc is another nutrient often deficient in many elderly, possibly due to a lower intake of red meat.⁵ Zinc deficiency can cause impaired wound healing (such as leg ulcers) lowers the immune system and can affect the taste receptors causing a “lack of flavour” in food – leading to further lack of appetite and nutrition.
• B group Vitamins
  B Vitamins are essential for converting protein, fats and sugars into energy, and needed for some brain functions. More refined, simple foods tend to be eaten in later years, replacing ‘chewy’ harder-to-digest whole grains and legumes (the richest sources). B vitamins may therefore become deficient. Deficiency symptoms can include anxiety, glucose intolerance, impaired nerve function and cracking of the lips and skin problems such as eczema.⁶
• Antioxidants
  Antioxidants strengthen the body’s defence system by ‘scavenging’ free radicals which damage cells and accelerate the ageing process. Selenium is one mineral with particularly powerful antioxidant properties.
• Omega-3
  Eating fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines) regularly is a good way to obtain Omega 3 polyunsaturated fats which are important for optimal heart health, and the management of arthritis. However if elderly people cannot meet the recommended requirement of at least 3 fatty fish meals a week,6 fish oil supplements can be useful. Supplements have the added advantage of being virtually mercury-free, and are available in liquid form for those who cannot swallow capsules.