Following a healthy diet and meeting nutrition needs is important for everyone, but as people age, their nutritional needs change.
While they need less of some things, such as calories, they need more of other things. Understanding these revised requirements will help seniors and anyone helping to take care of them provide the optimal diet for longer life.
Although diet can’t cure all ills, it can help minimize the risk of developing many of the health problems common among older individuals.
Water and Other Fluids
One problem common among older adults is dehydration. Staff members from Brandywine Senior Living and other assisted living facilities need to be particularly careful to watch for this problem. It often goes unnoticed, and the symptoms of dehydration can easily be confused with those from other health issues. Part of the reason for this problem is that as people age, their sense of thirst doesn’t work as well. It helps to keep a glass of water handy to sip from throughout the day because not all people can drink an entire glass at once comfortably.
Many people don’t realize that people need more protein as they age. Additional protein in the diet helps limit muscle loss, especially when paired with strength training exercises. Aim for 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. The only exception is for people with kidney issues.
Calcium, Vitamin D, Potassium, and Magnesium
Older adults are at a greater risk for osteoporosis, and these four nutrients are all important for strong bones. Vitamin D and magnesium help keep the immune system functioning well, and potassium helps minimize blood pressure levels. As people age, they don’t absorb as much magnesium, so they need to include more in their diet.
You can develop anemia if you don’t consume enough iron. Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies. Symptoms include being lethargic and tired. Vegetarians may be particularly in need of a little extra iron, as the iron found in plant foods isn’t as easily absorbed as that from animal foods.
If your digestive system isn’t working as well as it used to, this is a common occurrence in older people. Increasing fiber intake can help minimize this issue and get things moving on a more regular basis. Higher fiber intake also helps limit the risk of heart disease. Just remember that, when you increase your fiber intake, you also need to increase your water consumption.
These fats, commonly found in fatty fish like salmon, provide a number of health benefits, including a potential decrease in the risk of heart disease, age-related macular degeneration, and perhaps even Alzheimer’s disease.
As people get older, they have a harder time absorbing vitamin B-12 from food, meaning they often need to get more of it from fortified foods or take a supplement to meet their needs. You need this vitamin for healthy brain function and for creating red blood cells.
As you can see, there are a variety of nutrients that older adults need to pay a bit more attention to when planning their diets. The fact that many older people eat less and have less appetite makes it even more important that they choose nutritious foods high in these nutrients. Senior living communities also need to keep these nutrients in mind when planning meals for those under their care.