Did you know poor nutrition in seniors is often mistaken as a disease?
Eating well is important at any age, but even more necessary for seniors because nutritional needs change. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, many seniors are not eating as well as they should, which can lead to poor nutrition or malnutrition, easily being mistaken as a disease or illness.
Our bodies change a lot as we age
There are many reasons our bodies change as we get older, including perceptual, physiological and general age-related conditions — such as dental or gastrointestinal conditions. These changes all influence the performance of our body as a whole, which in turn, influences our eating, nutritional intake, and overall health.
Malnutrition can easily lead to vitamin deficiencies
Malnutrition is due to undernutrition, nutrient deficiencies or imbalances.
Common nutrient deficiencies of dietary origin include inadequate intake of vitamin A, B, C, D, E, folic acid and niacin.
Malnutrition may also be the result of some socioeconomic risk factors, such as financial concerns, lack of interest in eating alone, loss of a family member leading to losing appetite, too tired to cook and even to do grocery shopping and many other reasons.
Clearly, nutrition plays a vital role in the quality of life in older persons. This is why preventative medicine and focusing on good eating habits is crucial. It is recommended to follow a preventative health maintenance nutritional program, such as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) :
Recommended Daily Diet for Seniors
Fruits — 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 cups
What is the same as 1/2 cup of cut-up fruit? A 2-inch peach or 1/4 cup of dried fruit
Vegetables — 2 to 3-1/2 cups
What is the same as a cup of cut-up vegetables? Two cups of uncooked leafy vegetable
Grains — 5 to 10 ounces
What is the same as an ounce of grains? A small muffin, a slice of bread, a cup of flaked, ready-to-eat cereal, or ½ cup of cooked rice or pasta
Protein foods — 5 to 7 ounces
What is the same as an ounce of meat, fish, or poultry? One egg, ¼ cup of cooked beans or tofu, ½ ounce of nuts or seeds, or 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
Dairy foods — 3 cups of fat-free or low-fat milk
What is the same as 1 cup of milk? One cup of yogurt or 1-1/2 to 2 ounces of cheese. One cup of cottage cheese is the same as ½ cup of milk.
Oils — 5 to 8 teaspoons, better from foods such as olives, nuts, and avocado.
