Seniors and Nutrition: An Overview

Nutrition is one of the biggest stumbling blocks for seniors. As we grow older, what is on the list of things we are “allowed” to eat grows shorter and what we are “not allowed” to eat grows longer. This can be frustrating and take some of the joy out of eating. Aging also alters your sense of taste and smell. With a little bit of thought and creativity, as well as a little help from Interim’s home care providers, eating can still be enjoyable while improving nutrition. A well-balanced diet helps you feel better and gives you more energy. It includes a mix of whole grains, proteins, fruits and vegetables. This will boost the intake of vitamins and minerals, as well as overall nutrition.

People over the age of 50 benefit from a higher level of certain vitamins and nutrients, such as calcium, vitamin D and vitamin K. Anti-oxidants are also helpful. The current recommended daily dietary allowance for vitamin D in people between 50 and 70 years old is 10 micrograms per day. Those over 70 should intake about 15 micrograms per day. Among other things, a strong concentration of vitamin D increases the body’s ability to absorb calcium. Calcium and vitamin D together strengthen the bones, enhance the immune system, keep the nervous system healthy and help ward off osteoporosis.

Approximately 30% of seniors lose the ability to produce stomach acid, which lessens the means to absorb the nutrition your body needs, like vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid. These affect the memory, alertness and circulation in the fingertips and toes. Another way people can lose nutrients is through certain types of medications. Some vitamins and minerals are diminished by certain types of medicine. Be sure to check with your home health care professional or the doctor prescribing the medication to find out whether vitamin supplements would be helpful or if certain foods would be beneficial to add to regular meal plans.

Two things present in most seniors’ diets that should be reduced rather than increased are salt and sugar. While most Americans intake too much of both, seniors should be especially careful to limit the amounts in their diets. It can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke  and circulation problems. Sensitivity to sodium increases with age. This is difficult for seniors to control, as many processed foods are high in sodium and sugar. Processed foods are often easier to eat and digest, especially for those with dentures and sore teeth.

Over the next few weeks, we will be taking a look at some of the ways that people, and especially seniors, can improve their nutrition and find the vitamins and minerals they need to improve health in foods they like to eat.