What you eat matters as you get older
How should your diet change as you age? In the final edition of our series on healthy eating in partnership with the Nutrition Society of Sri Lanka, we speak with Clinical Nutritionist Dr. Angela de Silva, President of the Nutrition Society of Sri Lanka, about the dietary needs of the elderly. As your activity level drops and your lean body mass shrinks, you need fewer calories, but you have to make those calories count, says Dr. de Silva.
Explaining that the elderly generally have to eat less fat, lower amounts of calories, but nutrient dense foods, Dr. de Silva adds that as we age, new health concerns appear. Among these, dental problems can actually impact what and how we eat. “Loss of teeth or gum diseases may make it difficult for older people to bite or chew hard foods,” she says. Slower movements throughout the GI tract or lack of fluids may result in constipation; a lack of appetite stemming from illness, lack of activity or companionship, depression, or immobility are other issues.
Often other illnesses and medicines prescribed to treat those conditions may also interfere and cause a lack of appetite. A dry mouth due to reduced salivation or sore mouth will also make it difficult to eat, and take away from the taste of food. Typically your stomach will begin to produce less acid, along with other digestive juices secreted by the digestive tract. “The volume, acidity and pepsin content of the gastric juice is sometimes reduced, ” Dr. de Silva elaborates. In some cases anorexia may be triggered by physiological and hormonal changes related to age. And finally, at the most basic level, digestion itself may take longer than normal, leading to sensations of constipation, fullness and bloating of the stomach and discomfort.
How your body processes nutrients changes: “In the small intestine, absorptive capacity is reduced by about a third,” says Dr. de Silva, pointing to reduced absorption of calcium, iron, zinc and vitamin B12 as issues as well.
If this sounds like a litany of discomforts, the good news is that changes to your diet and eating patterns, along with adequate physical activity can provide some ease. Dr. de Silva tells her elderly patients to eat soft foods if they have dental issues. Pureed foods will also be easier to consume. It’s a good rule of thumb to drink plenty of water and eat foods with soluble fibre. Make fresh fruits and vegetables an intrinsic part of your diet while simultaneously reducing on eating energy rich foods like sweets, fried or high fat foods. “Small frequent meals may be easier than large meals,” says Dr. de Silva. Another thing to pay attention to is the amount of calcium in your diet – you need an adequate amount to prevent loss of bone mass.
Though you may not notice it at first, the sensitivity of your palate decreases with age. People become less sensitive to the taste of salty or bitter things. “The number of taste buds decreases with age and reduces sensitivity to taste. Food may seem to be less appetizing as a consequence.” While we’ve mentioned that medication can dampen your appetite, it might also have an impact on how food tastes. “Most drugs will affect appetite in anyone old or young to some extent, but if one cannot eat a proper meal – long term – and there is significant weight loss check with a doctor for alternatives,” recommends Dr. de Silva.
Though the odds might seem overwhelming, eating healthy brings significant rewards. “Keeping a healthy body weight through proper eating is important –it improves resistance to illness, may prevent you getting certain illnesses like high blood pressure and diabetes and keeps you from getting deficiency diseases such as anaemia.” One thing doesn’t change, as with all ages, the elderly need to balance eating well with exercise and activity. “Moving around and exercising keeps one fitter, and healthier and is a must,” she says.
There’s also the possibility of staving off more serious illnesses, like dementia. “There are various theories but none are proven,” says Dr. de Silva pointing to studies that claim that eating foods with Omega 3 FA stems dementia and research that concludes eating plenty of fruits and vegetables which contain phytonutrients is key to mental health in old age. Foods rich in calcium will help prevent further bone loss while plenty of weight bearing exercise such as walking, running and some resistance training are also recommended. And it’s not just diet and exercise – remember to get your fair share of sunshine. “Bone health depends on several things, getting enough sunlight is essential. Many old people may not venture out into the sun, but they need at least 20 minutes morning sunlight,” says Dr. de Silva. And, who knows? You just might enjoy the outing.