Reaching the eighth decade brings a wealth of experience and wisdom that can be shared. Whilst we should value our senior members of the community, it is important to remember that youth and aging are as much a state of mind as a physical reality. Our genes obviously play an important role in our health and outlook, but a person can be old at thirty, or young at seventy-five if they put their mind to it
Good nutrition is as important now as at any other time in life. A broad range of nutrients from good quality foods will help to minimise sickness and maintain an independent lifestyle. As we get older, however, there can be changes in lifestyle which affect the food we eat. Loneliness, boredom, depression and worrying about the future can lead us to neglect our diet, causing us to skip meals and generally eat poorly.
As we age we don't always feel thirsty when our body needs water. It is recommended that the average older person of healthy weight (55-75kg) needs between 1650ml and 2500ml daily. Fluids may consist of water, herbal teas, soda water and juices. Coffee and tea have a diuretic action, and actually increase our need for fluids, so should be drunk moderately.
Brain health
Dementia is a big fear for many people, but at the age of seventy, only about 10%of people have significant memory problems and only half of these are due to Alzheimer’s disease. This percentage does increase in later years, but its important to note that whilst Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, there are many factors that affect our mental health. They include:
- Medications
- Malnutrition
- Anxiety
- Vision or hearing impairment
- Degenerative conditions – such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease
- Level of mental activity – there is some evidence to show that using our brains by learning new information may slow the degree of mental deterioration. In fact, the ability to learn does not deteriorate with aging, but the process may be slower
Heart & Blood Vessel Health
Maintaining heart and blood vessel health cannot be stressed enough, as diseases of the cardiovascular system affect sixteen per cent of population. That’s 2.8 million Australians. Strokes are caused by disease of the cardiovascular system and are the second largest cause of death for both men and women. As fifty per-cent of strokes occur in those over the age of seventy-five, supporting cardiovascular health becomes more important as we get older.
The most common cardiovascular condition is high blood pressure, or hypertension, which can cause damage to blood vessel walls, and increases the risk of further cardiovascular complications.
Vitamin E is a well-known protective nutrient for the cardiovascular system that has been shown to reduce the risk of suffering from serious cardiovascular complaints. Also consider CoQ10 and Fish Oil for their antioxidant and vessel protecting qualities. Smoking is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but that risk can be reduced by stopping smoking at ANY age.
Look after your teeth
Older adult Australians have a surprisingly high incidence of tooth decay and poor oral health. Thirty-eight per cent of people over 65 yrs have lost teeth, which may contribute to digestive problems and nutritional deficiencies due to reduced chewing of food and restricted food choices. Healthy teeth and gums are a very important factor in being able to enjoy food. Loss of teeth, sore gums and dentures that fit poorly, will make it difficult to chew well. It is important to have teeth checked regularly and, if you do have dentures then have them adjusted correctly. It is advisable to visit your dentist whenever you are having difficulty with your teeth, gums or dentures. If digestive problems are present due to an inability to chew food thoroughly, a supplement such as Blackmores Digestive Aid may help the digestive system along.
Eye Health
Degenerative changes to the eyes may appear in the form of eye diseases such as cataract, glaucoma or macular degeneration. Damage from high levels of sunlight and glare as well as other factors such as cigarette smoking and diabetes contribute to these conditions. These eye problems need to be assessed and managed by a doctor or eye specialist. However there are some complementary medicines that can assist. Antioxidant nutrients including the mineral zinc have been shown to improve macular health whilst the herb bilberry helps in reducing eye strain and redness.
Dietary Recommendations
As people age their activity level often decreases, resulting in a decline in the amount of energy needed to carry out daily activities. This in turn often leads to a decline in the amount of food eaten.
- Eat ‘nutrient-dense’ food, to make up for any shortfall that may occur from decreased calorific input.
- Take a multivitamin to assure a broad spectrum of nutrients enters the diet.
- Eat plenty of protein rich foods (meat, fish, legumes, nuts, eggs), or take an amino-acid supplement to help to retard loss of muscle mass
- Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables to provide valuable fibre and protective antioxidant nutrients
- Eat at least three meals a day to help maintain nutritional status and ensure variety in the diet. People who eat breakfast generally consume more fibre, and with the fortification of some breakfast cereals, these can contribute to the nutrient density of the diet.
Medications and complementary medicine
Many medications can increase our requirements for some vital nutrients. Supplementation with the appropriate nutrient may be beneficial for health:
- Corticosteroids deplete calcium
- Cholesterol lowering medications deplete CoQ10
- Antacids cause reduced nutrient absorption of several nutrients
- Antibiotics destroy beneficial gut bacteria – take an Acidophilus Bifidus supplement to replenish the good bugs
Also, some vitamins and minerals should not be taken with some medications:
- Vitamin E should not be taken with Warfarin (blood thinning medication)
- Folic acid at doses over 1000mcg should may interfere with phenytoin activity (anti-epileptic medication)
- Zinc may reduce the absorption of tetracycline and quinolone antibiotics if taken at the same time. Separate doses by four hours
REFERENCES
- Australia’s Health 2002. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2002
- Savidge G et al. Agefit, fitness and nutrition for an independent future. Sydney: Pan Macmillan, 2001.
- Haas EM. Staying healthy with nutrition. Berkley, California: Celestial Arts, 1992
- Dietary Guidelines for Older Australians. National Health and Medical Research Council. November 1999.
