Dietary Needs In The Elderly

Dietary supplements are substances you might use to add nutrients to your diet or to lower your risk of health problems like osteoporosis or arthritis.

Dietary needs in the elderly. Elderly people might not need the energy they needed a couple of decades ago but the need for protein vitamins and minerals remains. They might contain vitamins minerals fiber amino acids herbs or other plants or enzymes. Proper diet and a healthy life go hand in hand especially for older adults over the age of 65. Deficiency is common in elderly people.

Know serving sizes and amounts for your age. Furthermore reductions in kidney function changes in the nervous system and re distribution of body composition also play a role in the dietary needs of the elderly. Dietary supplements come in the form of pills capsules powders gel tabs extracts or liquids. The physiological changes experienced later in life dictate the nutritional needs of a senior.

Making changes in their diet to match. According to reports by world health organization who a majority of the diseases that older people suffer are as a result of lack of proper diet. Elderly people cannot be involved in normal physical activities but walking and gardening for instance are good examples of exercises for the elderly. Due to a reduction in energy expenditure a senior s caloric intake need decreases.

Nutrition problems in the elderly. Just as we alter daily recommended allowances and caloric intake from our teens to our adult years we must also make the adjustment in diet heading from our adult years into our senior years. The australian dietary guidelines outline specific nutritional needs for older people. The challenge with needing fewer calories is that you may find it harder to meet your nutrient needs making it even more important that you include primarily.

Nutritional problems in the elderly can cause a number of complications including weakened immune systems lowered energy levels and chronic health problems such as type 2 diabetes high blood pressure heart disease stroke and osteoporosis. Every calorie you consume must be packed with nutrition in order to hit. Unfortunately elderly people are at risk of deficiency because of poor intake medication use and age related changes in gut function 37 38. In general calorie needs for women over the age of 51 range from 1 600 to 2 200 calories a day and calorie needs for men over the age of 51 range from 2 000 to 2 800 calories per day.

With age the number of calories you need begins to decline. As we age our dietary and nutritional requirements change.