As you age, changes in your health may make it difficult to get enough fiber in your diet. A reduced appetite, a decrease in physical activity, medication interactions and medical treatments may interfere with your ability to eat, HelpGuide.org notes. When you're planning your meals and snacks, look for opportunities to include extra fruits, vegetables or grain products so that you're gradually working up to the recommended daily amount of fiber for elderly adults.
Benefits
Dietary fiber regulates bowel activity by stimulating movement in the muscles of your colon. The roughage in raw vegetables, fruit, whole wheat and oats contributes bulk and weight to your digestive wastes, making them easier to pass. Having regular bowel movements helps you avoid the complications of constipation, such as impacted stool, hemorrhoids or rectal prolapse. A high-fiber diet may also reduce your risk of diverticulosis, the formation of small herniations in the lining of your intestine caused by straining to pass hard wastes. A high-fiber diet helps keep your colon intact and promotes overall digestive health. Dietary fiber may help you manage your cholesterol and blood sugar levels and lower your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, according to the Harvard School of Public Health, or HSPH.
Recommendations
According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, reduced physical activity can make you prone to constipation as an older adult. The Institute of Medicine recommends that men over 50 should get 30 g of fiber daily, and women over 50 should get 21 g of fiber each day. When you add fiber to your diet, you should also increase your fluid intake. Because your body's ability to regulate fluid levels may decrease with age, you may need to make a conscious effort to drink a total of eight to ten glasses of water, iced herbal tea, juice or other non-caffeinated liquids every day, Helpguide.org suggests. If your doctor has restricted your fluids due to a health condition, you may need to modify these guidelines.
Sources
Most whole grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes contain a combination of insoluble and soluble fiber, which perform different functions in your body. Insoluble fiber, or roughage, is the scratchy, indigestible portion of plants. Your body derives very little nutritional value from this form of fiber, but roughage plays a vital role in digestion. Soluble fiber absorbs water in your digestive tract and turns into a jelly-like substance. Soluble fiber slows your digestion, which may stabilize your blood sugar. Soluble fiber may also lower your cholesterol levels, the HSPH notes. Sources of insoluble fiber include whole-wheat bread and bran cereals, brown rice, celery and carrots, zucchini, tomatoes and other vegetables and fruits. Soluble fiber occurs in oatmeal and oat bran cereals, dried peas and beans, lentils, apples, pears and berries.
Suggestions
If your appetite is poor, try adding one tablespoon of wheat germ or oat bran to soft foods like yogurt, cottage cheese, hot wheat cereals. Keep a bowl of your favorite fresh fruit on your kitchen counter and make an effort to eat one or two pieces daily between meals. Add berries or banana slices to your breakfast cereals, and stir chopped celery or carrots into soups and casseroles. Replace meat with beans at least twice a week for extra fiber. When you're shopping, check the nutrition facts labels on whole-grain cereals, breads, canned beans and other commercially prepared foods for the fiber content of these products. High-fiber fruits and vegetables include raspberries, with 8 g of fiber per cup, pears, with 6 g each, apples, with 4 g each, cooked green peas, with 9 g and broccoli, with 5 g of fiber per cup. Canned or homemade dried beans and peas are an excellent, affordable source of fiber. One cup of cooked split peas has 16 g of fiber, one cup of lentils has 16 g and one cup of canned baked beans has 10 g of fiber, according to the Mayo Clinic.
References
- Institute of Medicine: Dietary References Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids . . .
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Constipation
- Harvard School of Public Health: Fiber: Start Roughing It: What Should I Eat?
- Harvard School of Public Health: Carbohydrates: Good Carbs Guide the Way. What Should You Eat?
- HelpGuide.org: Senior Nutrition: The Joy of Eating Well and Aging Well
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