When we think of nutrition as it relates to growth, our focus is usually on children. But throughout the course of life, your cells, bones and muscles are perpetually in the process of regeneration. Hormonal changes and a decline in physical activity later in life call for good nutritional support to maintain and build healthy tissue.
Nutrition and Aging
The University of Iowa hospitals and clinics identify six categories of nutrition vital for good health. Carbohydrates provide energy and support brain function; fats provide energy and are essential for healthy skin, hormone production and numerous metabolic processes; protein provides the building blocks for muscle and other tissue; vitamins and minerals regulate metabolism and foster strong bones and teeth; water makes up 75 percent of body weight and is a major component of all cells; and fiber promotes digestive health. While all of these nutrients are essential for health, senior citizens are often undernourished. The Population Reference Bureau lists diminished sense of taste and smell, dental problems, social isolation, poverty and pharmaceuticals as some of the reasons seniors do not eat well enough to satisfy nutritional needs.
Sarcopenia and Nutrition
Inadequate nutrition coupled with inactivity and changing hormone levels can lead to sarcopenia, the wasting of lean muscle mass. According to researchers at Tufts University, sarcopenia influences strength and mobility and can contribute to the incidence of injury from falls. Your body needs dietary protein to build and repair muscle tissue. But animal protein sources are often difficult to chew and slow to break down in the digestive tract. Sports coach Brian Mac recommends that seniors obtain dietary protein from a variety of sources, including dairy, legumes, fish and low-fat animal protein.
Osteoporosis and Nutrition
Osteoporosis is a condition of low bone mineral density that makes bones fragile and vulnerable to breakage. While often associated with postmenopausal women due to decreased estrogen levels, osteoporosis has also been found to effect older men. Low calcium and phosphorous consumption, inadequate supplies of vitamin D and physical inactivity all play a role in the progression of osteoporosis. Brian Mac notes a relationship between osteoporosis and sarcopenia. Because the muscles provide mechanical stress that causes bone mineral to become denser, decreased muscle can exacerbate osteoporosis.
Dehydration and Aging
Chronic dehydration is a common malady afflicting seniors that can interfere with body chemistry and metabolic processes and even lead to death. In a 2007 Australian study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers discovered that the brains of older people do not register thirst as well as younger people, and the thirst stimulus is quenched with much smaller amounts of fluids, causing seniors to stop drinking before they are fully hydrated. The elderly may also be disinclined to drink fluids due to bladder incontinence and the inconvenience of making a trip to the bathroom.
References
- University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics: Know Your Nutrients
- Science Daily: Brain Malfunction Explains Dehydration In Elderly, December 18, 2007
- Colorado State University Extension: Nutrition and Aging: J. E. Anderson and S. Prior
- Tufts University: Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging: Nutrition, Exercise, Physiology & Sarcopenia (NEPS)
- Population Reference Bureau: Today's Research on Aging: Underweight, Undernutrition, and the Aging, October 2007
- Brian Mac Sports Coach: Sarcopenia, the Undiagnosed Epidemic
