Senior Nutrition Risks @senutritionrisk - Tumblr Blog

The Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet in Seniors

There are thousands of different styles of eating. Some may be healthier for people than others. One way of eating that has proven to benefit older adults is the Mediterranean Diet. In clinical studies, this diet has been linked to a longer life expectancy, as well as a lower risk of certain cancers, lower instance of heart disease, and better memory retention than other styles of eating.

The Mediterranean Diet is based mostly off of fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables, nuts, low fat dairy and small amounts of red meat. Olive oil is the main source of lipids in this diet style. This diet was modeled by Ansel Keys after he spent time in the Mediterranean and observed these eating practices in the 80’s.

Many observational studies have been done in regards to this diet and its health benefits. Most of the studies looked at people who had lived in the Mediterranean their whole lives and consequently followed that eating style. Most studies look at obvious health benefits that have already been stated as well as longevity and overall quality of life over time. People who follow this diet are also found to have better overall quality of life throughout their lifespan than people of other diet plans.

Sources-

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2544374/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/21/mediterranean-diet-brain-power-study_n_3312691.html

#NUTR351

Sodium Intake in Seniors

We often hear that sodium intake should be reduced as people grow older. This can be a problem for many seniors who may consume canned or boxed food on a regular basis, because food that has been processed, dried, or canned often contains more sodium than food that is raw. Even for people who do not consume canned or processed food on a regular basis, simply putting salt on food can become a problem, as one teaspoon of salt contains around 2,325 milligrams of salt! The recommended amount of sodium for people 50 to 70 is 1,300 milligrams per day. This lowers to 1,200 milligrams per day after age 70. The recommended intake for healthy adults under age 50 is 1,500 milligrams per day.

Although the recommended amount of sodium for adults is 1,500 a day, the average American eats over twice this much, clocking in at 3,400 milligrams per day on average. This becomes an even greater concern as people age and the recommended intake levels for sodium decrease.

Excessive sodium intake can have a variety of complications. The most often talked about complication is elevated blood pressure. This increase of blood pressure is caused by the increased fluid retention brought about from consuming too much sodium. Some other complications that arise from consuming too much sodium include; stroke, heart failure, osteoporosis, and kidney disease. Because of these risks, seniors should try and consume just the recommended daily amount for their age group. A transition to using fresher foods, rinsing canned vegetables, and seasoning foods with herbs and spices instead of salt can all contribute healthily to a lower daily salt intake.

Sources-

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/much-sodium-seniors-need-diets-7100.html

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/About-Sodium-Salt_UCM_463416_Article.jsp

http://blog.smartbear.com/devops/a-taste-of-salt-like-puppet-except-it-doesnt-suck/

#NUTR351

Dehydration Risk in Seniors

Many people don’t associate dehydration as being a nutritional problem, but it is. Dehydration is a serious deficiency that can lead to a variety of symptoms, including; weakness, dizziness, fainting, and confusion. Dehydration can, in most instances, be cured by drinking more water; however, in extreme cases the patient could be hospitalized and given fluids intravenously.

Elderly people are particularly at risk of becoming dehydrated. There are several reasons for this increased risk. One reason for this is because the elderly have a decrease need for energy intake as compared to younger people. Because they are not eating as much or as often, they may also forget to hydrate themselves. A second reason for dehydration in seniors is neglect. For seniors living in nursing or assisted living homes, they may not get as much one-on-one attention as they need so no one may notice the seniors drinking habits, or if they do become dehydrated. Many people in these situations are not able to get water for themselves, which makes staying hydrated, even more difficult. Lastly, seniors who have a problem with incontinence may avoid drinking liquids so they don’t have to deal with that problem. Although this solution is marginally effective, it is obviously not a healthy option.

There are several ways to encourage hydration in seniors. The most obvious way to improve hydration is simply to drink water, but there are more ways to make liquids more appealing or memorable. One option is to encourage drinking 8oz. of water with every medication taken. This would be a good option for people who live in an assisted living facility, or who take several medications. A second idea would be to keep a filled water bottle in every room of the senior’s home, so that way all they have to do is reach for water and there is no hassle. A third idea would be to remember that food can be a source of hydration, too. Encourage consumption of foods such as watermelon and soup and also keep juices around to make hydrating a little more fun.

These were the sources I used-

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dehydration/basics/risk-factors/con-20030056

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/dehydration-adults

http://www.aplaceformom.com/blog/2013-7-18-elderly-dehydration/

http://www.cleanwateraction.org/programinitiative/protecting-drinking-water-0

#nutr351

Changing Nutrition Requirements in the Elderly

Many people are not aware how nutritional requirements change as we age. As people get older, their bodies’ ability to absorb or process certain nutrients changes or becomes less effective.

One of these nutrients is vitamin B-12. As we get on in age, the stomach becomes less acidic, so it becomes more difficult for people to absorb this vitamin from the food they are eating. Vitamin B-12 is a water-soluble vitamin that plays a role in red blood cell formation and maintaining the central nervous system. B-12 is usually stored in the liver and can be found in foods such as meat, dairy, and eggs. Because this vitamin plays such a vital role in red blood cell production, if someone does not get enough or absorb enough of it, it can cause them to develop anemia.

Another nutrient whose requirements change over time is vitamin D. This vitamin is usually absorbed through the skin from the light given off by the sun. As skin ages, it becomes less able to absorb vitamin D through sunlight. This fat-soluble vitamin plays a role in calcium absorption as well as cell development and immune function. Vitamin D can be found in foods such as milk, salmon, and fortified cereals. It is very important that people absorb enough vitamin D as they grow older not only because it plays an important role in many body processes, but also because if they do not, it blocks the absorption of calcium as well. Lack of calcium and vitamin D can lead to decreased bone density and possibly even osteoporosis.

The last change that I will discuss in this post is how the need for vitamin A changes in late adulthood. Unlike the last two vitamins whose needs increased with age, the body’s need for vitamin A actually decreases with age. Because vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, it is easier to reach a toxicity level of this vitamin than other water-soluble vitamins. This means an increased risk for older people who are experiencing a decreased need for this vitamin. Vitamin A usually plays a role in maintaining vision and epithelial tissues. Signs of toxicity include; rash, nausea, and drowsiness.

Articles used in this blog post-

http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/features/nutritional-needs-change-as-you-age

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002403.htm

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/

http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/nutritional_disorders/vitamin_deficiency_dependency_and_toxicity/vitamin_a.html

http://www.uga.edu/about_uga/profile/need-for-vitamin-supplements-georgias-elderly/

#NUTR351

m-nutr51

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a disease that causes increased risk of lung infection, often leading to premature death. Many different studies and experiments have been completed to determine the mechanism behind this outcome and sodium has been shown to play a key role. It has been found that those...

senutritionrisk

Wow! I had no idea! This is a great thing to keep in mind for anyone who might work in a hospital in their future career! Thanks for the great post!

#NUTR351

bromnutrition-blog

There are a lot of myths about diabetes that have been created through out the years, like people with diabetes cannot preform certain jobs or practice certain hobbies because of their disease to name a few. One of the most interesting myths that I have heard people mention in my time in school is...

senutritionrisk

This is such a great thing to keep in mind! Most people know little (if anything) about how eating normally with diabetes works. Thank you for keeping us informed!

#nutr351

childhoodobesity351

Growing up, we all heard the importance of a well balanced breakfast each and everyday. I mean it is the most important meal of the day! Right? Personally, I am a huge fan of breakfast but I have recently read quite a few articles that contradict what we were told all of these years. They are...

senutritionrisk

Love breakfast! Interesting to think that there are articles out there that don't support eating breakfast most of the time, as I think this disagrees with most of the research that's out there, like you stated. Thanks for the interesting post!

#NUTR351

What demographics are at risk for malnutrition within the elderly population?

It is important as health professionals to remember that some demographics may be more at risks than others for malnutrition. These variable demographics hold true in geriatric nutrition. The experiment posted in the bibliography below examined 1,274 older adults and looked at their fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity level as compared to their overall health. This study also looked more specifically at what demographic was more likely to already be eating the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables and being physically active. The goal of this experiment was to encourage a greater number of older adults to be physically active and nutritionally balanced by providing them with informational packets, newsletters, expert health assessments, and telephone coaching interviews over a period of 12 months. The intervention study found that older adults who were already aware and active in one area (such as physical activity level) were more likely to be active with the other aspect of the study (nutrition). The study also found that participants who received intervention via more personal contact (such as coaching calls) were more likely to change their behavior than those participants who only received passive intervention(such as the newsletters).

This is study is relevant to food systems because it helps determine the demographics of older people who would most likely need guidance as far as nutrition and physical activity are concerned, and also helps determine which methods of intervention would be most likely to produce a change in behavior in these demographics. One weakness in this study is that 69% of the participants were female, so the results may not be as reliable as a study that had been done with an equal number of male and female participants. This is an especially helpful study because it more clearly defines what demographics could be at risk for malnutrition amount the elderly, and therefore allows healthcare workers to potentially pay special attention to these demographics or adopt more effective tactics of intervention, such as person to person coaching instead of a more passive mode of communication.

Clark, P. G., Greaney, M. L., Greene, G. W., Lees, F. D., Nigg, C. R. Riebe, D. A., Rossi, J. S., Saunders, S. D. (2005). Intervening on exercise and nutrition on older adults. Journal of Aging and Health, 17(6), 753-778.

Infographic came from-

http://www.aplaceformom.com/nutrition

#NUTR351

Social Isolation as a Contributing Factor to Malnutrition in Seniors

There are many contributing factors to malnutrition in seniors. Social isolation can be a big contributing factor because in our society, mealtimes are as much a opportunity for social interaction as they are a necessity for nourishment. When the social cues of living with other people or meeting with other people to partake in meals together no longer happen, it should not come as a surprise that the cues to eat a balanced meal on a regular basis can fall to the wayside as well. This avoidance of regularly scheduled meal times can lead to inadequate nourishment and eventual malnutrition in seniors.

This study (bibliography below) was a cohort design study that examined 263 seniors living in a community setting over a period of 18 months. The study looked at the senior’s nutritional risk and how that risk was affected by involvement in nutritional programs (such as meals on wheels), income, emotional status, and several other factors. To perform the risk assessments, in person interviews were conducted, as well as follow-up telephone interviews 18 months later. The study found that seniors who were involved with meal programs had a lower nutritional risk than those who were not involved. This also held true for seniors who had higher incomes. The study also found that the main risk-factors for nutritional risk in seniors were; low income, low education level, poor vision or hearing, pain, and difficulty completing grocery shopping and cooking. This study is very relevant because it identifies demographics of seniors who may be at risk of poor nutrition and also identifies what may help them (becoming involved with a nutritional program). To make this study more relevant, it could have looked at a larger pool of participants over a longer period of time, as the 250+ participants in this study were only contacted twice.

Keller, H. H. (2006). Meal programs improve nutritional risk: a longitudinal analysis of community-living seniors. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 106(7), 1042-1048.

Origin of the Picture-

http://www.caregiverstress.com/geriatric-professional-resources/share-clients/top-3-senior-mealtime-challenges-resources-help-canada-version/

#NUTR351

bromnutrition-blog

A person with type one diabetes will on average accrue $13,700 a year in healthcare costs $7,900 of that for diabetes care and supply costs.

Diabetes is increasing at an exponential rate, some credited to genetics some not but the cost of the disease is increasing right along with it. Insurance...

senutritionrisk

Man, that really drives home the phrase,"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," I can't imagine the toll having to pay all that money would have on someone's family!

#NUTR351

Nutritional Risks for Seniors

For my first post, I will talk about why I chose to focus on senior nutrition challenges. While taking intro-level nutrition classes, I was shocked to learn the percentages of older people who face food insecurity and other nutrition challenges every day. As a society, I think we are commonly taught that we should prepare for our lives as older people by securing our finances, but I rarely ever hear of seniors that have trouble getting the nutrition they need every day. Yet, this is a very real concern for millions of people in the United States every day. Whether it be transportation problems, like not being able to drive or walk on their own to go to a grocery store, or financial instability, the numbers of seniors who struggle is astounding. In the article I found (below), it is stated that 2.9 million senior households experienced food insecurity in the last year. Those are just people who live in the United States. They could be our very own neighbors.

Many situations are interesting, because unlike food insecurity experienced by children or younger able-bodied people, these older people could be completely overlooked. That is not to say that no children get overlooked, just that I believe there is a lot more awareness surrounding childhood hunger than food insecurity experienced later in life. It is also interesting to look at the data collected in this article relating elderly people and SNAP benefits. The article states that although elderly people may have the same eligibility factors as younger people, they are less likely to be approved for SNAP benefits than younger people. This could present a problem as some 4.2 million seniors in America live below the poverty line. And these are just a few of the concerns faced by the aging population in America today.

This is the article I talked about-

http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/hunger-facts/senior-hunger.aspx

This is where the picture came from-

http://www.cvcog.org/cvcog/aaa_senior_centers.html

#nutr351

m-nutr51

Most people probably don’t think too much about their sodium intake, but it’s a mineral found in a wide variety of foods. Some of these foods are well known to contain high amounts of sodium, like ramen noodles for instance, but there are others that aren’t necessarily salty such as Quaker Instant...

senutritionrisk

What an interesting post! It is interesting because I feel like we don't really hear about sodium intake being a problem unless you have high blood pressure (for obvious reasons). However, this would be an interesting thing to keep in mind, and perhaps more of a relevant issue, as compared to other things that are more commonly zoned in on, like fat content. Thanks for the wonderful post!

#NUTR351

phammsu

This is the article I have found online about how portion size and energy density food affect our eating habit.

I have mentioned about portion sizes below and its impacts on how much different energy intake we are unintentionally consume. Beside portion size concerns, I am bringing to you one more factor- energy density food- that works separately but when adding into portion size factor, they increases our food consume psychologically and physically.

So what is “energy density” ? Energy density is the amount of calorie in one measure of food. They can be one cup, one spoon, or even one bite. However, each food yields different amount of energy. For example, 100 gr of boiled broccoli gives you 35 kcals; while 100 gr of mashed potato gives you 88 kcals. Hence, broccoli is listed as Low-Energy-Dense food and mashed potato is consider High-Energy-Dense food. Let’s take a look at the picture below.

There is a huge difference between two pictures. Which one would you prefer? Yet this is just my thoughts about energy density food and portion size, here is what has been proved by scientists and experiments.

I have also summarized this article for your convenience.

"This article proves that portion sizes of food influence the energy intake internally, physiologic factors; and externally, which are eating habit and environment. There are many studies and experiments on both groups; children ages of four and older; and adult men and women. It is shown that all or most of the studied subjects are willing to consume more when they are served with larger portion sizes even though the ratings of their hunger before meals and the satisfaction after meals are equal. In addition, studies go over days and the results come out the same. This means the portion sizes will affect their weight by higher energy intake in the long term. Suggestions are also recommended through this article about training and educating people about the appropriate portion sizes, as well as the recognition and responsibility to their needs versus their wills. Another factor is mentioned in this article is energy density. Food is classified into low-energy-dense food (LEDF) and high-energy-dense food (HEDF), which give people lower and higher energy intakes in the same amount of food. There is 30% decreasing of energy intake for people who consume LEDF than HEDF while the portion sizes are the same, and all of them feel full and happy. Other studies prove that when portion size and energy density are combined, people tend to eat larger portion of HEDF than smaller LEDF while the ratings of their hunger and fullness do not change, but there is 56% difference in their energy intakes. In conclusion, together with portion size, energy density affects the energy intakes and obesity levels in the long term."

senutritionrisk

Wow! What a difference energy density can make! The picture really drives that point home! Thanks for the great post!

#nutr351

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

Senior Nutrition Risks