Contents:
- Medical Video: Nutrition Needs in the Golden Years | Food Nutrition Tips | Benefits of Eating Healthy
- Calcium
- Fat
- Fiber
- Fluid
- Iron
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
- Zinc
- Overcoming changes in appetite in old age
Medical Video: Nutrition Needs in the Golden Years | Food Nutrition Tips | Benefits of Eating Healthy
One group that is susceptible to eating disorders and disruption to their health status is the elderly. Along with increasing age, muscle mass will also decrease and this causes the need for daily intake to decrease. Some types of nutrients may need to decrease but vice versa. The natural aging process makes older people have their own special needs. Then what are the nutritional needs needed by the elderly group?
Basically, no matter how old we are, nutrients are needed by the body to maintain bodily functions, prevent various diseases from happening and produce energy for the body. The basic components that must be on all diets, namely:
- Proteins derived from animal and vegetable proteins
- Vegetables and fruit, at least consumed in 5 servings a day
- Complex carbohydrates from basic food sources, such as rice, potatoes, bread, tubers.
But still there are special needs for nutrients in the elderly group, here are the types of nutrients needed with a certain amount:
Calcium
Calcium is the main nutrient that affects bone health, but in reality as you grow older, calcium absorption for bones decreases. Calcium will be reabsorbed by the body from bone which then causes osteoporosis or fragility in the bones. According to the number of nutritional adequacy for Indonesian people, it is stated that the need for calcium in a day is 1000 mg. Food sources that have high calcium are milk and other dairy products, vegetables that are dark green leafy, and some types of animal protein.
Fat
For someone who has entered old age, they must limit their fat consumption, even though the person is in good health, or does not have a history of degenerative diseases such as stroke, coronary heart disease, or diabetes mellitus. The type of fat that must be avoided is saturated fat, such as in butter, gajih on beef, and chicken skin.
Fiber
Problems with the digestive system may often occur in the elderly, many of them experience constipation or difficulty in bowel movements. Constipation can cause irritation to the digestive system, so to prevent this, the fiber intake must be high. Good fiber sources and frequent consumption, will help facilitate food digestion well and maximize absorption of nutrients from various sources of food eaten. The elderly can replace the staple food with brown rice or brown rice (which has more fiber than white rice) and various types of vegetables and fruits.
Fluid
As age increases, the body's ability to maximize fluid in the body for metabolism decreases. Not only that, the elderly are no longer too sensitive to thirst, so this group is very vulnerable to dehydration. Dehydration will cause other side effects such as fatigue, out of focus, and constant drowsiness. Therefore, consumption of water and various fruits containing high water is needed by people who are elderly.
Iron
Iron is widely contained in animal protein sources such as beef, chicken, beef liver, and some green leafy vegetables. The body uses iron to make hemoglobin in the blood. Hemoglobin is used by the body as a natural transportation of oxygen and food to various tissues. Iron deficiency can cause anemia. It is recommended to consume 12 mg of iron in one day.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that is easily lost in the body. In the body, vitamin C is stored in the form of collagen, which is needed to heal wounds, maintain healthy bones and teeth, and slow down the aging process and wrinkles on the skin. Vitamin C which is needed in one day by the elderly group is 75 mg and can be found in various fruits such as citrus types.
Vitamin D
Vitamins, often called sun vitamins, function to help calcium absorption and slow the loss of calcium in bones. The main source of vitamin D is sunlight, precisely ultraviolet light B. Even though you can get vitamin D from the sun, foods that contain vitamin D also need to be consumed to help keep the amount in the body. Vitamin D is widely contained in milk and milk products, beef, beef liver, and fish oil. Someone who is elderly should take vitamin D supplements containing 10 mg of vitamin D in a day.
Zinc
Zinc or zinc is a type of micronutrient that plays a role in the immune system and is found in beef and shellfish. At least elderly people consume as much as 13 mg in one day.
Overcoming changes in appetite in old age
People who enter the elderly, usually appetite and desire to eat is reduced. This is not only due to changing hormone function, but also the decreased ability of the senses and organs which makes them vulnerable to malnutrition. This can be dealt with by giving small portions but often and more providing interlude between meals. At least they eat 6 times a day, 3 main meals and 3 intervals, this can prevent them from starvation and keep their nutritional intake fulfilled.
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