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Nutrition for Our Aged Older Seniors

According to some estimates, as many as 85 percent of adults in long term care facilities and more than half of all seniors cared for at home suffer from undernutrition or malnutrition — low or dangerously low levels of protein and other nutrients. But a growing number of active, independent older adults also are malnourished, especially women who live alone, minorities and low-income seniors. Experts say that spotting people who are clearly in trouble — those who are losing weight and muscle tone or becoming weak and confused — isn't difficult. The real challenge is identifying people who appear well nourished but aren't.Functional and cognitive decline can occur in as much as one-third of the hospitalized elderly population.

Some loss of taste and smell occurs normally with aging. This can be due to degeneration of the nerves that control smell, which can directly or indirectly affect taste.A good first step to improve your diet and lifestyle — start paying attention to portion size and liquid calories, such as those in soft drinks, fruit drinks, fruit juices and alcoholic beverages. The next step is to try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day, It does not have to be done all at once — accumulating 30 minutes throughout the day is fine — and, of course, more is better. No one is too old or too out of shape to make small changes to increase physical activity.

Aging changes in the skin are a group of common conditions and developments that occur as people grow older.As you age, you are at increased risk for skin injury. Your skin is thinner, more fragile and the protective subcutaneous fat layer is lost. In addition, your ability to sense touch, pressure, vibration, heat and cold may be reduced. Thus, your aging skin is at higher risk for injury.Good nutrition and adequate fluids may helpful. Dehydration increases the risk of skin injury. Sometimes minor nutritional deficiencies can cause rashes, skin lesions , and other skin changes even if no other symptoms are present.

A couple snacks each day might help elderly adults ensure they get enough calories and needed nutrients, a study suggests.

For young and middle-aged adults, snacking can be the enemy of the waistline. As people age, however, their calorie intake tends to drop, either from appetite loss, medical conditions or difficulty buying food. This puts some older adults at risk of inadequate nutrition and unintended weight loss.

Research suggests that even among relatively healthy people in their 60s and beyond, those with low calorie, protein and carbohydrate intakes die sooner.

In the new study, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, researchers found that snacks were an important source of older adults' daily calories and nutrients. And in general, snackers took in more calories, protein, carbohydrates and fat than non-snackers did.

While that could be a problem for other age groups, the extra nutrients might benefit elderly men and women, according to the study authors.

Older adults who notice that they've lost weight, or that their appetite has waned, might want to add some snacks to their daily menu, said lead author Dr. Claire A. Zizza, an assistant professor of nutrition at Auburn University in Alabama.

She and her colleagues based their findings on data from a national health and nutrition survey that included 2,000 adults age 65 and older. Overall, 84 percent said that they snacked in addition to eating meals.

On average, snacks accounted for one-quarter of the study participants' daily calories and carbohydrates, and 14 percent of their protein. Snackers ate about 250 calories more each day than non-snackers did.

That doesn't mean that older adults should have a couple bowls of potato chips each day for the sake of their health, according to Zizza.

People should avoid "empty calories," she told Reuters Health, and instead choose healthful snacks like fruits, vegetables, yogurt, tuna and whole grains.

On the other hand, older adults who are eating a nutritionally sound diet shouldn't feel they have to give up their potato chips or desserts, Zizza noted.

"Favorite foods can be a great source of pleasure," she said.

Wherever possible, the recommendations that follow take into consideration not only the amount of a nutrient required to
prevent a deficiency state but also a chronic disease.Recommanded daily nutrition for older are given below:

Energy :

It multiples of the basal metabolic rate (BMR) to maintain body weight at different levels of physical activity.

Calcium : In addition to reducing fracture rates, 800–1200 mg/day (in the presence of adequate vitamin D nutrition) are beneficial for bone mineral density of the femur, neck and lumbar spine.
Copper : 1.3–1.5 mg/day should be adequate for older persons.
Chromium : 50 µg/day should achieve chromium balance in older persons.
Fat: 30% in sedentary older persons and 35% for active older persons. Consumption of saturated fats should be minimized and not exceed 8% of energy.
Folate : 400 µg/day have been shown to result in healthy homocysteine levels.
Iron : 10 mg/day are adequate for older men and women assuming there are no excessive iron losses (e.g. from hookworm or schistosomiasis).
Magnesium : Dietary intakes of magnesium, which have been estimated in western countries to be between 225–280 mg/day, appear to be sufficient for individuals over the age of 65.
Protein

Generally speaking, protein intakes of 0.9–1.1 g/kg per day are beneficial for healthy older persons.

Riboflavin : Riboflavin requirements for older persons appear to be the same as for the young. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 1.3 mg for men and for 1.1 mg for women.
Selenium : 50–70 µg/day should be more than adequate for older persons.
Vitamin An : 600–700 µg retinol equivalents/day represent an adequate intake for older persons.
Vitamin B12 : 2.5 µg/day either from a vitamin B12 supplement or foods fortified with vitamin B12.
Vitamin C : Requirements for vitamin C are the same as for younger people; 60–100 mg/ day appear to be adequate.
Vitamin D : 10–15 µg/day are needed to ensure optimal bone health in older persons.
Vitamin E : 100–400 IU/day have been shown to reduce recurrent cardiovascular disease.
Vitamin K : 60–90 µg/day are an adequate intake for older persons.
Zinc : Required intake for dietary zinc in people over 65:

Malnutrition weakens the immune system, increasing the risk of pneumonia and other serious infections and exacerbating existing health conditions. And it can also contribute to mental confusion. Very ill or disorientated people are unlikely to eat well, if at all, and they're more likely to end up in a hospital or long-term care facility, where they're vulnerable to pressure sores, infections, post-surgical complications and further malnutrition.

To combat high blood pressure and for overall cardiovascular health, also limit sodium to 2,300 mg or less per day. Some people — African Americans, middle-aged and older adults, and people with high blood pressure — need less than 1,500 mg per day. And if you drink alcohol, do so in moderation (no more than one drink a day for women, no more than two for men).Eight full glasses of fresh, pure water are the bare minimum for optimum health and well being.

Because 10-30% of older people may not absorb B12 from food very efficiently, it is recommended that those older than 50 years meet their daily requirement mainly through either foods fortified with vitamin B12 or a supplement containing B12.