The average lifespan has continued to increase as improvements in health care and medications have continued to be implemented. In 1997, the average life expectancy was 73 for males and 80 for females. (Source: Sigelman 1999) Currently, 13% of the population is 65 and older, and the 85 and older population is the fastest growing segment of all. It is estimated that 20% of the population will belong to this group by the year 2030, with the estimated number being around 73 million. (Source: Science Daily: March 8, 2010)
Because there are so many people who are living to such advanced ages, it is important that they get the proper nutrition so that they can stay strong and active. There are several considerations to keep in mind for the older adult and nutrition, including their declining physical and mental health status. Increased protein needs should also be considered for this segment of the population, and it might be not only beneficial but necessary to consider adding supplements to the diet to ensure that adequate nutrition is being received, not only for protein but for other nutrients as well.
Jake is a friendly guy; he loves to see the people who come in once a day to set up his meds, tidy his house and to help him get dressed for the day. He spends most of his time on his front porch during the summer months, greeting the neighbors as they come and go. The problem is that Jake is not eating properly. He forgets to cook, and sometimes he simply forgets to eat. He has been ill with a stomach virus off and on for a few weeks and is feeling a little weak and dizzy.
When his home care worker arrives one morning, she finds him barely able to stand and very confused, very different from the Jake that she has known for years. She calls the emergency squad and gets him to the hospital, fearing the worst. Thankfully, Jake is suffering from a case of food poisoning, probably from eating food that has been improperly stored. A check of his home finds several opened containers of food that are not being kept at the proper temperature. In addition to the food poisoning, Jake is badly dehydrated, and after some blood work is also found to be deficient in a number of nutrients.
When Jake returns home, he is given increased home care time and is enrolled in the Meals on Wheels program, which will give him a hot and nutritionally balanced meal once a day plus additional meals for the weekends. This also gives him a secondary person that is checking on him throughout the day when his home care workers are not there. His doctor also gives him a protein supplement, Profect, which he can use after his morning medications and before his evening meds. He can also consume additional shots throughout the day because his protein needs are increased over what they were previously.
Studies have shown that trying to keep adults in their own homes for as long as possible is more cost effective and can keep them mentally and physically healthy and active for much longer than warehousing them in overcrowded and very expensive long-term care facilities.
Research has shown that the barriers to proper nutrition with older adults include a lack of appetite, improperly fitting, broken, or missing dentures, lack of money to buy nutritious foods, changing tastes, ill health, and dementia. Depression in the elderly affects their ability and their desire to get proper nutrition as well. A final consideration for the lack of proper nutrition in the elderly may be some of their medications, which can decrease appetite or increase their daytime sleepiness to the point where they are not eating.
How Much Protein is Suggested for This Age Group?
For the average, fairly active adult, the suggested amount of protein is about .8 grams per kilogram of body weight. For the elderly adult, however, that suggestion is at least 1 gram per kilogram of body weight. While it might seem like a lot of protein to be getting, especially for those who are just not eating very well, it is easily accomplished. The average amount of protein needed per day is between 54 and 68 grams of protein. (Source: Feinstein 1996)
When you mention protein to many older adults, they automatically assume that you mean steak and other big slabs of meat. Many adults cannot afford steak, cannot chew it and no longer enjoy the taste. There are other sources of protein, including chicken (three ounces has 27 grams of protein), fish (three ounces of tuna has 25 grams of protein) and skim milk (one cup has 10 grams of protein plus calcium). Profect, a protein supplement from Protica, is also a good source, with 25 grams of protein in less than three ounces. It also supplies 100% of the RDI of vitamin C and 10% of the vitamin B complex, which are both often deficient in older adults.
Free Radicals and Antioxidants
Free radicals are cells that occur naturally in the body which can cause damage, not only internally but to the body’s outward appearance as well. In addition, free radicals are increased by other factors, including cigarette smoking, chronic infections, and overexposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
The more free radicals there are in the body, the more damage that can be done by the body, which accelerates aging and can lead to chronic conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, cataracts, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists believe that free radicals may do more than just contribute to the aging process, they may directly cause it. Science has also found that 40-50% of all of the proteins in an older adult may be damaged by these free radicals (Source: Feinstein 1996).
Antioxidants fight the damage of free radicals in the body – free radicals attack normal cells and steal or destroy their electrons. Antioxidants give up their own electron to the free radicals so that they do less damage to the body’s cellular makeup. Each of the antioxidants relies on other nutrients in the diet to work effectively. For instance, one may not work if there is not enough zinc or copper in the diet and another may fail if there is a deficiency of selenium, making a varied and healthy diet even more important. Because the older adult is not getting enough food, they are going to need supplementations of these nutrients as well.
There are some cautions with these supplements, however, especially with vitamin E, which can be problematic in those who are taking blood-thinning medications. For instance, those who are taking a daily aspirin for heart health should avoid additional vitamin E because it can lead to bleeding.
Protica Research (Protica, Inc.) specializes in the development of Capsulized Foods. Protica manufactures Profect, IsoMetric, Pediagro, Fruitasia and over 100 other brands, including Medicare-approved, whey protein shots for diabetic patients. You can learn more at Protica Research – Copyright