Nutritional needs of the elderly
IN Malaysia, food is so important that, for some, a common way of greeting is “Have you eaten?”
Even so, eating well and getting sufficient nutrition for the body are mutually exclusive topics, especially for the elderly aged 65 and above.
Consultant geriatrician at Sunway Medical Centre Dr Philip Poi Jun Hua shared that the biggest problems most elderly have is maintaining their health. That includes having adequate hydration, nutrition and exercise. In fact the elderly require more exercise for as they get older as the amount of activities they do lessen.
This could be due to less social activity or reduced physical activity – perhaps because their surroundings or situation is not as conducive or safe nowadays.
For some, recreational spots like parks, may not be as available or near, while ones available may not be suitable for them to use physically.
Dr Poi said some recent journal studies suggested that those above 60 years old should exercise six times a week to maintain their muscle while those younger usually get by with only three.
Dr Poi shared that most of the elderly do not do sufficient muscle-building, or resistive exercises, which are important to maintain bone and muscle health. By neglecting, eventual muscle atrophy could cause them to be unstable on their feet, causing them to fall.
When that happens many consequences occur.
“We have done studies that show up to 25% of those over 65 years old who were hospitalised after a fall, die within a year,” said Dr Poi.
“The reason is because they are already in a frail state,” he explained.
On the nutritional side, many within the senior age group especially those 80 years and above, have also lost their teeth over time or have dental issues.
For that, nutrition becomes an issue as they cannot eat enough vegetable fibres and protein, or drink enough fluids. The elderly need at least 1g of protein for every kilogramme of body weight daily. But a 100g of protein is not equivalent to a 100g of meat, which comprises 70-80% of water. To get 20g of protein in a meal, they will need to consume approximately 100-120g of meat or fish. Such information can be sourced on the Internet and gives an idea how much meat to eat per meal.
Ideally, it would be best to spread the consumption of protein intake over three meals.
A person weighing about 60kg would need 60g of protein to optimise his maintenance of muscle mass. That amount should be divided equally across the three daily meals a day, resulting the requirement of 20g protein per meal.
Most of the elderly do not do sufficient muscle-building, or resistive exercises, which are important to maintain bone and muscle health.
Dr Poi pointed out that there is no point taking all 60g in just one meal as the body’s maximal efficiency in absorbing protein (in the form of amino acids) is about 20 to 30g only – any more is wasteful.
Excessive intake of protein in ageing kidneys can stress the organ and lead to high blood urea.
Excessive urea accumulation also causes gout or renal problems.
While many nowadays who attend gyms are used to drinking protein supplement shakes, the elderly prefer more palatable and nutritious alternatives that combine carbohydrates and some fat to make the drink balanced.
For those without teeth, nutritional supplement drinks help top up their daily nutritional needs. But Dr Poi reminded that such drinks are still regarded as “supplements” and not as “replacements”.
The elderly would still need to eat proper food to counter deficiencies.
This article is from Abbott Laboratories (M) Sdn Bhd, which markets the Ensure family of supplement drinks.
For more information, call the Abbott Nutrition Careline at 1800 886 233 (9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday except public holidays) or log on to abbottnutrition.com.my.