As America’s first wave of Baby Boomers edges past 50, research shows that they have less wriggle room in their diet than they did when they were younger.
Bodies and lifestyles change with age, so that people need to adapt the way they eat and take care of themselves, especially if they want to remain active and disease free, experts say.
“The diet and health link is particularly important as you grow older,” said Jeffrey Blumberg, professor of nutrition at the Department of Agriculture’s Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston.
“Even if nutrient requirements didn’t change with age, we’d still have a problem,” he said, “because as people grow older they become more sedentary, expend less energy and tend to consume less food.
“When you eat less but require the same amount or more nutrients, you’ve got a problem,” Blumberg said.
One solution to this dilemma is to choose foods with “greater nutrient density,” or as dietitian Chris Rosenbloom phrased it, “quality calories.”
Simply stated: Older, less active people just can’t afford as much junk food and alcohol. Chips and martinis are high in calories and low in nutrients.
But although older adults consume less food, current research shows they actually require more protein, said Rosenbloom, a professor of nutrition at Georgia State University in Atlanta.
“Lack of protein can lead to muscle losssomething they can’t afford-as well as lower immunity with the risk of infection and disease when the immune system is not kept strong.”
There’s more involved, though.
Once into middle age, people become more susceptible to chronic diseases, Blumberg said.
“Many may be receiving drugs that deplete the appetite or restrict absorption of some nutrients, among other things,” he said. “The real average older person embodies many more problematic factors than just a sedentary lifestyle.”
As a person ages, his skin is less able to synthesize vitamin D from the sun, for instance. The stomach tends to secrete less acid, thus limiting the absorption of calcium, vitamin B12 and folic acid, just when the requirements for these substances may be higher, he said.
Older people also are increasingly susceptible to “oxidant stresses”; that is, they require stronger defenses against “free radicals,” those unstable byproducts of metabolism that can damage tissue. To protect themselves against such invaders, older people need more antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E and the carotenoids, than younger people do, Blumberg said.
These are not conditions that suddenly appear at 55 or 62 or 75.
“We start at age 50, when you begin to feel the effects of age,” said nutritionist/dietitian Ronni Chernoff. Chernoff, a professor of nutrition at the University of Arkansas, has worked with Rosenbloom and others on a campaign to acquaint the 70,000 members of the American Dietetic Association with the problems of an aging population.
In addition to the need for protein, calcium for bone health, vitamins and antioxidants, Chernoff stresses the need for exercise to retain the lean body mass (muscle), dietary fiber for disease prevention and digestion, and especially water.
Hydration is a serious problem for many older people, said Chernoff, who also is associate director of the Geriatric Re-search Center at Central Arkan-sas Health Care System.
Thirst sensitivity decreases with age, but people still need to get 8 to 10 glasses a day. “Even though they might not be thirsty, they need to push themselves.”
Dehydration is a frequent cause of hospitalization, particularly for those over age 65. It affects the kidneys, the digestive tract, body temperature regulation and other bodily functions.
So what’s the best way to go about adapting the way you eat to accommodate aging? And what benefits can you expect?
– Start with the wholesome foods you really like: If you like fruit, for example, get in the habit of eating an orange every morning, Blumberg said. Eat favorite seasonal fruits and vegetables, some with every meal.
– Figure out which foods have which nutrients: For carotenoids, look to apricots, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, greens, pumpkins, any foods with a lot of color, Rosenbloom said. To increase B vitamins look to enriched grains, cereal, pasta and rice. For fiber, choose whole-grain bread, brown rice, popcorn (instead of chips), dried fruits, oatmeal, and, of course any beans and legumes. Paperback guides to foods’ nutrients, such as those by Corinne T. Netzer, are widely available.
– Concentrate on protein: Some older people, concerned about their cholesterol, have abandoned such good protein sources as eggs and red meats. But four eggs a week and a little lean red meat are OK, Rosenbloom said, as are cheese, yogurt, canned tuna and beans.
Those who avoid meat or find it difficult to chew should try adding skim milk to soups, beans to cooked rice, skim-milk powder to cream soups and mashed potatoes, and yogurt to fruits.
– Fear of fat keeps people away from dairy products, Chernoff said, but they are missing a good source of protein, vitamin D and calcium.
“Some women think they don’t need calcium if they are on estrogen replacement therapy,” Rosenbloom said. “Not true. Also, a lot of medicines such as antacids and arthritis and thyroid medications may cause problems with calcium balance.
“If you are sick of milk, try yogurt. It’s a great source. Mix it into things. Then there is calcium-fortified juice, or fortified instant oatmeal.”
Benefits from such dietary improvements are not always readily apparent. “What you really want to see is no effect,” Blumberg said. “No heart attack, no cancer, no osteoporosis.”
MOVING TOWARD IMPROVEMENT
“As you age, it is more important to retain or increase the proportion of lean body mass,” or muscle, says nutrition professor Jeffrey Blumberg. “That’s what keeps you strong and functioning.”
To do that requires a nutrient-rich diet, but equally important is daily exercise.
Walking, biking, sports or even just a routine of climbing stairs helps maintain muscle and bone as you age, says Ronni Chernoff of the Geriatric Research Center in Little Rock.
Research shows that aerobic exercise or lifting weights increases stamina and endurance. You don’t need to join a health club. TV exercise programs and gardening also help.
“And you can see the payoff,” Blumberg says. Increased strength lets a person exercise longer. People who are stronger are better able to take care of themselves, and are less likely to fall.
“The best thing is, they feel better,” Blumberg says. S.P.
SUPPLEMENTS, NOT SUBSTITUTES
Talk about nutrients and vitamins invariably raises the question of whether to take dietary supplements.
Foods are the preferred source of the chemicals that keep the body healthy, most dietitians and researchers agree. At the same time, experts are aware that getting daily doses of some things such as vitamin E, vitamin B12 and folic acid can be difficult.
“Supplements are not substitutes for foods,” says Jeffrey Blumberg, professor of nutrition at the Department of Agriculture’s Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, “but when you look at your food choices and see that you need more calcium or more vitamin D, then supplements may help you.”
“For most older people I recommend a multivitamin supplement,” says Chris Rosenbloom, professor of nutrition at Georgia State University in Atlanta.
Antioxidants are more controversial, but vitamin C in daily amounts of 200 milligrams and vitamin E in 200- to 800-milligram amounts appear safe.
