How Does My Nutritional Needs Change As I Age?

People will continue to need food and nutrition to keep their body functioning properly. For all age groups, the bottom line is that good nutrition is important at all stages of life.

You may recall that when you were a child up until you reached early adulthood, you may have been able to eat almost anything you wanted without a care in the world. This was possible because the body at a younger age could effectively burn calories due to having an energetic lifestyle.

However, as people advance in age, their body systems and organs experience a gradual decline in health and level of activity.  Especially for adults as they approach age fifty and above. This state may mean that such individuals may experience poor nutrition as a result of several risk factors, which may include:

• The onset of poor health

• Poor eating habits

• Uncontrollable weight gain or loss

• Excessive intake of medications

• Poor dental hygiene

• Economic hardship

• Depression brought on by loneliness and lack of social contacts

• Inability to care for yourself

Nutritional Facts

To maintain good health at age fifty and above, it is important to understand the basic needs of an aging body in terms of nutrition. Older adults need the same nutrients as younger adults but in different quantities. As you get older, the number of calories needed is usually less than when you were younger. Contrary to popular belief, the basic nutritional needs of the body, at any age, do not decrease with time. A major requirement is maintaining or increasing the required nutrients without an increase in the consumption of calories.

For older adults, the aging process affects the body’s absorption of many nutrients. For example, an older body may not be able to absorb the daily required amount of calcium that may be needed. This situation arises because the stomach secretes less hydrochloric acid, which reduces the amount of absorbable calcium.

Nutrition Strategy for Older people

People over age fifty may want to consider focusing on ingesting more nutrients in order to absorb the amounts needed to curb a deficiency in vitamins or minerals. A basic plan should focus on increasing the levels of the following nutrients:

Calcium

Calcium is essential for maintaining the density and strength of the bone structure in the body. However, hormonal changes associated with aging decreases calcium absorption as the kidneys take out more calcium from the body. In addition, people aged 50 and above become increasingly lactose intolerant, which ends up reducing their intake of dairy products which is an excellent source of calcium. As a remedy, older adults may want to consider taking a calcium supplement to augment their calcium needs. You may want to consider consulting with your physician on whether or not a calcium supplement is recommended for you.

Iron

Iron plays an important role in carrying oxygen to the cells of the body. If you are trying to avoid eating red meat which is a good source of iron you may want to consider other alternate foods like fish, turkey, spinach, legumes, whole grains, and pumpkin seeds which are also good ways to obtain iron for your body.

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