Nutrition and the Elderly : Part 3

by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

(Page 3 of 4)

Another expert, however, does not advise the use of supplements. "I hate to make a recommendation for supplements," says Jean Pennington, associate director for dietary surveillance at the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, "unless in special cases when there is an illness or a physiological reason. Then a supplement might be indicated."

Generally, she adds, most people get adequate nutrients from the food supply. But if they can't or don't, she says, then supplements taken should not be greatly in excess of the RDA for that nutrient. Or, she continues, people should pay much closer attention to what they are eating and should select the most nutritious foods possible. "People should make the proper selection from the four basics," she says, "and should place more emphasis on grains and vegetables."

Enhancing food aromas is another way to stimulate appetite. "The parts of the brain for taste and smell are also connected to hunger/satiety," says Susan Schiffman of the Duke University Medical Center, Department of Psychology. "For example, if you stop eating a meal, you do so because your sense of taste and smell are satisfied; it's not that you feel full yet," she says.

Schiffman's research has enabled her to help dieters by finding ways to enhance food aromas that can also increase the taste experience. Dieters may eat less if their food has more flavor. But the same principle works in reverse for older people: Better-tasting food sparks appetites. She has found that enhancing food flavors will increase the consumption of the foods to which flavors have been added — and the increase in intake is greater for the people who have a greater loss of smell.

She explains that seniors can intensify tastes by adding flavors and sweeteners, like herbs (not spices, which may irritate), maple syrup, bacon bits, and butter flavoring. They also can heighten the appeal of their foods by "switching from food to food while eating. That keeps up sensory interest," she says. And when preparing meals, she suggests that seniors combine different textures to make food more appetizing — for example, putting crunchy Grapenuts on smooth frozen yogurt .

"Make eating a joyous experience," advises Martin. She describes how simple tricks can turn mealtimes into treats. For starters, she suggests shopping at convenient times when stores are likely to be uncrowded. Then she advises learning to make food budgets stretch by checking unit pricing — that way, people can afford to buy extras. She advises taking a creative approach to meal planning by experimenting with one new food or flavor a week, and to cooking by preparing meals that appeal to the senses. "We eat with our eyes," she says, "so meals should have color and texture and, of course, have taste sensations."

But perhaps the key to better eating lies not so much with the mechanics of food preparation as with the social aspects of eating. As most experts agree, mealtimes should be social occasions, spent eating in the company of others, whenever possible. If need be, senior citizens, particularly those living alone, should join a community group-dining program.

"An older person's loss of interest in eating is like a failure to thrive," says Pierre. "He or she is not getting enough stimulation or social interaction to feel life is worth living. But generally, once that person is in a social situation, the interest in food returns."

Pennington adds that using a feeding service to bring meals in to homebound seniors would ensure better nutrition — and presumably provide some mealtime socialization.

Until the problem hits home, most people may not worry about how an older person eats. But research confirms that we really are — at least to a large degree — what we eat. If older people have not laid a good nutrition foundation early in life, says Blumberg, they may be at risk for various chronic diseases, including heart attacks, artherosclerosis, cancer, diabetes, and osteoporosis. And if they continue to subsist on less than wholesome foods, they jeopardize quality of life. "Nutrition," concludes Blumberg, "must be a lifelong process."

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