Big Story | Nutrition and Healthy Ageing
Nutrition and Healthy Ageing
Alison Shepherd, RNutr MSc BSc (Hons) RGN Queens Nurse, Nurse Tutor Department of Primary and Intermediate Care, Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery, Kings College London – email:
Alison.shepherd@
kcl.ac.uk
Introduction Declining birth rates and increases in life expectancy have resulted in an ageing global population.1
Over the last 25
years, the percentage of the population aged 65 and over increased from 15 per cent in 1984 to 16 per cent in 2009 – an increase of 1.7 million people, with the fastest population increase seen in the number of those aged 85 and over, the ‘oldest old’.2
However, this increase in the ageing population is not being matched by a similar increase
in healthy life expectancy.3 Ageing is associated with physical decline, which can lead to the development of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, age-related macular degeneration and osteoporosis.4 Recent research has shown
that increasing frailty, malnutrition and cognitive decline are now highly prevalent in the elderly population.5 Having good health is the most important pre-requisite for people to enjoy life in their older years.6
There is a
wealth of evidence which suggests that good nutrition may have a significant impact on the ageing process and may also help reduce the risk of dementia.7 This article will focus on what constitutes a healthy diet in the ageing population and offers practical guidance as to how to try and prevent the ever growing problem of frailty, malnutrition, obesity and cognitive decline.
Diet lifestyle and disease The mechanisms contributing to healthy and pathological ageing are numerous8
proposes that a balanced diet, and, according to Pandey & Rizvi,9 the oxidative stress/free radical
theory offers the best mechanistic elucidation of the ageing process and other age-related phenomenon. However, Gille10
moderate physical activity and healthy lifestyle can postpone the development of age-related diseases and may also mitigate their symptoms. Indeed, there are several key dietary nutrients
which appear to play a pivotal role in slowing the disability cascade (see Figure 1).11 Furthermore, the polyphenols which occur
naturally in fruit, vegetables, tea, coffee, wine and some herbs are known to be
very powerful
antioxidants which may be used to ‘quench’ the free radicals associated with the development of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.7
Recent results from a vitamin B study12 are also very
promising, and will certainly inspire further research into the use of vitamin B in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
8 | Complete Nutrition Vol.10 No.6 December/January 2010/11 Healthy
Amino acids creatine DHA
vitamin D
Amino acids DHA/EPA vitamin D
Heart disease
Sarcopenia
Cognitive impairment
Immune Vision
DHA lutein
DHA dysfunction Frailty Disability Death
Figure 1: Nutrients and the Disability Cascade Reproduced with kind permission Morley et al201011
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69