CRC HDBK NUTR AGED PDF

Preface

As we age, lower levels of physical activity and food consumption accentuate changes associated with aging. Lower levels of income and finances substantially reduce nutritional state and ability to maintain health via adequate nutrition. Therefore, the main focus of this book is understanding the role of nutrition, as well as supplementation and undernutrition, in health in the elderly. Intuitively and scientifically, adequate diet and thus nutrition, education, and nutritional supplementation should improve the amount and quality of life in seniors.

Undernutrition and very low food intake, leading sometimes to malnutrition and starvation, are significant problems of seniors, especially when institutionalized. Therefore, the needs of the elderly, which differ from those of young adults and growing children, are defined for key nutrients. In addition, support mechanisms and ways to provide improved dietary intake in the institutionalized are described and evaluated. Assessment of nutritional status in the elderly presents special problems.

The association of diet and hypertension in seniors is important to increasing longevity, as are other nutritional problems including undernutrition. The aging adult offers a number of nutritional challenges, such as determining which nutrients or combination will promote health and how they affect cell structure and function. Nutritional support for surgery patients or those with anorexia are special needs of seniors, not just healthy young adults. Cells in older people have altered nutritional needs and biochemical activities, including protein turnover. Key systems that protect the individual, such as immune defenses, decline with age even under adequate nutrition. Therefore, knowledge of the changing composition of the body, its needs for micro- and macronutrients, and its nutritional state facilitates care and survival of older people. The overall focus of this book is on the role of altered nutritional intake and needs in health promotion in older people.