The Best Diets For Older Adults
A person or an individual is identified as an older adult when he/she is of ages 50 and above. Older adults are faced with a lot of health challenges that are life-threatening as a result of body build-up, and that’s why the best diets for older adults is essential.
Healthchallenges faced by older adults as a result of bad diet being consumed, which are:
Diabetes: as a result of the consumption of excess sugar into the body. This can be in various forms, such as:
In tea consumption
In food preparation, etc.
Diabetes symptoms are excessive urination, frequent thirst for water, loss of appetite, dry tongue, etc.
Side effects of diabetes on older adults health: it affects the kidney (Renal problem). If early detected and proper health precautions are taken it safeguards such a person’s life, but if not detected and treated early, it results in DEATH.
In accordance to various researches carried out abouthealth, it has been opined that older adults are not meant to consume anything that comes across them, rather, they are intended to consume with proper consideration of such diet on their health.
Diet refers to the total of food that a person or other organisms consume. Although there are diets that are considered good diets for older adults, there are also diets considered as best diets for older adults which give a lot of nutritional values to the aged adults’ without any form of side effect.
Such diets include
MILK:is a form of a liquid which can be in powder or wetform. There are various sources of milk, andthe most common is cow milk which is highly loadedwith calcium.
As older adults, it is essential to include milk consumption in one’s diet because of its numerous health benefits, which are: it is rich in calcium which is necessary for healthy bones, helps older adults in easy digestion, etc.
Followingvarious health researches, the findings revealed that the inclusion of milk in older adult’s diet helps in staying healthy in terms of nutrition.
FRUITS: fruits such as orange, watermelon, cucumber and so on, should be an essential part ofan older adults diet because fruits are naturally good for health and it contains vitamins and minerals that can help to keep older adult health. Fruitsalso help to guide an older adult body against some diseases.
Fruitsconsist of various vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins A, C, and E, magnesium, zinc, phosphorous and folic acid.
Health benefits of Fruits in older adults dietary:
Fruits consumption reduces obesity in older adults.
It maintains a healthy weight in older adults.
Lower cholesterol in older adults.
It lowers blood pressure in older adults.
Helps in protection against diseases in older adults, such as Type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, etc.
Therefore, as older adults, it is advisable based on health that one should ensure daily consumption of varieties of fruits, in other to stay healthy.
VEGETABLES:vegetables are available in many varieties. It helps to protect the body against some diseases because of its richness in fiber content. Vegetables are low in salt, sugar, and fat.
Diets that are highly rich in vegetables can help protect the body against cancer, diabetes and heart diseases.
As older adults, it is imperative to include vegetables in one’s diet because of its numerous health benefits to the body which cannot be overemphasized. In the consumption of vegetable, it should be consumed in varieties and daily.
LEGUMES: it contains several vital nutrients which help to supply older adult’s body with the nutrients needed in other to prevent some diseases and disorderliness in the body.
Health benefits of legumes in older adults diets are:
Source of protein.
Serves as a source of antioxidant which helps older adults to fight against chemicals that result in physical aging to cancer and inflammation.
Enhances healthy heart in older adults that prevent heart attack, stroke, etc.
It helps in reducing the risk of cancer.
FISH: fish is an aquatic animal which is highly richin protein and has low-fat content. It provides a high level of nutritional benefits when consumed.
As older adults, it is advisable based on health to include fish in one’s diet in other to make the diet healthier for the body.
Health benefits of fish in older adults’diet are:
It lowers the risk of heart disease.
It reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
It helps lower the symptoms of depression.
It helps improve vision and eye health.
It helps lower cholesterol in the body.
It speeds up your metabolism.
Conclusion
When one attains the stage to be classified as older adults, one must take one’s health more seriously.
According to various health researches conducted, from the conclusion drawn based on data collected, it is observed that the majority of death that are rampant among older adults are not natural but as a result of negligence regarding one’s health which later results in death, injury or diseases.
Therefore, as older adults, it is vitalthat one consumes ‘BEST DIET’ and not just any diet because YOUR HEALTH IS YOUR WEALTH; make a wise decision regarding your health.
Thanks!!!