Appropriate Food Choices for the Elderly
0026 Elderly persons have substantially inadequate intakes
of many of the micronutrients, as judged by the
adequacy of reported dietary intake in a number of
national surveys. This finding may be due, in part, to
the inaccuracy of many types of dietary records, espe-
cially in elderly persons. However, corroborating evi-
dence from studies of circulating nutrient levels and
enzymatic tests of biochemical deficiency suggest that
micronutrient inadequacies are widespread in the eld-
erly population. Decreased energy requirements, a
reduced ability to accurately regulate food intake,
and social factors all contribute to the poor dietary
intake of elderly persons. This, coupled with an
equivalent or even increased requirement for micro-
nutrients, necessitates a very different dietary pattern
in elderly persons with increased emphasis on
consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish, lean
meat, low-fat dairy products, and whole grains and
decreased intake of highly processed foods with a
relative deficiency of micronutrients. Recently, a
modified food guide pyramid for healthy individuals
aged 70 years and older was developed by Tufts
University scientists, placing greater emphasis on
the consumption of nutrient-dense foods, high-fiber
foods, and water. The modified pyramid also encour-
ages the use of calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B
12
supplements. While dietary supplements remain a
viable alternative to the provision of micronutrients
to the elderly population, this should not be a pre-
ferred option because supplements do not yet replace
the wide range of biologically active food constitu-
ents, many of which will probably come to be recog-
nized as playing important roles in the prevention of
chronic disease.
See also: Ascorbic Acid: Properties and Determination;
Calcium: Properties and Determination; Chromium:
Properties and Determination; Cobalamins: Properties
and Determination; Energy: Intake and Energy
Requirements; Folic Acid: Properties and Determination;
Protein: Requirements; Retinol: Properties and
Determination; Vitamins: Overview; Vitamin B
6
:
Properties and Determination; Water: Structures,
Properties, and Determination
Further Reading
Baik HW and Russell RM (1999) Vitamin B
12
deficiency in
the elderly. Annual Review of Nutrition 19: 357–377.
Chernoff R (1994) Thirst and fluid requirements. Nutrition
Reviews 52 (supplement 2): S3–S5.
Garry PJ and Vellas BJ (1996) Aging and nutrition. In:
Ziegler EE and Filer LJ (eds) Present Knowledge in
Nutrition, pp. 414–419. Washington, DC: ILSI Press.
Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board (1997)
Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus,
Magnesium, Vitamin D, and Fluoride. Washington,
DC: National Academy Press.
Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board (1998)
Dietary Reference Intakes for Thiamin, Riboflavin,
Niacin, Vitamin B-6, Folate, Vitamin B-12, Pantothenic
Acid, Biotin, and Choline. Washington, DC: National
Academy Press.
Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board (2000)
Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin C, Vitamin E,
Selenium, and Carotenoids. Washington, DC: National
Academy Press.
Jacques PF, Selhub J, Bostom AG, Wilson PWF and
Rosenberg IH (1999) The effect of folic acid fortification
on plasma folate and total homocysteine concentrations.
New England Journal of Medicine 340: 1449–1454.
Levine M, Rumsey SC, Daruwala R, Park JB and Wang Y
(1999) Criteria and recommendations for vitamin C
intake. Journal of the American Medical Association
281: 1415–1423.
National Research Council, Subcommittee on the 10th Edi-
tion of the RDAs, Food and Nutrition Board, Commis-
sion on Life Sciences (1989) Recommended Dietary
Allowances. 10th edn. Washington, DC: National
Academy Press.
Roberts SB, Fuss P, Heyman MB et al. (1994) Control of
food intake in older men. Journal of the American
Medical Association 272: 1601–1606.
Roberts SB and Hays NP (1998) Older people (a) nutri-
tional requirements. In: Sadler M, Caballero B and
Strain S (eds) Encyclopedia of Human Nutrition, pp.
1466–1473. London: Academic Press.
Russell RM, Rasmussen H and Lichtenstein AH (1999)
Modified food guide pyramid for people over seventy
years of age. Journal of Nutrition 129: 751–753.
Russell RM and Suter PM (1993) Vitamin requirements of
elderly people: an update. American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition 58: 4–14.
WHO (1985) Energy and Protein Requirements. Report of
a joint FAO/WHO/UNU expert consultation. Technical
Report Series 724. Geneva: World Health Organization.
Wood RJ, Suter PM and Russell RM (1995) Mineral
requirements of elderly people. American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition 62: 493–505.
AGING – Nutritional Aspects 87