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Healthy ageing isn’t all about wrinkles!

Keeping active helps maintain your mental and physical health. Photo: Barkatali Kerai

By 2033, nearly one third of the United Kingdom population will be aged 60 years or older. We are living longer — thankfully — but it’s not much fun having those extra years if you suffer from conditions that hamper your quality of life.

Nutrition plays an important role in the prevention of diet-related diseases, and food can also have social and psychological implications. Not being able to eat well — for example if you have difficulty chewing — can reduce the pleasure you get out of going to social events like weddings. Not eating well also affects your mood, and depression can influence what you eat, which in turn, affects your nutrient intake.

An inadequate diet will make you tired, and you won’t feel 100 per cent. At worst it can lead to deficiency diseases and conditions such as certain types of cancer.

What makes you take notice of what you eat?

Often, we only start to consider our diet when something goes wrong. If you are told your cholesterol is high, you might watch your calories or saturated fats. If you’re told you have diabetes, you will be more conscious of sugar.

A 2010 survey of 500 UK shoppers aged 18 – 75 found that 40 per cent were looking for products that would help them “maintain mental sharpness with age.” Over a fifth of them said they were personally affected by wrinkles. In a recent presentation to seniors within the UK Ismaili community, half of the participants said that digestive discomfort resulting from issues such as heartburn, acid reflux and gas, made them take notice of their eating habits.

Nutrients of concern

Oily fish such as salmon are packed with healthy omega 3 fats. Photo: Nazma Lakhani

The 2003 UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey suggests that older men had low intakes of vitamins A & D, folate (one of the B vitamins), iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc. Older women seem to be more likely to be low in vitamins A, D & B2, folate, iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc and iodine. And those people who live in care homes have been shown to be particularly low in vitamin C, D, iron, folate compared to those living in the community.

Seniors are also not eating enough fish, and surveys show low intakes of healthy omega 3 fats. These essential fats reduce inflammation and may help lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. They also appear to be important for memory and mental performance.

What you can do

If you’re not eating the right balance of foods, you are more at risk for a number of health problems such as constipation, anaemia, diabetes, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, overweight, coronary heart disease and stroke. Poor diet is also linked to declining mental health, changes to the nervous system and the immune system, cataract and some cancers. Here’s what you can do about it:

• Expose your skin to the sunlight for 15 minutes every day between March and September. Your body makes vitamin D from the action of sunlight on your skin. One of the biggest problems in older age is broken bones, and without adequate vitamin D, it is difficult for your body to absorb calcium to build strong bones. It’s best to get your vitamin D from the sun but in colder climates, that’s not always easy! Also, people with darker skins are not so efficient at making vitamin D in the sun. Look out for foods that are fortified with vitamin D: dairy products, some breakfast cereals and juices, for example.
• Choose nutrient-rich foods. As you get older, you tend to be less active and gain weight more easily. Illness and medication can affect your appetite and how well your body is able to digest and absorb nutrients. Problems like swallowing, poor dentition, or a reduced sense of taste and smell make it more difficult to get through meals. So it's important to think about eating foods that are “nutrient-dense”, providing more nutrients per calorie. For example, a standard bar of chocolate gives around 250 Calories and not much in terms of nutrients, while a bowl of bran flakes and semi skimmed milk provides a similar level of calories, but also calcium, protein, fibre, and a range of minerals and vitamins. Choosing the nutrient-dense option is a no-brainer!
• If you are over 65 years, take a supplement of at least 10 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin D every day. Indeed, you may also wish to also take an all-round vitamin and mineral supplement – be sure choose one that has no more than 100 per cent of the Recommended Daily Amount (RDA); you don’t need mega-doses. The recommended vitamin D dose in the UK is 10 mcg, but other countries suggest higher doses (Canada recommends 25 mcg per day and the USA suggests 15 mcg for people under 70 years and 20 mcg for those 71 and up.)
• Exercise also plays an important role in healthy ageing. Activities like walking and swimming can improve heart health, your mood and your overall well-being. Strengthening exercises can build muscle and reduce muscle loss, stretching keeps the body flexible and balance exercises can reduce the chances of a fall. Build regular physical activity into your daily routine to help reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease. Activity also helps you manage high blood pressure and diabetes, as well as helping you stay independent in older age.

Eating well can positively impact on your mood, your energy level and reduce your risk of disease. Maintaining a balanced diet with regular exercise is the most natural anti-ageing therapy you can find!

This article was adapted from a piece published in the July 2011 issue of The Ismaili UK.