Balanced nutrition for older people. How to eat properly for older people Food after 80 years

Based on age classification information, people over 50 years of age are divided into three groups:

people of mature age - 50 - 60 years old.
elderly people - 61 - 74 years old.
elderly people - 75 years or more.

Aging is a natural process, biologically logical. It is based on a slowdown in a number of physiological and biochemical reactions, a decrease in resistance to external influences, etc.

There is a weakening of all body systems, including the digestive system.

The motor and excretory functions of the stomach are reduced. Such changes are typical for 80% of people over 50 years of age.
The acidity of gastric juice and its digestive ability decreases, which causes the development of putrefactive microflora in the intestines and negatively affects the digestion process.
The rate in the small intestine decreases by two to three times. Possible deterioration in absorption and.
Age-related changes are observed in the pancreas, salivary glands, and liver.

But first of all, the functioning of the cardiovascular system deteriorates in older people. Atherosclerosis arises and develops: a disease in which there is a thickening of the walls of blood vessels, loss of their elasticity and the appearance of fragility.

However, the aging process can be accelerated or slowed down through nutrition. Principles of rational nutrition in old age:

Limit your diet to avoid overeating.
Ensure high biological value of the diet.
Introduce anti-sclerotic orientation.

After 50 years, the diet corresponds to 2500 - 2600 kcal per day, the consumption of fats and sugar is limited.

Age and gender	kJ (kcal)	carbohydrates (grams)	fat (grams)	proteins (grams)

60 - 74 years
75 and older

60 - 74 years
75 and older

for older people especially important. Since at this time the adaptability of the body decreases, which can cause uncoordinated work that ensures the relative constancy of nutrients in the blood.

for older people prevents progression caused by the aging process of the enzymatic and excretory functions of the digestive glands. It is recommended to eat four meals a day, eating at the same time, which promotes high digestibility.

Increasing the frequency or number of meals reduces the excitability of the food center and reduces appetite. If you have a tendency towards obesity and increased appetite, it is advisable to eat five times a day. The same diet is justified for older people.

25 - 30% - for the 1st breakfast, 15 - 20% - for the 2nd breakfast, 40 - 45% - for lunch, 10 - 15% - for dinner.
25% (600 - 700 kcal) - for the 1st breakfast, 15% (300 - 400 kcal) - for the 2nd breakfast, 35% (900 - 1000 kcal) - for lunch, 25% (600 - 700 kcal) - for dinner.

If there is a tendency to obesity and an increase in the frequency of meals, a relatively even distribution of the energy value of the diet throughout the day is recommended, or additional intakes are provided - compote, kefir or fruit between meals (lunch and dinner) and before going to bed.

Rational organization nutrition for older people has a beneficial effect on metabolism (metabolism), supports performance and health.

Old age is a hereditary programmed phenomenon. Physiological, normal old age is not complicated by any sharp painful (pathological) process; it is the old age of practically healthy elderly (60-74 years old) and old (75-90 years old) people. Pathological, premature aging is complicated by diseases. Even with physiological old age, changes occur in metabolism and the state of organs and systems of the body. However, by changing the nature of nutrition, it is possible to influence the metabolism, adaptive (adaptive) and compensatory capabilities of the body and thus influence the pace and direction of the aging process. Rational nutrition in old age (herodietetics) is an important factor in the prevention of pathological developments in physiologically natural aging. The basics below gerodiethetics must be taken into account when organizing therapeutic nutrition for elderly and elderly people, i.e. in the practice of geriatrics - the treatment of diseases in old age.

Basic principles of nutrition for practically healthy elderly and old people:

strict compliance of the energy value of the diet with actual energy expenditure;
anti-sclerotic orientation of nutrition by changing the chemical composition of the diet and enriching it with products that are sources of anti-sclerotic substances;
variety of food products to ensure optimal and balanced content of all essential nutritional factors in the diet;
the use of foods and dishes that are fairly easy to digest, in combination with products that moderately stimulate the secretory and motor functions of the digestive organs;
strict adherence to a diet with a more uniform distribution of food into individual meals compared to young people;
individualization nutrition, taking into account metabolism and the condition of individual organs.

Recommended values for nutrient and energy needs for elderly and old people are given in Table 3 and Table 7 of the section “Physiological nutritional standards for various groups of the adult population.” The body's energy requirement in old age decreases due to a decrease in the intensity of metabolic processes and limited physical activity. On average, the energy value of the diet at 60-69 years old and 70-80 years old is 80 and 70%, respectively, of that at 20-40 years old. Some older people are prone to overeating.

The aging body is especially sensitive to excess nutrition, which not only leads to obesity, but, more than at a young age, predisposes to atherosclerosis, hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, cholelithiasis and urolithiasis, gout, etc., and ultimately contributes to premature aging.

On average, the energy value of the daily diet for elderly men and women should be 9.6 and 9.8 MJ (2300 and 2100 kcal), respectively, and for old people - 8.4 and 8 MJ (2000 and 1900 kcal). The energy value of the diet is limited by sugar, confectionery and flour products, fatty meat products and other sources of animal fats.

For older people who bear physical stress at work or at home, the indicated energy requirement may be increased. Control of energy compliance of nutrition with the needs of the body is the stability of body weight.

In old age, the intensity of self-renewal of proteins decreases, which determines a decrease in the need for proteins. However, insufficient protein intake aggravates age-related changes in metabolism and leads to various manifestations of protein deficiency in the body more quickly than at a young age.

The daily protein requirement for elderly men and women is on average 70 and 65 g, respectively, and for old people - 60 and 57 g, respectively. Animal proteins should make up 50-55% of the total protein. Low-fat dairy and fish products and non-fish seafood are desirable as sources of animal proteins. Animal and poultry meat is moderately limited.

Excessive intake of proteins negatively affects the aging body, causes excessive stress on the liver and kidneys, and contributes to the development of atherosclerosis.

Milk fats, which are easily digestible and contain lecithin and fat-soluble vitamins, can account for up to 1/3 of all fats in the diet. In old age, peasant, sandwich and especially dietary butter is more useful than regular butter.

At least 1/3 of the fats should be vegetable oils (20-25 g per day). Preferred are unrefined vegetable oils, which contain more substances important for older people such as phosphatides, sitosterol, vitamin E, as well as vegetable oils in their natural form (in salads, vinaigrettes, porridges), and not after heat treatment.

Fatty acids from vegetable oils have a positive effect on metabolism, in particular cholesterol, in the aging body. However, excessive consumption of vegetable oils is impractical due to their high energy value and the possibility of accumulation of oxidation products of unsaturated fatty acids in the body. For individual meals, the amount of fat with a high content of unsaturated fatty acids, including butter, should not exceed 10-15 g.

The diet limits cholesterol, but does not exclude foods that are both rich in it and anti-atherosclerotic substances (lecithin, vitamins, etc.), for example eggs, liver.

Dietary fiber is necessary to stimulate the motor function of the gastrointestinal tract and bile secretion, since constipation and congestion in the gallbladder are common in older people. Dietary fiber helps remove cholesterol from the body.

The diet is limited to easily digestible carbohydrates, primarily sugar, confectionery, and sweet drinks. Their content should not exceed 15% of all carbohydrates (up to 15 g per serving), and if you are prone to obesity - 10%. This is due to an age-related decrease in tolerance to carbohydrates, in particular due to changes in the insular apparatus of the pancreas, increased formation of fat and cholesterol due to easily digestible carbohydrates, and their adverse effect on the functions of the cardiovascular system of older people.

Sugar can be partially replaced with xylitol (15-25 g per day), which has a sweet taste and has a mild laxative and choleretic effect. Lactose and fructose should predominate among easily digestible carbohydrates (dairy products, fruits, berries).

In old age, it is possible that the body may be oversaturated with certain minerals, or they may be deficient. For example: calcium salts are deposited in the walls of blood vessels, joints and other tissues. If there is a deficiency of calcium in food or an excess of nutrients, its absorption deteriorates (phytins in grain and legume products, oxalic acid, fats), calcium is removed from the bones. This, especially against the background of a lack of proteins, can lead to senile osteoporosis.

The body's need for elderly and elderly people for calcium is 0.8 g, and for phosphorus - 1.2 g. It is advisable to increase the amount of magnesium to 0.5-0.6 g per day, taking into account its antispastic effect, the ability to stimulate intestinal motility and bile secretion , normalize cholesterol metabolism.

If the potassium content in the diet is sufficiently high (3-4 g per day), the amount of sodium chloride should be moderately limited to 10 g per day, mainly by reducing the consumption of salty foods. This is of particular importance if you are prone to high blood pressure.

For hypertension, the diet should contain less than 10 g of salt (see “Nutrition for hypertension”). The iron requirement is 10-15 mg per day, regardless of gender. If the diet is dominated by grain products and little meat, fish, fruits and berries, this amount of iron may be insufficient.

It should be taken into account that in old age iron deficiency anemia is often observed, especially in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, with physiological old age, bone marrow iron reserves decrease and the efficiency of iron incorporation into red blood cells decreases.

With physiological aging, the metabolism of a number of vitamins changes, but these changes do not indicate an increased need for vitamins. However, some older and older people experience vitamin deficiency due to poor nutrition or impaired absorption of vitamins. In case of diseases, vitamin deficiency in the body occurs faster in old age than in young age.

The vitamin requirements of practically healthy elderly people are presented in Table. Section 7 "Physiological nutritional standards for various groups of the adult population". We must focus on providing vitamins from their natural sources - food. This does not exclude additional fortification, in particular vitamin C in the winter-spring period, as well as periodic intake of multivitamin preparations (decamevit, undevit, etc.) in small doses - 1 tablet per day. In case of illness, these doses are increased. Excessive intake of vitamins is harmful to the aging body.

The basic principles of the diet of elderly and old people are regular meals, the exclusion of long intervals between them, and the exclusion of large meals. This ensures normal digestion and prevents overstrain of all body systems that ensure the absorption of nutrients.

With physiological aging, the functions of the digestive organs are moderately reduced, but adaptive capabilities are significantly limited, so large food loads may be unbearable for them.

The most rational diet is 4 meals a day:

1st breakfast— 25% of the daily energy value of the diet.
2nd breakfast — 15-20%.
Dinner — 30-35%.
Dinner — 20-25%.
For the night It is advisable to consume fermented milk drinks and fruits.

For diseases of elderly and elderly people, a 5-time diet is desirable:

1st breakfast — 25%.
2nd breakfast — 15%.
dinner — 30%.
dinner — 20%.
2nd dinner— 10% of the daily energy value of the diet

For healthy elderly and old people there are no prohibited foods, but only more or less preferred ones. It is unacceptable to become addicted to any one or a group of food products, since even their high nutritional value cannot compensate for the defects of one-sided nutrition.

The transition of older people from their usual diet to vegetarianism, eating only raw food, etc. is not physiologically justified. The “Methodological recommendations for organizing nutrition for elderly and senile people” developed by the Institute of Nutrition and the Institute of Gerontology offers a list of products and dishes for elderly and old people.

Bread and flour products: wheat and rye bread, better than yesterday's baked goods, bread containing bran, soy flour, phosphatides (lecithin) and seaweed; crackers, cookies. Butter dough is limited.

Soups: vegetarian, vegetable (cabbage soup, beetroot soup, borscht), fruit, cereal. Low-fat meat and fish broths no more than 2-3 times a week.

Meat, poultry, fish: low-fat varieties, mainly boiled, possibly followed by frying, baked and chopped (cutlets, dumplings, meatballs). Non-fish seafood (squid, mussels, etc.), in particular stewed or baked with vegetables, salads with vegetables, etc.

Dairy products: All types are widely recommended, preferably low-fat (milk, fermented milk drinks, buttermilk and whey, semi-fat and low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat and low-salt cheeses). Limit cream, sour cream, fatty cottage cheese, salty and fatty cheeses.

Eggs: up to 2-4 per week. Soft-boiled, milk-protein omelettes, in dishes. Limit egg yolks.

Cereals: porridge, casseroles, puddings from various cereals in combination with milk, cottage cheese, dried fruits, carrots. Limit rice, pasta, and legumes.

Vegetables: a variety of raw and boiled. Dishes made from vegetables and seaweed (salads, vinaigrettes, side dishes) are widely recommended. Spinach and sorrel are limiting.

Snacks: low-fat types of boiled sausages and frankfurters, ham, mild cheeses, boiled jellied fish, lightly salted or soaked herring, seafood, vegetable salads and vinaigrettes with vegetable oil. Limit smoked, salted, spicy snacks, caviar, canned snack foods.

Fruits, sweet dishes, sweets: various fruits in any form - raw, dry, baked, puree, jelly, compotes, jellies, etc. Dairy jellies, jelly. Dessert dishes are semi-sweet or xylitol-based. Honey is preferable instead of sugar. Limit sugar, confectionery, especially cream, chocolate, ice cream.

Sauces and spices: dairy, vegetable broth, fruit, tomato. Citric acid, vinegar, vanillin, cinnamon, allspice, bay leaf, spicy vegetables - in moderation. Horseradish and mayonnaise are limited, meat, fish, mushroom sauces, and mustard are excluded.

Drinks: weak coffee and tea, possibly with milk, coffee drinks, fruit, vegetable and berry juices, fruit drinks, rosehip and wheat bran decoctions. Kvass and carbonated drinks are limited.

Fats: Various types of cow butter - limited (3-5 g per serving) for sandwiches and dressing in prepared meals. Limited - lard and margarine. It is advisable to exclude lamb, beef, and cooking fats. Vegetable oils are widely used - for salads, vinaigrettes, marinades, in dishes, etc.

When organizing meals for elderly and elderly people in social security institutions, they are guided by food set standards.

Norms of daily food consumption per person in homes for the elderly and disabled (adults)

Products	Weight (g)	Products	Weight(g)
Rye bread	125	Fresh fruits and juices	100
» wheat	175	Dried fruits	10
Wheat flour	20	Vegetable oil	33
Pasta	10	» animal	15
Cereals	30	Meat (beef)	100
Sugar	55	Fish (low-fat)	70
Starch	2	Milk	200
Potato	300	Kefir	200
Vegetables - total	300	Cottage cheese (low fat)	50
beet	50	Sour cream	16
carrot	40	Cheese	10
cabbage	100	Eggs (pieces)	0,3
onion	30	Tea	2
cucumbers	20	Coffee	1
other	60

Local characteristics may necessitate the replacement of some products with others that are similar in chemical composition. It is advisable to replace meat with fish, dairy products with cottage cheese, milk with kefir, eggs with fish, cheese, cottage cheese, one type of vegetables with others available, etc.

You should not replace cereals with legumes, which are poorly digestible at this age. The specified food set is close to the requirements of a balanced diet for elderly and elderly people and contains about 75-80 g of fat, 330-350 g of carbohydrates; 9.2-10 MJ (2200-2400 kcal). The food set provides the need for minerals and vitamins, with the exception of vitamin C.

For diseases of elderly and elderly people who require therapeutic nutrition, one should be guided by existing recommendations for dietary therapy of specific diseases, but with changes in the energy value, chemical composition and food set of therapeutic diets, taking into account the considered principles of nutrition for physiological old age. For example, for peptic ulcers in diet No. 1, dairy products, fish and egg whites are preferred as sources of animal protein due to a slight decrease in the digestive capacity of the digestive system in old age.

Egg yolks are limited in the diet to 3-4 per week, refined vegetable oils are increased by reducing the amount of butter, which are added to fish and vegetable dishes, and low-fat kefir (5-10 g per glass).

With the so-called “senile” stomach ulcer, decreased secretion of gastric juice is noted, so it is advisable to change diet No. 1 towards a slightly less strict chemical sparing.

In elderly and elderly people with peptic ulcers, treatment with “greens” is sometimes justified - 3-4 times a day before the main meal of raw, well-chopped vegetables and fruits (carrots, cabbage, lettuce, apples, etc.) with the addition of vegetable oils.

For chronic pancreatitis in diet No. 5p, the protein content should be reduced from 110-120 g to 80-100 g. This also applies to other diets with a recommended increase in proteins. For obesity in elderly and old people, diet No. 8 and 8a is indicated, but not No. 8o.

With long-term, non-progressive and moderate obesity (grade 1), there is no need for special diets. However, with concomitant diabetes mellitus, which in older people often occurs due to a decrease in tissue sensitivity to insulin (see “Nutrition for Diabetes Mellitus”), it is necessary to reduce excess body weight.

Diet changes during drug therapy for elderly and elderly people are very important (see “Features of therapeutic nutrition during drug therapy”), taking into account the characteristics of the aging body’s response to drugs and a decrease in their excretion due to age-related changes in the kidneys. If sick elderly and elderly people can be assigned a common table, then instead of diet No. 15, diet

Adaptation to old age

Recently, publications have appeared in the press on the problem of adaptation to old age. In this case, the concept of adaptation expands somewhat, moving from the biological area to the socio-psychological area. The issues raised in these works are of significant theoretical and practical interest.

Therapeutic exercise and self-massage for the elderly

In an older person, motor activity usually decreases. It is difficult for him to bend over and sit down due to pain in the spine, knee, hip, and shoulder joints.

Special exercises will help reduce stiffness and pain in movements. They should be performed with the greatest possible amplitude, avoiding severe pain.

Life of an elderly person

Health must be protected. This simple truth is known to everyone, but not everyone, unfortunately, follows it. But in old age frivolity is unacceptable, although somehow forgivable in youth.

But it would be wrong to go to the other extreme and focus only on your illnesses, constantly “listening to yourself.” It is very important that even after retirement a person’s life is filled with meaning: doing work that is feasible, doing something you love, and helping your family with the housework will not allow you to withdraw into yourself or go into illness.

SAMPLE MENU FOR AN ELDERLY PERSON

Monday

1st breakfast. Omelette, oatmeal porridge with milk, tea with milk.

2nd breakfast. Fresh fruits or berries, baked apple.

Dinner. Vegetarian cabbage soup with vegetable oil, boiled meat, baked with mashed potatoes, compote.

Afternoon snack. Rosehip decoction, vegetable or fruit juice.

Dinner. Curd pudding, cabbage rolls stuffed with vegetables. They are prepared in vegetable oil.

For the night. Curdled milk.

1st breakfast. Curd cheese, rice milk porridge, tea with milk, bread.

Dinner. Pearl barley soup, milk soup, meatballs with stewed carrots, compote, bread.

Dinner. Boiled fish with cabbage in vegetable oil, kefir, pilaf with fruit, tea, bread.

For the night. Curdled milk, bun.

For the whole day, 250 g of bread, 30 g of sugar, 10 g of butter.

1st breakfast. Salad with meat, buckwheat porridge with vegetable oil, tea with milk, bread.

Dinner. Vegetarian cabbage soup with sour cream, beef stroganoff with potatoes, compote, bread.

Afternoon snack. Vitamin juice – 1 glass.

Dinner. Lapshevnik with cottage cheese, carrot balls with apples, tea with milk, bread.

For the night. Curdled milk or kefir, cookies.

1st breakfast. Cottage cheese with milk and sugar, rice milk porridge, tea with milk, bread.

2nd breakfast. Fruit or fresh vegetable salad with vegetable oil.

Dinner. Vegetarian borscht with vegetable oil, chopped schnitzel with buckwheat porridge, compote, bread.

Afternoon snack. Vitamin juice – 1 glass.

Dinner. Boiled meat with vegetables, bread pudding with sweet gravy, tea, bread.

For the night. Kefir, bun.

1st breakfast. Herring with vegetables and vegetable oil, butter, semolina milk porridge, tea with milk, bread.

2nd breakfast. Fresh fruits or berries, or a baked apple.

Dinner. Soup – milk puree of vegetables, boiled meat, baked in mashed potatoes, compote, bread.

Afternoon snack. Vegetable or fruit juice.

Dinner. Krupenik with cottage cheese, carrot-apple cutlets, tea with milk, bread.

For the night. Curdled milk.

Breakfast. Boiled sausage, pearl barley porridge, tea, bread.

Dinner. Fresh vegetable salad with vegetable oil, vegetarian vegetable soup with sour cream, meat with stewed carrots, jelly, bread.

Afternoon snack. Vitamin juice – 1 glass.

Dinner. Curd pudding, cabbage schnitzel with vegetable oil, apple soufflé, bread, tea with milk.

For the night. Kefir, bun.

Sunday

1st breakfast. Cottage cheese with milk and sugar, butter, wheat-pumpkin milk porridge, tea, bread.

2nd breakfast. Fresh vegetable salad with vegetable oil.

Dinner. Beetroot soup, pilaf with boiled meat, compote, bread.

Afternoon snack. Rosehip decoction, fruit or vegetable juice.

Dinner. Jellied fish. Carrot balls with apples, tea, bread.

For the night. Kefir, cookies.

From the book Dietary Nutrition author Ilya Melnikov

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Healthy nutrition for the elderly is aimed at maintaining the active functioning of the body, providing it with useful substances and energy. At the same time, it must take into account the slowing metabolism, as well as the individual needs of a particular person.

Principles of proper nutrition for older people

Calorie counting and energy balance of food. Both overeating and consuming large amounts of carbohydrates cause serious harm to the body.
Prevention of vascular atherosclerosis by including fish, cottage cheese, fruits, vegetables and other cholesterol-lowering foods in the diet.
Maximum variety of the daily menu to maintain normal functioning of the body and stimulate appetite.
Adequate intake of minerals and vitamins. When preparing dishes, it is important to select recipes that preserve the nutritional value of the food. In addition, older people should consume raw vegetables and fruits, fresh juices, and dried fruits.
Easy digestibility of food. In adulthood, the digestive activity of the stomach decreases. In this regard, you need to avoid foods that can complicate the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Dishes that older people should avoid

Homemade and store-bought canned goods.
Foods high in salt.
Baking and confectionery products.
Fast food and dishes prepared according to similar recipes.
Semi-finished meat products and sausages.
Carbonated and alcoholic drinks.

According to the age classification, the population over 60 years of age is divided into two age groups: the first is 60-74 years old, the second is over 74 years old.

The aging process is a slow accumulation of age-related changes that manifest themselves at all levels of the body. The changes and causes that shape aging include: a decrease in daily energy expenditure, a decrease in redox processes, the prevalence of dissimilation processes over assimilation processes, the presence of degenerative atrophic processes in the body, as well as a weakening of the functions of the digestive system - a decrease in the acidity of gastric juice, disorders pancreas and liver.

Changes in the gastrointestinal tract affect the digestion and absorption of nutrients. A decrease in the acidity of gastric juice can cause the development of vitamin B12 deficiency - anemia. In older people, there is a deterioration in the absorption of calcium and vitamin D, which leads to thinning and decreased bone density - the disease osteoiorosis.

In old age, the elasticity of the walls of blood vessels decreases, which leads to the development of hypertension.

When organizing nutrition for older people, it is necessary to take into account all the changes occurring in the body.

Since there is a need to somewhat limit the amount of food, especially at one time, problems arise with providing the diet with biologically active nutrients.

The diet of older people must include nutrients with anti-sclerotic and lipotropic properties.

It is necessary to include foods rich in fiber in your diet in order to remove excess cholesterol and stimulate intestinal motility.

Of great importance in the nutrition of people in this category is the enrichment of the diet with fermented milk products, the most important part of which is lactic acid, which has biological activity. Lactic acid also inhibits the development of putrefactive and some pathogenic bacteria. With the help of fermented milk products, it is possible to limit the formation in the intestines of putrefactive microbes of harmful substances involved in the development of atherosclerosis.

Nutrient requirements

. For elderly people, in accordance with the physiological norms of food requirements (1991), the amount of protein for men under 75 years old is 68 g, over 75 years old - 61 g per day. For women - 61 and 55 g, respectively. In terms of 1 kg of body weight, the protein requirement is 1-1.3 g. It is unacceptable to include an excess amount of protein, which leads to the development of atherosclerosis and strain on the liver and kidneys.

. Low-fat dairy and fish products, as well as seafood, are recommended in the diet of older people.

The fat requirements of older people correspond to 77 and 65 g for men and 66 and 57 g for women. The proportion of vegetable fats should be at least 30% to provide the body with polyunsaturated fatty acids. The inclusion of oleic and linolenic fatty acids (olive oil, seafood, flaxseed and hemp oils) in the diet reduces blood viscosity, prevents blood clots, and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Foods high in fat should be excluded from the diet.

. Carbohydrates, as the main source of energy, should make up 50-55% of the total calorie intake. The daily requirement for carbohydrates is 335 and 280 g for men and 284 and 242 g for women. The share of simple sugars in elderly people should not exceed 10-15% of the total amount of carbohydrates, since their excess leads to increased cholesterol synthesis in the liver, increased blood sugar and the risk of cancer. For people in this category, it is recommended to include a sufficient amount of fiber and other complex carbohydrates in their diet. A sufficient amount of dietary fiber in the diet helps stimulate intestinal motility, the formation of beneficial intestinal microflora, and the prevention of cancer.

. In the nutrition of older people, vitamins are given special importance, especially those that have antisclerotic, hypotensive (lower blood pressure), lipotropic and antioxidant effects.

Among these vitamins we can highlight vitamins B 6, PP, folic acid, vitamin E, β-carotene. In old age, it is necessary to constantly maintain the physiological level of vitamin C in the body, as it increases redox processes, normalizes metabolism, slowing down the aging process, has a lipotropic effect, and helps iron absorption.

In old age, cases of polyhypovitaminosis (deficiency of several vitamins) are often observed.

To compensate for vitamin deficiency, it is necessary to provide the body with a balanced diet; in some cases, it is recommended to use vitamin complexes.

Minerals. With age, a large amount of minerals accumulates in the human body, especially Ca salts. They are deposited in the walls of blood vessels and joints, disrupting their motor ability. Along with this, the concentration of minerals in some tissues decreases. Often in older people there is a slight release of calcium from the bones.

If there is insufficient intake of calcium from food, if its absorption is impaired, a decrease in the density and mass of bone tissue occurs, which leads to osteoporosis. The calcium requirement for elderly people is 1000 mg per day.

In old age, especially in women, iron deficiency is noted. In old age, dehydration is possible due to lack of fluid or sodium intake.

Diet. Due to the decrease in the functions of the digestive tract, it is necessary to adhere to 4-5 meals a day at a strictly defined time, and avoid long breaks between meals.

Physiological norms of needs for basic nutrients and energy for elderly and senile people are presented in Table. 1.

Table 1. Norms of physiological needs for nutrients and energy for elderly and senile people