Prevencija pothranjenosti u starijoj dobi

S godinama se energetske potrebe smanjuju, no potrebe za vitaminima i mineralima uglavnom ostaju iste, uz nekoliko iznimaka*. Zbog smanjenih energetskih potreba, manje jedemo, što otežava unos svih potrebnih hranjivih tvari te može dovesti do pothranjenosti. Srećom, postoje načini kako to spriječiti.

Pothranjenost je stanje koje nastaje kada organizam tijekom duljeg perioda kroz hranu i piće ne prima dovoljno energije i hranjivih tvari. To dovodi do smanjenja rezervi proteina i masti u tijelu, gubitka težine, smanjenja mišićne mase i tjelesnog tkiva te manjka vitamina i minerala.

Bolesti mogu izravno ili neizravno uzrokovati pothranjenost, a pothranjenost može povećati rizik od bolesti i komplikacija nakon bolesti. Bolest može povećati potrebu za hranjivim tvarima i smanjiti njihovu apsorpciju ili uzrokovati gubitak apetita, što također dovodi do pothranjenosti.

Dodatni razlozi pothranjenosti mogu biti gubitak apetita zbog smanjene aktivnosti ili promjene u osjetu okusa.

Tko je u riziku?

Pothranjenost obično nije velik problem u razvijenim zemljama, no neke skupine ljudi ipak su u povećanom riziku. Starije osobe, osobe lošijeg općeg zdravlja, osobe s poremećajima prehrane ili kroničnim bolestima, usamljene osobe i osobe koje pretjerano konzumiraju alkohol u većem su riziku od pothranjenosti.

Kad je tijelo pothranjeno, nema dovoljno vitamina i minerala potrebnih za održavanje zdravlja. Simptomi pothranjenosti mogu biti umor, niska tjelesna temperatura, gubitak mišićne mase, gubitak apetita, otežano zacjeljivanje rana, loša cirkulacija, osteoporoza, slab imunološki sustav i povećan rizik od infekcija.

Kako spriječiti pothranjenost u starijoj dobi?

Važno je stvoriti prehrambeni plan s nekoliko manjih, ali nutritivno bogatih obroka kako bi se zadovoljile potrebe organizma, posebno za proteinima. Ako jedete malo, korisno je dodavati energetski bogate napitke poput punomasnog mlijeka u kavu, jogurte ili smoothieje.

Energetski bogati međuobroci

Ako niste raspoloženi za puni obrok, korisno je imati pri ruci zdrave međuobroke koji ne zahtijevaju puno pripreme. Evo nekoliko primjera:

šaka orašastih plodova, grožđica ili suhog voća
sladoled ili druge slastice
jogurt s bobičastim voćem
avokado s kozicama i majonezom
vruća čokolada sa šlagom
juhe pripremljene s punomasnim mlijekom ili vrhnjem
vafli s vrhnjem i džemom
jela od jaja

Korisno je izraditi tjedni plan prehrane kako biste osigurali dovoljan unos hranjivih tvari. Važno je održavati redoviti ritam obroka te izbjegavati preskakanje.

Važni nutrijenti

Posebno važni nutrijenti za starije osobe uključuju vitamin D, željezo, kalcij, vitamin C i omega-3 masne kiseline. Dobri izvori ovih nutrijenata su:

Kalcij – mlijeko i mliječni proizvodi poput jogurta, svježeg sira i ostalih sireva
Vitamin D – masna riba, ulje jetre bakalara, obogaćeno mlijeko
Željezo – kruh od cjelovitih žitarica, jetrena pašteta, iznutrice, meso i perad
Vitamin C – voće, voćni sokovi, krumpir, bobičasto voće i povrće
Omega-3 – masna riba, ulje jetre bakalara, dodaci prehrani s omega-3

Pijte dovoljno vode

Dnevno je potrebno popiti barem 1,5 litara vode. Starije osobe često osjećaju slabiji osjećaj žeđi, što može dovesti do dehidracije. Dehidracija uzrokuje glavobolju, loš apetit, slabost i zbunjenost. Zato pijte dovoljno tekućine čak i ako ne osjećate žeđ!

Vaše zdravlje dugoročno ovisi o kvaliteti i količini hrane i pića koje unosite te učestalosti obroka. Zato se hranite redovito i uravnoteženo kako biste održali zdravlje i spriječili pothranjenost u starijoj dobi.

*Preporučeni dnevni unos vitamina D raste kod osoba starijih od 75 godina, dok preporučeni dnevni unos željeza za žene nakon menopauze pada s 15 na 9 mg dnevno.

What is good health?

Body changes in later life call for changes in your diet

Do you have a good lifestyle?

Lifestyle simply means the way in which you live. Health and lifestyle go hand in hand. You might feel you have a good lifestyle if you are physically active, eat healthily and generally experience a sense of wellbeing. Conversely, if you want good health you should also have a good lifestyle.

Physical activity is the major contributor to a good lifestyle, but diet, drugs, stress, sleep and social conditions are also play an important role. Being able to use the body properly to avoid injury also affects lifestyle. Physical activity can also prevent depression and help you to recover more quickly from mental illness, both of which obviously affect your lifestyle.

How does the aging process affect your immune system?

Diet can be a difficult topic for many. Perhaps you eat too much or too little or maybe you find it hard to know what foods to combine to have a balanced diet. It’s also important to eat food that contains important vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre, omega-3 and antioxidants. On top of all this, you also need to get enough energy, protein and the correct fatty acids. The requirement for these nutrients changes throughout your life. When you are older you also have different requirements than children and younger adults. Women also have different requirements than men. Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers also have special requirements.

When you get older, you lose muscle mass and your body requires less energy and therefore less food. You may lead a less active life than you did before, which is why you require less food. However, your need for minerals, vitamins and other nutrients remains the same. Of course, there are plenty of healthy and active older people, but when you reach 70 to 80 years of age, it’s easier to become ill, especially during flu season.

Some steps you can take to improve your lifestyle and health are to:

eat a healthy and varied diet
stay active
watch your weight
avoid too much alcohol and don’t smoke
get enough sleep
think positive
practise good hygiene

What is good quality of life?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines quality of life as a state where the individual can realise their potential, cope with normal stressful situations, work in a rewarding and positive way, and be able to contribute to others and society.

Quality of life is a wide and somewhat diffuse concept that includes joy in, and a desire for, life. These are values that are rather felt than measured, which in turn are based on personal environment and choices. Quality of life doesn’t necessarily depend on being healthy or sick. It’s the moments between worries, sorrows, problems and ailments that matter. For example, if you have a chronic illness, a feeling of mastery can be important when talking about quality of life.

To sum up, quality of life is a combination of health, lifestyle, networks and social support. It’s about experiencing joy, meaning in life, satisfaction, security and a sense of belonging, as well as being able to use your strengths. It’s also about feeling interest in life, coping with everyday situations and a being committed to something or someone. If you have good quality of life, you will be able to cope better with the inevitable stressful situations in life.