Eating Well in Your Autumn Years

Eating well in your autumn years
by Eveline Gan
Feb 20, 2010

Weakened taste and smell sensations, and poor dentition can increase the risk of nutritional imbalance

As my Chinese epicurean grandmother would say when we gather for our weekly family meal - neng chi shi fu (it's a blessing to be able to eat).

However, for older adults, several issues may interfere with their ability to eat well in their autumn years.

Ms Lim Su Lin, chief dietitian at National University Hospital, said, generally, older adults tend to have poorer appetites due to reasons such as decreases in taste and smell sensations.

Mr George Toh, a dietitian at Alexandra Hospital's department of nutrition and dietetics, added that irregular meal patterns or the tendency to only eat foods that are easy on their teeth can increase their risk of nutritional imbalance.

"Poor dentition makes the elderly lean towards softer food - such as porridge with canned food - which may have a lower nutritional value. They may also consume insufficient fibre, as they often requires chewing," he explained.

According to Ms Lim, our aged need to increase their intake of proteins, calcium, vitamins B6, B12, D, E and folate.

Vitamins B6 and B12 generate red blood cells and keep the nervous system healthy. Vitamin D is needed for calcium absorption while Vitamin E is a natural antioxidant that aids healing, and keeps nerves and red blood cells healthy.

(Read full article here)