Reasonable nutrition is one of the important conditions to reduce the occurrence of diseases and prolong human life, and diet is the most important way to provide nutrition. When people enter old age, their physiological functions gradually decline, their metabolism slows down and their digestive function weakens. Therefore, a reasonable diet and balanced nutrition are the main dietary principles for the elderly.
(1) calories: it is not advisable to take too many calories from the diet. The total daily calories of the elderly over 65 years old should be controlled below 1900 ~ 2400 calories. According to a nutritionist's investigation on the long-lived elderly over 90 years old in Guangxi, their calorie intake is 1409 kcal and 1386 kcal respectively.
The source of calories for the elderly should be mainly carbohydrates. They often eat some foods made of corn, millet, flour, glutinous rice, soybeans, mung beans, red beans and broad beans, and can also add some honey and candy, but not too much. If you consume too much calories, you are prone to arteriosclerosis, hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes and so on.
(2) protein: The intake of protein from the diet can be calculated as per kilogram of body weight 1g ~ 1.2g per day. The main sources are soybean, milk and eggs, mainly plant protein, so soybean is the most ideal food for the elderly in protein.
(3) Fat: The intake of fat should be controlled. Generally, the fat intake of the elderly per kilogram of body weight per day should not exceed 65438 0 grams, and vegetable oils such as peanut oil, soybean oil and rapeseed oil are suitable.
(4) Inorganic salts and trace elements: attention should be paid to the supplement of essential trace elements such as calcium, iron, zinc and chromium. Pay attention to eating calcium-containing foods, such as soybeans, milk and crisp bone soup, iron-containing foods, such as tofu, spinach, and zinc-containing foods, such as fish, cabbage, soybeans, radishes, eggplant, pumpkin, potatoes, and corn. Keep the salt as low as possible without affecting the taste.
(5) Vitamins: Vitamins can regulate tissue function and promote health. Normal metabolism needs adequate vitamins, and vision, diet, digestion, absorption and excretion all need vitamin regulation. Pay special attention to vitamins C, E, D, A, B6, B 12, etc.
(6) The food should be soft and rotten, and the temperature should be appropriate. Due to the wear, looseness or loss of teeth, the chewing ability of the elderly is reduced, the secretion of various digestive enzymes is reduced, and the digestive power is weakened. They should choose foods that are easy to chew and digest, and try to avoid foods that are too hard, too hard and too old. Choose tender vegetables, meat can be made into minced meat, and use less fried foods and irritating condiments. It is not suitable to eat overheated or supercooled food, and the most suitable temperature is between 10℃ and 15℃.
It has been reported that the diet of the elderly in longevity areas in the world has its own characteristics: in Birkaban, Ecuador, the elderly with longevity generally eat milk, goat milk, potatoes, tomatoes, fruits and wheat flour, and consume 1 1,600 kcal a day. In Bama County, Guangxi, China, the elderly over 90 take corn as the staple food, supplemented by various beans, sweet potatoes, rice and wild fruits.
To sum up, the basic characteristics of the diet of the long-lived elderly are:
1. Low animal fat, low calorie, mainly vegetarian. Food cooking should be soft and light. There are enough high-quality protein, especially plant protein. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, get enough vitamins and eat less coarse grains. You can't eat too much sugar and salt, and a low-salt diet is better.
Preventive measures of premature aging
When people reach middle age, some people have symptoms such as deafness, blindness, slow thinking and memory loss. These symptoms are called "premature senility" by medical scientists.
There are seven kinds of foods to prevent middle-aged people from "premature aging":
1. Peanut: Eating peanuts regularly can increase memory and delay the decline of brain function. Catechins contained in peanuts have a strong anti-aging effect.
2. Royal jelly: Royal jelly can stimulate the brain, pituitary gland and adrenal gland, promote oxygen supply to tissues and increase cell vitality.
3. Sesame: Sesame is rich in vitamin E, which can prevent the accumulation of lipid peroxide "free radicals" and aging substances in human body or cells, and play a role in prolonging life.
4. Lycium barbarum: Lycium barbarum can inhibit the deposition of fat in liver cells and promote the regeneration of liver cells.
5. Pollen: Pollen contains vitamins, chloroacetic acid and natural enzymes. Flavonoids and antibiotics, in particular, are the fundamental factors for drug efficacy and anti-aging.
6. Turtle: Turtle contains 20 valproic acid, which is an important substance to resist vascular aging.
7. Agkistrodon halys: Eating Agkistrodon halys can delay the decline of chest function and prevent arteriosclerosis.