Many people have the idea that when people are old, they should eat less big fish and meat, otherwise the gastrointestinal function will be weak and unable to digest. Even some elderly people simply become "vegetarians" and dare not touch meat. However, experts from the Beijing Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention said that the elderly can't be unhappy without eating meat, and they can't talk about the color change of meat. A balanced diet is the most important.

According to disease control experts, meat is rich in high-quality protein, which is an important part of a balanced diet. Meat is rich in protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and trace elements needed by human body. It is an important source of high-quality protein and plays an important role in human growth, physiological function regulation and maintaining normal activities.

If the elderly people don't get enough protein, they will feel tired and weak, with symptoms such as weight loss, muscle atrophy, hypotension and anemia, and even edema, low immune function and decreased resistance to diseases.

In addition, the lack of protein will increase the rate of muscle loss in the elderly, seriously affect the normal function of muscles, reduce the mobility of the elderly, and increase the risk of disability and loss of self-care.

So, how should the elderly eat meat? According to the reference intake of dietary nutrients for China residents, the daily protein supply for the elderly per kilogram of body weight is1~1.5g. According to this calculation, generally speaking, it is best for an elderly person to supplement 60~70 grams of protein every day. It can be seen that the elderly should choose meat food reasonably and moderately according to their physical condition.

Therefore, in order to meet the needs of the elderly for protein, fat-soluble vitamins, B vitamins, iron and other nutrients, the elderly need to eat some meat in moderation every day, including aquatic products, lean livestock meat, poultry meat and so on. At the same time, meat can be eaten with high-quality soybeans and their products rich in protein, with diversified diets and more balanced nutrition.

Source: Beijing Youth Daily (Author: Li Jie)