Nutrient-dense foods: eat your fill

Last month, I wrote about a multi-pronged intervention that appears to help those with dementia. Part of this is related to diet, which I see as being a critical part of health in general.

One thing that is often missing when it comes to dietary advice, however, is the important fact that as we age, our requirements change somewhat, and this can make all the difference between healthy ageing and a late life compromised by illness.

The basics, I believe, are much the same – ideally, you should be eating a large repertoire of nutrient-dense foods that includes plenty of non-starchy vegetables, fatty fish, nuts, and generous servings of olive oil, and also limiting refined carbohydrates, sugar and processed foods.

One of the major challenges of becoming older, however, is a concept called sarcopenia. This basically means a problematic loss of muscle mass.

It is thought to affect almost one in five  elderly people worldwide and is associated with a higher risk of death at any one point, as well as dementia, falls, fractures, depression, diabetes and a host of other unwanted consequences.

It also results in a diminished quality of life and lessened ability to function independently day to day.

Sarcopenia develops for a number of reasons, but one of the chief reasons is that as you age, your ability to use protein to build muscle is greatly diminished.

This is called anabolic resistance and, unfortunately, it is far easier to lose muscle than gain muscle. This is why periods of prolonged illness and hospitalisation are so problematic in your senior years: the inactivity is robbing you of your muscle.

To prevent sarcopenia, it is very important that you do weight training regularly – it really is a case of use them or lose them. But it is also important to eat adequate protein, and this is where the dietary advice differs depending on your stage of life.

Interestingly, there is some evidence that limiting protein earlier in life may extend your life span and guard against certain diseases, though you should be making efforts to eat more protein as you get older to compensate for the ageing body’s diminished ability to use it.

There is considerable controversy about whether you are better off eating animal-based proteins or plant-based proteins, but good sources include eggs,  lean meats (chicken and fish), dairy  and legumes.

You may have noticed that as the years have passed you by, your appetite has diminished and the thought of having a large meal is not especially appealing.

This is common and, as a result, some experts would therefore recommend you have more frequent smaller meals.

Depression is a cause of diminished appetite and should always be considered if this is occurring.

Dental challenges and swallowing difficulties are also quite widespread and need to be addressed so that eating becomes less of a challenge.

It may be necessary to change the texture and consistency of the food you eat to accommodate this.

Taste can be negatively affected by age (and by certain medicines that are more frequently taken).

Using spices and herbs in savoury dishes can help address this and has the advantage of supplying your body with much-needed antioxidants.

These may aid in tackling inflammaging – the inflammation that accrues with age and which has been associated with various health conditions, including dementia.

Finally, there may be practical challenges in preparing food, including diminished physical abilities, and it is important to recognise these.

Healthy ready meals are a great solution for some, and don’t be shy in asking for help if you need it.

 Kailas Roberts is a psychogeriatrician and author of Mind Your Brain: The Essential Australian Guide to Dementia, now available at all good bookstores  and online. Visit yourbraininmind.com  or uqp.com.au