People who can eat are less ill! The elderly eat to achieve these six points

There has always been a saying that people who "eat" are less ill! Do you eat well every day? The first rule of the Chinese Residents' Dietary Guide is "diversified food and reasonable collocation". Each of us has different eating habits from childhood, so what difference will different eating preferences bring?

Eating can affect people's brains

In a study published in Nature Mental Health in April 2024, researchers from Fudan University analyzed the relationship between dietary preferences and brain health of more than 180000 people, and found that people who eat a balanced diet show better mental health and cognitive function. The researchers divided the participants' dietary preferences into four different subtypes:

“ Sugar control Party "- subtype 1: non starch or low starch diet preference

“ vegetarian diet Party "- subtype 2: vegetarians

"Carnivore Party" - Subtype 3: High protein and low fiber diet preference

"Balanced party" - subtype 4: Balanced diet preference

The researchers analyzed several mental health indicators and scores of cognitive function, explored the potential impact of food preference on brain structure, and found that the "Balanced Party" scored the lowest on mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, and the highest on well-being, indicating the best mental health status.

Moreover, different dietary preferences also affect the risk of mental disorders. In contrast to the "Balanced Party":

The risk of depression of "vegetarian party" and "meat eating party" increased by 18% and 22% respectively;

The risk of stroke of "sugar control party" and "meat eating party" increased by 13% and 21% respectively;

The anxiety risk of "sugar control party", "vegetarian party" and "meat eating party" increased by 9%, 26% and 23% respectively;

The risk of eating disorders of "sugar control party", "vegetarian party" and "meat eating party" increased significantly, which were 86%, 168% and 96% respectively. Not only are we picky and partial to food, but also we may suffer from malnutrition. A recent study found that malnutrition may increase the risk of Alzheimer's.

Eating well can reduce the risk of dementia

In April 2024, a study published by the research team of Beijing Tiantan Hospital on the Frontier of Nutrition showed that malnutrition may increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and with the progress of Alzheimer's disease, malnutrition will be aggravated. The researchers analyzed 266 participants, with an average age of 65, including:

The first group: 73 persons with normal cognition;

The second group: 72 patients with mild cognitive impairment caused by Alzheimer's disease;

The third group: 121 dementia patients caused by Alzheimer's disease. Body composition measurement showed that compared with the first two groups, the average arm circumference, waist circumference, calf circumference and BMI of participants in the third group were lower. In terms of nutrition assessment, the third group is worse than the first two groups, and the score of micro nutrition assessment is also lower than the first two groups. Researchers believe that malnutrition is likely to increase a person's risk of Alzheimer's disease, which in turn will exacerbate malnutrition.

Eating well or more important than taking medicine

Malnutrition is quite common among the elderly. Zhou Honglian, chief physician of the general medicine department of Tongji Hospital of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and Xiao Xing, deputy chief physician, published an article on the hospital's WeChat official account in 2022. The digestive system degenerates, multiple diseases coexist, gastrointestinal adverse reactions caused by drugs, and social and psychological factors lead to the growing malnutrition of the elderly. Many elderly people like to abuse tonic drugs, But ignored the importance of eating well. To improve the nutritional status of the elderly, eating is more important than taking medicine.

The book "The first bite: The truth of eating habits" points out that it is far from easy to change the way of eating. But the key is that this can be achieved. After all, as omnivorous animals, we are not born to know what to eat. All of us must learn and sit expectantly like children waiting to be fed. But for people of any age, healthy eating is a skill that can be learned. There are three important things that all of us can benefit from: first, follow the regular eating time; The second is to respond to hunger signals and satiety signals in the body, rather than relying on external signals such as food quantity; Third, they are willing to try all kinds of food.

Sun Lihong, an associate professor of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, suggested that the elderly should follow the following six points when eating:

1. Choose more food

On average, 12 kinds of food are consumed every day and more than 25 kinds of food are consumed every week. The more diverse the food types of the elderly, the better. The daily food types can include cereals, vegetables and fruits, fish and shrimp, meat, eggs, milk, beans and nuts.

2. Choose more seasonings

It is recommended to take less than 5 grams of salt per day. The dishes can not only be seasoned with salt, but also fresh garlic and onions, or try different types of pepper, vinegar, various herbs and spices such as cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, etc.

3. Equal distribution of three meals

It is suggested that the elderly should reasonably allocate energy for three meals, with breakfast, lunch and dinner accounting for 25% - 30%, 30% - 40% and 30% - 35% of the total daily calories respectively. Don't make do with breakfast and lunch. In the evening, the diet should be light and less greasy. Eat fish, shrimp and lean meat properly to ensure the balance of calories in the three meals.

4. Eat some animal food and soybeans

Animal food makes up for the lack of sufficient protein and fat in plant food, and the content of high-quality protein is sufficient. For the elderly, protein intake should be evenly distributed in 3-5 meals every day, and the proportion of high-quality protein (including leucine, etc.) should account for at least 50%. If appetite and digestion and absorption capacity are reduced, these high-quality protein foods can be cooked in a small amount of multiple meals, such as steaming, boiling, stewing, stewing, stewing, and stewing, and they can be arranged in the daily menu. In addition, you can also eat different kinds of milk and beans, such as milk, milk powder, yogurt, cheese, soy milk, tofu, dried tofu, etc.

5. More cooking methods

Adopt different cooking methods to enrich the color and flavor of food, increase the attractiveness of food itself, and make cooking a part of the life of the elderly.

6. Eat fresh

To avoid eating pickled, expired, unsanitary food, food should be fresh. Many old people keep the tradition of saving. Some food has expired and deteriorated, and the leftovers are also reluctant to throw away. The nutritional value of these spoiled or expired foods has declined significantly, and they may cause disease after consumption.