Nutrition For The Elderly

By: Martin Pavion

Healthy eating and nutrition for the elderly is greatly impacted by several factors, one of them being a change in body composition. During the later years in life, the body will lose bone and muscle and gain fat because the hormones aren't very active anymore.

There are many factors which hinder an elderly person's health. The information below will help you to lead a healthy life - no matter how old you may be.

Water
Water in the body decreases with age, so many older folks will become dehydrated very easily. Sometimes they won't feel thirsty, while other times it's too much work to pour a glass a water. With this in mind, it's recommended that they drink at least 1 ounce of water for every 2.2 pounds of weight.

Protein
At this stage in life, protein is very important. Protein is needed to support a healthy immune system and prevent the wasting of muscle. Since energy needs are less, older folks should eat high quality protein such as eggs, lean meats, poulty, and fish.

Carbs and Fiber
Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the entire body. You can find carbs in bread, cereals, pasta, and other grain products. A diet that's high in fiber and water will help to prevent constipation as well.

Fat
Fat intake for the elderly should be limited, not eliminated. You can limit fat by choosing lean meats, low fat dairy products, and food preperation methods that don't include frying.

Iron
For the elderly, iron deficiency can be seen with those who aren't eating much. Good sources for iron include lean red meats or breakfast cereals.

Zinc
Zinc intake is normally with the elderly, and to make matters worse, it's not absorbed very well either. Meat, poultry, and fish should be a part of your diet to help you meet the requirements for zinc.

Calcium
Calcium is one ingredient that most elderly folks simply aren't getting enough of. Most believe that milk upsets their stomach, and therefore they will avoid it. They should be getting around 1,500 mg of calcium a day, and nonfat powdered milk can be used in recipes as a substitute for milk. Other foods such as yogurt, low fat cheese, and broccoli can also help you meet the requirements for calcium.

Vitamin B12
In order to absorb the benefits of B12, the intrinsic facotr must be produced by the stomach. Most elderly people suffer from a deficiency in B12 because they have a condition known as atrophic gastritis. This condition causes inflammation of the stomach, bacterial overgrowth, and the intrinsic factor. Without the intrinsic factor, this vitamin can be absorbed.

Each one of the above nutrients are needed to keep an aged body in good health. Elderly individuals should try to stay active and strive for a well balanced diet. Even though the aged body isn't the same as it used to be, proper care and the right nutrients can help the elderly enjoy a healthy and long life.

Vitamin B12 - Benefits, Deficiency Symptoms And Food Sources

By: Alien

Vitamin B12 helps maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells. It is also needed to help make DNA, the genetic material in all cells. Vitamin B12 is also called cobalamin because it contains the metal cobalt.

Vitamin B12 is bound to the protein in food. Hydrochloric acid in the stomach releases vitamin B12 from proteins in foods during digestion. Once released, vitamin B12 combines with a substance called intrinsic factor (IF). This complex can then be absorbed by the intestinal tract.

Functions and benefits of Vitamin B12

Methylcobalamin is required for the function of the folate-dependent enzyme, methionine synthase. This enzyme is required for the synthesis of the amino acid, methionine, from homocysteine. Methionine is required for the synthesis of S-adenosylmethionine, a methyl group donor used in many biological methylation reactions, including the methylation of a number of sites within DNA and RNA. Methylation of DNA may be important in cancer prevention. Inadequate function of methionine synthase can lead to an accumulation of homocysteine, which has been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.

The benefits of vitamin B12 help with the synthesis of both amino and fatty acids. Vitamin B12 is highly beneficial in various forms. Methylcobalamin, the coenzyme form of vitamin B12 is a body-friendly version, which means that no metabolic steps are required for its ingestion and it can be used it in its normal form. Vitamin B12 helps in the formation of red blood cells and in the maintenance of the central nervous system. Nerves are surrounded by an insulating fatty sheath comprised of a complex protein called myelin. B12 plays a vital role in the metabolism of fatty acids essential for the maintainence of myelin.

Recommended Dosage for Vitamin B12

Recommended dietary allowances are 2.4 micrograms per day for adults and adolescents aged 14 years and older, 2.6 micrograms per day for adult and adolescent pregnant females, 2.8 micrograms per day for adult and adolescent lactating females.

The following is a list of the amount of folate contained in 100g of these foods:

* calf liver (fried) – 58 micrograms
* cheddar cheese – 2.4 micrograms
* salmon (grilled) – 5 micrograms
* steak – 2 micrograms

Food sources of Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is found in most foods of animal origin. Vitamin B12 is found in eggs, meat, poultry, shellfish, and milk and milk products.

Deficiency Symptoms of Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 plays an important role in DNA synthesis and neurologic function. Deficiency can lead to a wide spectrum of hematologic and neuropsychiatric disorders that can often be reversed by early diagnosis and prompt treatment.

Vitamin B12 deficiency results in impairment of the activities of B12-requiring enzymes. Impaired activity of methionine synthase may result in elevated homocysteine levels, while impaired activity of L-methylmalonyl-CoA mutase results in increased levels of a metabolite of methylmalonyl-CoA, called methylmalonic acid. Individuals with mild vitamin B12 deficiency may not experience symptoms, although blood levels of homocysteine and/or MMA may be elevated.

The Green Issue

By: Michael Alves

What is so beautiful about summer apart from the weather?

Everything is green around us!
So why not eat green too?
When I say leafy green, do you say salad? When you say salad, do you mean salad as in iceberg? Then we need to talk. It is summer and the prime season for green leafy food.

If you go to the store, a farmers market, or if you are taking part in a farm share this summer you will notice that most of what is available right now is leafy and green.

There is so much to chose from and some of the names are more difficult to pronounce that others. Dont be scared to try something new and foreign. As long as it is leafy and green you can eat it in a salad. Some leaves need a little cooking, some are great just naturally as they come just washed.

Green is green but not always just green.
Greens actually come in a variety of green nuances. Some are yellow, white, some red or purple. Often you will find that the darker the leafy greens and the more texture they have, the more bitter they are. These often need a little cooking such as blanching, sauteeing, stir frying, or just toss them in with the hot food to wilt them. Depending on how dense the leaf is, it needs more or less cooking.

When you try the different leaves you can find quite an exciting mixture of tastes as well. Leafy greens vary from mild to spicy, bitter to peppery. Others are sweet or buttery in taste. Textures vary such as curly, flat, crispy, or soft. They all create quite an interesting and tasty mixture in a summer salad.

Green and nourishing facts.
Greens are an excellent source of vitamin a and a good source of vitamin c. The darker the leaves, the more vitamin A. Many greens, such as spinach, kale, and collards are known for their mineral content, especially iron, calcium, magnesium, as well as folate, riboflavin, b2 and vitamin k. Leafy greens are very rich in antioxidants. The carotenoids and beta carotene, and the tocopherols, vitamin e.

Being Green.
Baby greens are called so because they are harvested young, this is not the same sad story as calf or lamb though. The plant will keep growing and produce even more leaves, either more baby greens or become the full grown version. An example is baby arugula versus the full grown leaf of arugula. The taste is different but the origin is the same. When several different baby greens are mixed together it becomes a mesclun salad, which is the french word for mixed.

The leaves you most often find in there are lettuce, arugula, spinach, endive, and radicchio. To be more adventurous you can add some of the greens that you might recognize as weeds, namely dandelion, which is a very powerful, and bitter green leaf. The mesclun salad leaves all require no cooking, some do prefer the dandelion cooked though.

Also, add some edible flowers for color, and yes, they can be eaten, hence their name.
Other members of the green world come from the cabbage family. Here you find greens that are mostly eaten cooked, collards, kale, turnip, and mustard greens. Other greens include beet greens, turnip greens, and again as a cooked green, the dandelions.

When you eat cabbage raw it detoxifies the stomach and upper colon, which improves digestion. Do chew well though and get used to it little by little or you may end up with less of a social life. Green food, leafy greens, salad, or mesclun, whatever you call it, just go for it.

They are good for you, there are plenty to choose from, and they taste good!

The best way to store greens.
If you have a fridge with a humidity controlled drawer that is the best place for them. You can keep your greens in the plastic bag in the refrigerator until ready to use. Even if they say pre washed do wash them before serving. After washing, dry well to avoid a limp salad by patting them with paper towels. The best investment is a salad spinner. I actually like to wash my greens right when I bring them home, spin, and keep them in the spinner in the fridge. They seem to last a bit longer that way. I also have some charcoal in my fridge in an open bowl, which is said to keep veggies and greens fresh longer and omit some of the odors in the fridge. I would not be able to tell you if it actually works.

The best way to eat greens.
Instead of having a store bought salad dressing, which is often mixed with sugar, choose a good quality cold pressed virgin olive oil.
If you prefer a dressing out of the bottle already mixed, look for one that does not contain sugar, but instead is sweetened with either agave, brown rice or maple syrup, honey, or other non processed sugar or artificial sweetener.

And, you do want oil on your salad. Not just for the taste. Your body needs to even absorb the nutritional value from your green food. Adding fat helps you feel full and gives you energy as well. I am however talking about plant derived fat from olive oil, nuts, seeds, and avocado.

Enjoy having a healthy leafy green summer.