Protein nutrition is the cause of frailty and early old age. Muscles and age. How to train as you age? Proteins for older women rating

Is margarine harmful?

Some people are very prejudiced against margarine. Meanwhile, this type of fat is very promising, since margarine, more than any other fat, can be given any biological and nutritional properties. Margarine in moderation (20 - 25 g) should be used in the diet of older people for culinary purposes. Margarine is a combined fat, including vegetable and animal fats. Combined fats, in addition to margarine, include compound fat and fats used for cooking. Margarine is the most common type of edible fat throughout the world, the production of which is constantly growing. The production of margarine and other combined fats is based on lard, or hydrogenated fat, which is vegetable oil or marine animal fat, solidified by saturating unsaturated fatty acids with hydrogen and converting them into saturated ones. fatty acid having a solid consistency. The composition of margarine, depending on its type, includes 50-60% lard, 10-15% refined vegetable oil, 12-16% milk, a small amount of sugar (0.7%), salt (ABOUT 1%), water (0 .3-0.8%). Margarine is fortified with vitamins A (1.5 mg per 50 g of margarine) and D (10 mcg per 50 g). The digestibility of margarine is 94-98%, i.e. it is similar to the digestibility of butter. Thus, the usefulness of margarine lies in its good digestibility, the presence in its composition of vegetable oil, milk or cream, with all their beneficial properties, as well as high calorie content and good taste and culinary properties.

There are different opinions on the issue of the protein needs of elderly and old people. Most researchers believe that proteins should be present in sufficient quantities in the diet of older people, but somewhat less than in young and middle age. The rationale for the relatively high protein needs of older people is that during life, the breakdown of proteins in their bodies occurs in large quantities, while protein recovery and synthesis are limited. In addition, a fairly large amount of protein is necessary to maintain the constancy of specific proteins that perform vital functions in the body. The quantitative and qualitative constancy of specific proteins in the body is maintained by food proteins. There is evidence that against the background of a sufficient amount of protein, the biological effect of anti-sclerotic substances in the body - choline, methionine, phosphatides, polyunsaturated fatty acids, etc. - is most effective. All this confirms the need for sufficient protein supply in old age. Along with this, it is recommended to limit animal protein in the diet of the elderly, considering this as an element of the prevention of atherosclerosis. Thus, some American scientists believe that “a diet based on grains, fruits and vegetables, with a minimum amount of animal proteins, is necessary for those people who need to reduce blood lipid levels to avoid cardiovascular disease" (Olson, 1962).

The need to use fairly high protein standards in the diet of older people, approximately 1-1.5 g per 1 kg of body weight per day, is quite scientifically substantiated. A protein norm of 1.5 g per 1 kg of weight guarantees both coverage of the need for essential, vital amino acids, and satisfaction of the body’s overall need for protein, which ensures a positive nitrogen balance.

In addition to establishing the quantitative norm of protein, in old age it is important to determine the specific gravity of animal protein in it. Among older people, there are frequent cases of self-restraint of animal protein, especially meat, and adherence to a predominantly dairy-vegetable diet. According to modern concepts, in a balanced diet for the elderly, animal proteins (proteins from meat, fish, eggs, milk) should make up approximately 50% of the total amount of protein in the diet. So, with a protein norm of 100 g per day, half of this amount (50 g) should be satisfied from animal protein. Of this amount, 25 g should be provided by milk protein (300 g of milk, kefir, 100-150 g of cottage cheese, etc.), the remaining 25 g by meat, fish, eggs (200 g of meat or 200 g of fish and 1 egg, etc.). P.). The second half of the daily protein requirement (50 g) consists of plant proteins (proteins from bread, cereals, potatoes, vegetables and other plant products).

How few people die simply from old age, having lived in good health for 100 years or more! They are written about in newspapers and shown on TV. Most people die from various diseases. Among the most common causes of death are cardiovascular diseases and cancer. An indispensable condition for longevity, maintaining efficiency, and vigor is proper nutrition.

In old age, a person must take more care of his nutrition than in previous periods of life. WHY? Physiology answers this question.

What does old age bring?

Digestion and absorption of food deteriorates;
Due to a less active lifestyle, intestinal motility weakens, and a tendency to develop;
the body's need for certain components, such as vitamins, increases;
long-term use of certain medications leads to a lack of components necessary for the body;
bad eating habits become even more severe in old age, and this, combined with ignorance of the rules of rational nutrition, can easily lead to illness, decrepitude and other unpleasant consequences.

To stay healthy as you age, you need to have at least some knowledge of how to eat properly. When examining the lifestyle of centenarians in different regions of the planet, many similarities were revealed:

The daily diet of elderly and elderly people contains about 50 g of protein, 30 g of fat, 300 g of carbohydrates, which is about 1700 kilocalories per day.
Long-livers consume very little sugar and sweets, broths and broth-based first courses.
Lots of fresh and dried herbs, onions, garlic, red peppers, vegetables and fruits, a large number of dishes made from beans, corn and other legumes.
Fats are predominantly vegetable.
Meat – boiled skinny goat, lamb, beef, poultry.
Thirst is often quenched with water, buttermilk, curdled milk and other fermented milk products.
Their diets contain a high content of vitamin E and other antioxidants (vitamins C, P, PP, sulfur-containing amino acids, etc.).

Recommendations for proper nutrition in old age

Overeating should be avoided

especially with a sedentary lifestyle. The diet is 4-5 meals a day (according to the principle: eat more often, but little by little, to kill the feeling of hunger). The distribution of products should be approximately equal so as not to overstrain the gastrointestinal tract. This is especially important for those suffering from angina pectoris, in whom stomach overfilling can provoke.

The most high-calorie food is fat

It is necessary to limit the consumption of animal fats rich in saturated fatty acids. At the same time, the share of products containing vegetable fats rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, phospholipids and vitamin E should be increased. The fat content should not exceed 50-70 g, the proportion is 30-40%. It is advisable to gradually replace animal fats in the diet with low-calorie margarines, with a fat content of up to 60%, as has long been customary in the West.

Limiting foods with easily digestible carbohydrates

Easily digestible carbohydrates (sucrose, glucose), which also contain many calories and, conversely, enrichment with foods with dietary fiber (fiber). Fiber, which is part of grains, vegetables and fruits, eliminates, promotes the “burning” of excess fat, eliminates, regulates glucose levels (thereby preventing diabetes), and prevents the development of tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. Leguminous crops are among the most ancient and are the basis of nutrition for the population of the entire globe; in Europe these are wheat, rye, barley, oats, etc., in America - corn, beans, in Asia - rice, . They are the main source of vegetable protein and carbohydrates, fiber, as well as B vitamins.

Be careful with diets that prohibit bread, cereals, and potatoes. Lack of fiber leads to digestive problems. Hypovitaminosis B1, B2, B6 – to dysfunction of the central nervous system(irritability, weakness, memory loss, depression, fatigue), skin problems (dryness, flaking, hair loss). Therefore, bread (especially from wholemeal flour), cereals, and potatoes should be consumed several times a day. Vegetables and fruits should be consumed 400-500 g per day, preferably fresh and grown locally. Boiled and stewed, as well as frozen vegetables, fruits and berries are also useful. Avoid fried foods.

Limiting animal proteins

To a greater extent due to meat and to a lesser extent - milk. Meat products are an important source of protein and iron. At the same time, meat products contain quite a large amount of saturated fatty acids, which increases the risk of developing hypercholesterolemia and CVD. Therefore, meat products with a high fat content should be replaced with lean meat, poultry, and legumes, which contain less saturated fat.

Complete abstinence from animal products is no less harmful than their excess consumption. For a long time vegetarian diet there is a decrease, anemia, increased fatigue, weakness, headaches, dry skin, hair loss, decreased spermatogenesis and sexual activity in men (deficiency of zinc, vitamins A and B12, which are found only in products of animal origin). The best option: meat - 1-2 times a week, fish - 2-3 times a week, eggs - once or twice a week and dairy products every day.

Dairy

are an important source of calcium and protein. Calcium is especially necessary for older people. You should consume low-fat milk and low-salt dairy products, while maintaining the same amount of calcium and protein. Many foreign nutritionists believe that milk is beneficial for children under 3 years of age, but not for adults. Because in a person over 30 years old, milk sugar - lactose - is not broken down.

At the same time, many Russian nutritionists do not agree with this. In their opinion, milk is indispensable for people over 50 years of age as a source of calcium (but you need to drink it constantly, then there will be no indigestion of milk in the stomach). Apparently both are right. It has now been precisely established that the amount of the enzyme responsible for the breakdown of milk decreases with age, but this process is individual. And therefore, milk can really harm some adults, but for others, on the contrary, it will be beneficial. The same nutritionists claim that milk is not a drink, but a complete food, and they should not quench their thirst and drink food with milk: it blocks the normal secretion of gastric juice. It is advisable to drink milk on an empty stomach in small sips. When milk is drunk quickly and in large quantities, it coagulates into large flakes and is more difficult to digest. The combination of milk and bread is considered successful.

Salt

reduces the activity of enzymes (lipases) that promote fat digestion and increases the permeability of the vascular wall. Therefore, its consumption should be limited to 5 g per day. To eat less salt, use herbal seasonings (dill, parsley, cumin, green onions, garlic, mint, etc.). They give dishes an aroma and a unique taste, but most importantly they facilitate digestion.

Vitamins

are necessary at any age, but in an elderly person the need for them is higher. And why? Because he assimilates them worse. It is difficult to list all the diseases that their lack can cause. Vitamins stimulate redox processes and therefore improve the processing of fats and cholesterol in the body, preventing them from accumulating (vitamin C, E, P, B6, PP, A). Vitamins C and P, in addition, strengthen the walls of the arteries and reduce their permeability to cholesterol. Even a small deficiency of vitamin C can lead to serious consequences - mortality from cardiovascular disease among those who receive about 50 mg of ascorbic acid per day is 15% higher than among those who receive twice as much. Vitamin C helps prevent anemia. The fact is that it greatly increases the absorption of iron contained in animal products. In practice, this means that if you eat meat and yolk (i.e. foods rich in iron), then add as much greenery to them as possible, and then the absorption of iron will increase by 3-4 times. Vitamin C, like vitamin P, is found in many fruits and vegetables, but is stored longest in cabbage, citrus fruits, and sweet peppers.

When a person has “third teeth”, i.e. dentures, he tries not to eat salads made from raw vegetables, but prefers vegetable purees. Due to a “tender” stomach and a not entirely healthy liver, he refuses black bread. And as a result, there is not enough thiamine (vitamin B1) in the food, and although the elderly lady says: “I probably have sclerosis, I forget everything,” memory impairment is not necessarily caused by sclerotic changes, but perhaps by a lack of vitamin B1.

Such an unpleasant detail of appearance as fan-shaped wrinkles above upper lip appears due to a lack of vitamin B2 (riboflavin).

A lack of vitamin B3 (niacin, or vitamin PP) can cause symptoms similar to neurasthenia.

With a lack of vitamin B6, atherosclerosis develops faster.

Vitamin B12 increases resistance to oxygen, lowers cholesterol levels in the blood, and becomes more effective with age (for example, at 50-60 years old this vitamin does not help as much as at 70 and older).

The source of most B vitamins (except vitamin B12) are cereals, wholemeal bread, bran, seeds, nuts, and legumes.

Vitamin B12 is found in products of animal origin - liver, meat, fish, egg yolk, seafood products.

Vitamin E plays a very significant role in the formation of new cells and in prolonging the life of old cells in the human body, promotes the absorption of vitamins A and D. Vitamin E has been proven to slow down aging. There is an opinion that “flowers of old age”, i.e. dark spots on the skin, do not appear in old age if there is enough vitamin E in the body.

Microelements

Food should contain a sufficient amount of foods rich in microelements: calcium, magnesium, copper, chromium, zinc, etc.

Calcium needed for normal bone condition. It is especially important for women, because... they are 5 times more likely than men to suffer from osteoporosis. Dairy products are a source of calcium. Cheeses contain the most calcium, but older people are recommended to eat cottage cheese and fermented milk products, because cheese is difficult to digest. There is a lot of calcium in milk powder, so it can be added to dough, minced meat, cutlets, etc.

Thanks to magnesium people suffer less from sclerosis, tolerate stress more easily, and hemorrhoids appear less often. There is a lot of magnesium in buckwheat, oatmeal, millet, peas, and beans.

Iodine activates the breakdown of cholesterol (found in seafood).

Selenium prevents the development of cancer - its source is seafood, especially herring, crab, lobster, yolk, offal, barley (pearl barley, barley), yeast, wheat bran. Interferes with the absorption of selenium simple carbohydrates(sweet and flour products).

Zinc participates in the processes of bone formation, affects the condition of the skin, makes us more resistant to stress and colds. Men need this microelement more, since in old age it prevents the development of prostate cancer (in young age it promotes spermatogenesis). Rich and accessible sources of zinc include herring, mackerel, oatmeal, mushrooms, wholemeal bread, and garlic.

It is better to obtain all the substances the body needs from food. But in old age there is often a need for additional vitamins and microelements. Individual vitamins, as a rule, are produced in medicinal doses and are used only as prescribed by a doctor for various diseases. For the purpose of prevention, it is advisable to purchase a vitamin complex at the pharmacy, preferably with microelements.

Everyone is well aware of the important role proper nutrition plays in a person’s life, but in everyday life they most often do not take into account the usefulness of a particular dish, but are guided by their own taste. However, food that seems tasty, unfortunately, is not always healthy - neglecting this fact often leads to the occurrence of various diseases and rapid aging of the body. That is why reasonable dietary restrictions are necessary in old age.

FOOD BASKET FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE

To lead an active lifestyle, an elderly person needs to consume enough proteins, fats, carbohydrates, as well as vitamins and minerals. The volume of fluid consumed also matters - it should be sufficient, but not excessive.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR DIET CORRECTLY

When compiling a diet, first of all, you should take into account how useful a particular food product is or, conversely, harmful to the body, and then exclude from the daily menu products that can cause harm for up to 60 years. However, in the absence of serious illnesses, you should not completely exclude any products from the daily menu - if necessary, it is enough just to reduce their consumption. The body is provided with energy only if the diet is varied. Having determined the set of products, you need to calculate the calorie content of the diet: as you know, the energy received by the body during the processing of fats, proteins and carbohydrates is measured in kilocalories (kcal). The energy obtained from food that makes up the daily diet must be completely consumed by the body during the day. When a person retires, his body no longer experiences the same caloric nutritional needs for energy as before, a decline in age when he had to work. However, due to the developed habit, the amount of food consumed remains the same, and the body begins to store excess energy “in reserve.” As a result, a person becomes fat.

In old age, it is necessary to reduce the total calorie intake. The body's daily energy requirement for food for a man aged 60-70 years is 2300 kcal, for a woman - 2100 kcal. Upon reaching 75 years of age, the body's caloric needs decrease to 2000 kcal for men and to 1900 kcal for women.

Rice. 1. Age-related reduction in caloric intake

NEEDS OF NUTRIENTS AND MINERALS IN AN ELDERLY PERSON

Proteins are the main building material for all tissues of the body - muscle and nerve fibers, skin, and hair. 1 g of protein provides the body with 4 kcal of energy. Therefore, proteins must be included in the diet of an elderly person.

In nature there are two groups of proteins - simple (proteins) and complex (proteids). To maintain the vital functions of the body, both must be present in food.

In addition, proteins of animal and plant origin differ. In animal proteins, the amino acids necessary for the body are present in optimal proportions. This is all the more important because the body does not produce these acids on its own, i.e. they cannot be replaced with something else. Animal proteins are absorbed by the body much better vegetable proteins. Their content varies in different foods.

The most proteins (more than 15 g per 100 g of product) are found in various types of cheese, low-fat cottage cheese, chicken, fish, and beef. A lot of proteins are present in milk and dairy products. But fatty dairy products (for example, sour cream or cream) are harmful to the body of an elderly person - it is better to use

In the diet, skim milk, cottage cheese or cheese. Fermented milk products are especially useful for those who, due to the lack of the digestive enzyme lactose in the body, cannot consume milk. In addition, these products are, in some respects, more valuable than fresh milk.

Some plant foods are also high in protein. These include soybeans, peas, beans (these legumes contain even more protein than animal products), as well as walnuts, buckwheat, millet. The required amount of protein is found in wheat and rye bread, green peas and rice. An aging person needs to consume 1.5 g of protein per kilogram of weight per day. Excess or, conversely, lack of protein in the daily diet of older people can lead to serious negative consequences.

Their lack can cause impairment of physical and mental performance. In addition, due to protein deficiency, the body’s defenses are weakened and its susceptibility to infectious diseases. If the diet contains few foods containing protein, hunger edema and muscle atrophy may occur.

Excess protein in the diet of an elderly person is also harmful to the body. In this case, decay processes are activated in the large intestine, which causes indigestion. Regular and complete bowel movements can be a serious challenge for an aging person. Scientists claim that excess amounts of proteins contribute to the emergence and development of atherosclerosis. In addition, this increases the metabolism of amino acids and the synthesis of urea, as a result of which ammonia and urea accumulate in the body and are difficult to eliminate.

Fats should also be present in the diet of an aging person, since they provide the body with the necessary energy and, like

proteins serve as building materials for cells and tissues. In terms of their chemical structure, fats are complex compounds - they consist of fatty acids and glycerol connected by ester bonds.

Rice. 4. Fats are compounds that are complex in their chemical structure.

There are fats of animal and vegetable origin. Vegetable fats are represented by olive, sunflower, cottonseed, corn, flaxseed and other oils. They are also found in margarine and cooking oil. Animal fats are butter, lard, goose and chicken fat.

Products containing the largest amount of fat include fatty pork, raw smoked sausages, duck, goose, canned fish in oil, as well as cream, sour cream, walnuts and various sweets - chocolate, halva, cakes, etc. A little less fats in cheeses and fatty cottage cheese, eggs and lamb, beef and chicken, boiled sausage and fatty herring. The least number of them is in skim milk and kefir, low-fat cottage cheese, fish, as well as beans and bread.

Milk fat has the greatest nutritional value. It has high biological properties and good nutritional qualities, so it is easily absorbed by the body. Milk fat is mainly consumed in the form of butter. It contains vital vitamins (A, B, E).

Lard, beef, lamb and goose fats are much less easily absorbed by the body. These products contain a lot of cholesterol, but at the same time they also contain a sufficient amount of phosphatides - biologically active substances. It is recommended to replace animal fats as often as possible with vegetable fats, which do not contain cholesterol. Moreover, in vegetable fats contains a lot of fatty acids, vitamin E and phosphatides.

Quite often the question arises about which vegetable oils are more useful - refined or unrefined. Biological value vegetable oils primarily determined by the nature and degree of purification. During the refining process, the oil is cleared of harmful impurities, but at the same time the fats it contains lose sterols (sterols), phosphatides and other biologically active substances, i.e. its biological value decreases.

The most beneficial for older people are the combined fats presented various types margarines. They are digested in almost the same way as butter. Combined fats also contain vitamins A and D, phosphatides and other biologically active substances that the body needs. 1 g of fat contains 9 kcal.

Men aged 60-74 years need to consume 77 g of fat per day with food, and women of the same age - 70 g. After 75 years, men need to reduce their daily fat intake to 67 g, women - to 63 g. At the same time Vegetable fats must make up at least 30% of the total fat.

Elderly people should take into account that excess fat in the diet leads to obesity. With an excessive content of saturated fatty acids in the body, hypercholesterolemia can develop - excessive accumulation of cholesterol with its deposition on the walls of blood vessels and in various organs, which contributes to the occurrence of atherosclerosis and acceleration of the aging process.

Carbohydrates are essential nutrients in the diet of people of all ages. These are the main suppliers of energy for the body. They play an important role in metabolism. Their energy value is approximately equal to the energy component of proteins. 1 g of carbohydrates contains approximately 4.1 kcal.

The most carbohydrates (over 65 g per 100 g of product) are found in foods such as sugar, candy, chocolate, butter cookies, honey, raisins, jam, prunes, rice, pasta, semolina, buckwheat, millet, oatmeal and pearl barley. . Quite a lot of carbohydrates are present in rye and wheat bread, beans, peas, halva and cakes. A sufficient amount of them is found in potatoes, beets, grapes, green peas, fruits and fruit juices. Vegetables, mushrooms and unsweetened fermented milk products are low in carbohydrates.

Excess carbohydrates in the diet cause harm to the body: when accumulated, they turn into fat, which leads to the appearance of excess weight, and sometimes to the development of obesity.

However, it is impossible to completely exclude carbohydrates from the diet - this will lead to an imbalance of nutrients and, as a result, to significant disorders of the body’s functioning.

Experts have calculated how much protein, fat and carbohydrates should be included in the diet of older people. Men 60-74 years old need to consume 69 g of protein per day (of which 38 g should be animal proteins), 77 g of fat and 333 g of carbohydrates. Upon reaching the age of 75, the amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates consumed should be reduced: the daily diet provides 60 g of proteins (including 33 g of animal proteins), 67 g of fats and 290 g of carbohydrates.

A woman 60-74 years old needs to consume 63 g of proteins (including 35 g of animal proteins), 70 g of fat and 305 g of carbohydrates per day. After 75 years, a woman’s daily diet should be as follows: 57 g of protein (of which 31 g of animal proteins), 70 g of fat and 275 g of carbohydrates.

Moderation in food prevents the development of atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, i.e., it prevents the development of diseases that are characteristic primarily of older people.

You should reduce the amount of foods containing carbohydrates in your daily menu. This primarily applies to confectionery and pasta, bread, potatoes, etc. Elderly people who do not lead a very active lifestyle need to limit their sugar intake.

In addition to proteins, fats and carbohydrates, the diet of an elderly person must contain vitamins and minerals, without which it is impossible to maintain the normal functioning of the body.

Vitamins (from the Latin vita - “life”) are organic substances that are formed in the human body (in the intestines) under the influence of the vital activity of certain microorganisms or come in small quantities with food. They are vital to the body for proper metabolism.

In 1880, Russian biologist Nikolai Ivanovich Lunin, in his doctoral dissertation, proved that food contains elements that help maintain an active life and good health. He also substantiated their importance for the body.

Previously, it was believed that for the normal functioning of the body, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, mineral salts and liquids, combined in certain proportions, were sufficient. The discovery of vitamins disproved this theory. In addition, facts spoke against it: for example, travelers suffered from scurvy, although from a traditional point of view their food was quite nutritious. However, their diet lacked fresh vegetables and fruits, which serve as a source of vitamin C, which led to the development of specific gum disease with loosening and tooth loss.

Food contains significantly less vitamins than proteins, fats and carbohydrates. In addition, with age, there is a deficiency of vitamins that are independently produced in the body: during the aging process, their synthesis is disrupted. However, in the presence of some diseases characteristic of old age (for example, atherosclerosis), the body requires significantly more vitamins than in a healthy state. In these cases, it is recommended not only to eat a sufficient amount of fortified foods, but also to take special multivitamin preparations. They should also be consumed in winter and spring, when the body is weakened.

Our diet should contain all the necessary nutrients: proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Only then can it be complete and correct.

In this article, we will once again talk about the importance of proteins in nutrition and find out which products satisfy the body’s need for them.

Why do you need protein?

Proteins are the most valuable component of food. In the human body, they perform a variety of biological functions - regulatory (regulate many physiological processes), construction (participate in the formation of cell membranes and cell organelles), protective (support immunity), transport (transport hormones, sugars and other substances), energy (serve as one from energy sources), etc.

Proteins supplied with food in the gastrointestinal tract are broken down into amino acids - a kind of “building blocks” necessary for the creation of new proteins in the body.

Animal and plant proteins contain 22 amino acids, of which 9 are essential, the rest are replaceable. Essential acids differ from non-essential acids in that they cannot be synthesized in the body. A deficiency of essential amino acids leads to inhibition of protein synthesis in the body and a failure in the process of cell renewal.

The main source of essential amino acids are animal proteins found in meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products. In proteins of plant origin (cereals, legumes, vegetables, fruits) non-essential amino acids predominate. Consequently, all plant foods are deficient in the composition of essential amino acids. So, all grains (porridge, bakery products) deficient in lysine and threonine; legumes, all vegetables, fruits - methionine and cysteine. Therefore, if for breakfast we eat porridge steamed in water, then we do not receive two essential amino acids at once - lysine and threonine. Ideally, in order for new proteins to be formed in the body, at each meal the body must receive the entire set of essential amino acids, that is, the dish must be balanced in amino acids composition.

To make porridge cooked with iodine a complete protein product, it must be seasoned with milk, as has always been done in Russia. In Moldova, mamalyga - porridge made from corn flour - is seasoned with pieces of cheese; in Georgia, porridge is eaten with suluguni cheese.

The combination of meat or fish with potatoes, rice, pasta and other starchy carbohydrates is found in the dishes of many countries. From point of view balanced nutrition, such a combination is acceptable, but with one condition: the meat should not be fatty, since the combination of fat and carbohydrates is the main reason for the appearance of excess weight. At overweight The best side dishes for meat and fish are starchy vegetables and herbs. But if you are underweight, which is often observed in older people, you can safely combine boiled or stewed meat and fish, meat and fish cutlets with potatoes, pasta, and cereals.

Elderly people also need meat products because meat contains a lot of bioavailable iron. And this is the prevention of iron deficiency anemia, which is often found in the elderly due to age-related changes in the gastrointestinal tract, leading to impaired absorption of iron. It is known that iron is absorbed by the body only from animal meat; it is practically not absorbed from plants and grains. Rabbit meat is the leader in iron content - 3.3 mg%. Beef contains 2.7 mg% iron. But most of this mineral substance is in the liver of animals and birds: in beef - 6.9 mg%, in chicken liver - 17.5 mg%. In general, liver is a rich source of all micro and macroelements, so it should be included in the diet 1-2 times a week.

The daily protein requirement in old age is 0.8-1.0 g per 1 kg of weight. For optimal protein metabolism, it is necessary that the ratio of animal and plant proteins in the daily diet is 50:50.

At Abuse of meat food poses a risk of developing atherosclerosis, heart attack, stroke; with strict vegetarianism - cancer and anemia, which leads to oxygen starvation of all organs, especially the heart and brain.

In old age, it is recommended to eat meat 2-3 times a week, fish too 1 3 times a week and spend 1-2 fasting days. The most valuable meat for older people is rabbit, turkey and chicken meat, as it is easily digestible and rich in the very important essential amino acid lysine.

Tips from Japanese chefs

Each amino acid performs its own functions in the human body. For example, lysine promotes the reduction of cholesterol, better absorption of calcium, and improves vision. This amino acid has an antiviral effect.

In addition to meat products, fish also contain a sufficient amount of slime, especially pink salmon, sardines, tuna, sturgeon, and squid. There is another essential amino acid in fish and seafood - taurine More taurine is found in squid, shrimp, and mussels.

Taurine is necessary for the body to transmit signals in nerve cells. It stimulates the regeneration and metabolism of eye tissue and its retina, normalizes blood pressure, reduces blood cholesterol, improves the functioning of the heart muscle, and improves the action of insulin.

There is little taurine in the meat of animals and birds; it is practically absent in vegetables and fruits. Therefore, for older people, seafood is very healthy, especially since it is easier and faster to digest.

However, some nutritionists do not advise older people to consume certain seafood due to their high cholesterol content. At the same time, Japanese nutritionists have proven that seafood containing cholesterol is considered safe if the level of taurine in it is 4 times higher than the level of cholesterol. And in most seafood (squid, shrimp, mussels) there is 11 times more taurine. Moreover, Japanese chefs advise using broths in which seafood is cooked, since taurine dissolves well in water.

More recently, Russian nutritionists have proven that squid is especially beneficial for older people, since in addition to taurine, they contain a lot of copper, which is necessary for the synthesis of hemoglobin. In addition, copper deficiency leads to fragility of blood vessels and hemorrhages. Squid also contains selenium, a powerful antioxidant.

Ideal source of amino acids

Eggs are a traditional and beloved food product. But for almost the entire 20th century, eggs, especially the yolk, were considered far from useful product, and all because of the content in them large quantity cholesterol. At the same time, egg white is a highly valuable animal protein; it is completely digested and absorbed by the body by 98%. Eggs are really high in cholesterol - 0.57 g % (for comparison, in chicken meat -0.02-0.03 g %), Moreover, all the cholesterol is concentrated in the yolk; it is not found in the whites of eggs. However, the yolk itself contains many substances that can counteract the adverse effects of excess cholesterol. These are, for example, phospholipids, in particular lecithin. The lecithin content in the yolk is 6 times higher, which is a very favorable ratio and completely negates the negative effect of cholesterol, transferring it to the useful category.

Lecithin is an important factor in regulating cholesterol metabolism. It prevents the accumulation of excess amounts of cholesterol in the body, promotes its breakdown and excretion from the body.

In addition to the lecithin necessary for the body, the yolk of eggs contains more B vitamins, vitamins A and D than the white, but most importantly, it contains quite a lot of choline, this “supersubstance” for the brain.

Choline is part of acetylcholine, one of the functions of which is to ensure the transmission of impulses from one neuron to another. With a lack of choline, by the age of 40, typical senile sclerosis can begin, expressed in forgetfulness and absent-mindedness. Since a lack of choline can cause entire colonies of neurons to die, there is ultimately a risk of developing senile dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

The latest research proves this. that thanks good nutrition With enough choline, seemingly irreparable memory loss can be cured.

In addition to egg hardness, choline is sufficient in the liver of animals and birds, in sprouted wheat grains, oatmeal, cauliflower and broccoli.

Egg white contains neither lecithin nor choline, but it contains a lot of valuable essential amino acid- methionine. methionine is useful because it prevents the deposition of fat in the liver and blood vessels and has a powerful antioxidant effect.

So it is beneficial for a person to eat a whole egg, and eggs should be included in the diet at any age. However, older people are advised to eat quail eggs rather than chicken eggs. They have many benefits: they contain more vitamin A ( egg- 0.25 mg%, quail - 0.47 mg%), more valuable choline (chicken egg - 251 mg%, quail - 507 mg%), as well as more iron, magnesium, copper, selenium and chromium. In addition, the protein of quail eggs is absorbed by the elderly body much better than the protein of chicken eggs.

Products not recommended for the elderly include all smoked products (meat and fish) and sausages. These products are saturated with harmful compounds and provoke the development of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

Advice from specialist Nina Samokhina.

“60 years is not old”

In our society, illness and poor health in older people are considered to be the norm. Fortunately, medicine has confidently refuted this stereotype. In old age, you can and should be healthy, and proper nutrition will play one of the main roles in this.

Official medicine has long recognized that calendar age (in a passport) can differ significantly from biological age. In other words, the actual state of systems and organs in 60 calendar years corresponds to 40 years. And vice versa, more and more often there are people whose body is already worn out by the age of 30 and corresponds to a 40-50 year old person.

What wears out our organs and cells and disrupts their proper functioning? In addition to mechanical damage (injuries), every day the body is forced to work “for wear and tear”, fighting stress and poisoning.

Stress mobilizes many systems, causes muscles to contract, and changes hormonal levels. Excessively tense skeletal muscles disrupt normal blood flow and worsen posture.
This leads to constant pain in the spine, especially in the lumbar and neck areas. And altered hormonal levels affect all metabolism in the body.

Poisoning has become commonplace and the norm of life. If we recognize the presence of stress and try to deal with it, then most people do not take poisoning into account. Nature has created the human body to be almost perfect and it has many mechanisms to minimize the effects of poisoning. But any resources are not limitless, and if the body is not helped, it will wear out much faster than nature intended.

Let us explain why we are susceptible to poisoning every day. There are only 2 factors: we inhale poisonous air and eat poisons. If you stop eating poisons and help your systems a little to cleanse themselves of toxic substances in the air, you will take a terrible load off your body. There will be healing and renewal of all cells, tissues, organs. The lightness and health of youth will return.

Perhaps you were indignant after reading the previous paragraph: “I don’t eat any poisons!”

Let us explain, in addition to the huge number of additives that are used in modern food production, absolutely any substance eaten in excess of the body’s need for this substance is a poison for the body. With small excesses, partial elimination or “storage for the future” is possible, but with a systematic excess of a number of substances, the body ceases to cope, and various diseases are acquired.

So, what, how and how much should you eat in old age to protect your body from food poisoning and help it cope with stress and air poisoning? Or in other words, how to help yourself rejuvenate and regain your health? Let's talk briefly about the basic and very simple rules.

Rules for proper nutrition for older people

Let us immediately clarify that these rules apply to practically healthy people. A list of diseases that require special nutritional adjustments is given on the main page of the “Therapeutic Nutrition” section.

It is not allowed to exceed the total calorie content of food consumed relative to daily energy expenditure.

Of course, there are people who, even after reaching 60 and even 80 years of age, lead an extremely active lifestyle. But, as a rule, activity decreases over the years, and the rate of metabolic processes also decreases, as a result of which the need for calories is reduced.

Research has shown that the average person aged 60-70 needs 20% less energy than a person aged 30, and 30% less for those aged 71-80. If you do not take this fact into account and eat in the usual way for many years, then the development of obesity, atherosclerosis, hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, cholelithiasis and urolithiasis, gout and many other diseases is inevitable.

Very roughly, we can say about the energy needs of older people that after 60 years, men need about 2300 kcal per day, and women 2100 kcal per day, after 75 years, men and women need 2000 kcal and 1900 kcal per day, respectively. We emphasize once again that these standards are indicative and cannot be followed without taking into account individual characteristics. They are designed for people with a standard figure and no excess fat. In fact, ¾ of the population over 60 years of age is overweight, and therefore we should strive to consume calories below the average daily energy expenditure. But this is already the topic of other articles that are posted in the “How to lose weight” section.

Protein intake in strict accordance with the physiological norm.

With age, the rate of cell renewal decreases, so less proteins are needed. Average daily norm in proteins for men and women over 60 years of age - 70 g and 65 g, respectively, and for persons over 75 years of age - 60 g and 57 g.

It must be remembered that proteins in different foods are not equivalent. The differences are described in detail in the article “Amino acid composition of proteins.” Therefore, the diet is designed so that at least 50% of the proteins are obtained from animal products. It is best if these are proteins from dairy and fish products. It is advisable to consume little meat in old age, because... it contains a number of substances that are undesirable for the body. For example, refractory fats and cholesterol.

Attentive attitude to fat consumption.

Based on their effect on the body, fats can be divided into extremely harmful and beneficial.

Harmful ones include refractory animal fats, which are found in meat and meat products.

Milk fats are considered useful because contain lecithin and fat-soluble vitamins. It is advisable to design your diet in such a way that this type fat accounted for about 1/3.

Vegetable oils They are an important part of the diet at any age, but for older people their use is of particular importance. Sunflower, flaxseed, corn and other vegetable oils contain polyunsaturated fatty acids - linoleic, linolenic, arachidonic. These acids increase the elasticity of blood vessels and reduce the permeability of the vascular wall. But the most significant thing is that they normalize the level of cholesterol in the blood that is so often elevated in older people. Namely, they accelerate the conversion of cholesterol in the liver into bile acids and promote its excretion.
It is also important that polyunsaturated fatty acids have a stimulating effect on the intestines. This will help to cleanse the body in a timely manner and give a feeling of lightness.
When heated and refining, the amount of beneficial acids, vitamin E, phosphagides and sitosterol in vegetable oils decreases, so it is better to consume unrefined oil as part of salads, it can be added to porridge and other ready-made dishes.

Despite the benefits of vegetable oils, they must be consumed in strict accordance with the norm, which is 20-25 g per day or 1/3 of the total amount of fat consumed. A larger amount, in addition to the inevitable increase in calorie intake, can lead to the accumulation of oxidation products of unsaturated fatty acids.

Attentive attitude to carbohydrate consumption.

age-related changes

Use vitamins and minerals in strict accordance with personal standards.

After 60 years, the body’s needs for macro- and microelements change quite significantly.

Consumption calcium It is recommended to reduce to 800 mg per day. When consuming more, calcium salts can be deposited in various organs and tissues. So many suffer from Mönckeberg arteriosclerosis. This is a form of artery disease in which calcium salts are deposited on the walls and interfere with normal blood flow.
At the same time, calcium deficiency leads to osteoporosis. In this disease, the body compensates for the lack of calcium by taking it from the bones, which makes the bones brittle and leads to fractures.

Amount consumed magnesium in old age it is recommended to increase it, because this macronutrient

helps relieve spasms and relax the muscles of internal organs;
stimulates intestinal function;
increases bile secretion;
helps improve cholesterol metabolism.

The recommended intake of magnesium after 60 years is 500-600 mg per day.

Consumption sodium should also be reduced with age, especially in the composition of salt (salted foods, smoked foods and sodium chloride). If blood pressure is often elevated, then sodium intake is sharply reduced. But we won’t talk about this in detail, because... A separate article is devoted to the issue of nutrition in hypertension.

Norm gland cannot be determined equally for all people, because There are a number of conditions that significantly change the required amount. On average, it ranges from 10 to 15 mg per day.
If there are no disturbances in the functioning of the digestive system and iron deficiency anemia is not diagnosed, then 10 mg of iron per day is sufficient. If there are any disturbances in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, or the effectiveness of the inclusion of iron in red blood cells is reduced, then iron consumption is increased to 15 mg per day.

Unlike minerals, the need for vitamins practically does not change with age.

The diet is enriched with products that contain anti-sclerotic substances.

Atherosclerosis occurs due to the deposition of cholesterol in the walls of blood vessels. It often leads to the development of coronary heart disease. After 60 years of age, prevention of these conditions should be given Special attention.

About the need to use vegetable oils has already been said above. Let us emphasize once again that polyunsaturated fatty acids and lecithin, which are contained in vegetable oils, trigger a whole mechanism that helps remove excess cholesterol from the body, and therefore help your blood vessels stay healthy.

To maintain health, daily consumption is necessary vegetables and unsweetened fruits. They help in three areas:

contain fiber, which increases the speed of food movement through the intestines, thereby helping to promptly cleanse the intestines and remove cholesterol (in the form of coprosterol) with feces;
contain pectin, various sterols that interfere with the absorption of eaten cholesterol in the intestines;
increase the secretion of bile, which also helps remove cholesterol.

Legumes, oatmeal, herring cottage cheese have an anti-sclerotic effect due to the content choline (vitamin B4). Choline is necessary for the body to synthesize lecithin. It has already been written about above, but it is worth emphasizing once again that the benefit of lecithin is its ability to form special compounds with cholesterol - hydrophilic lipoprotein complexes. In the form of such compounds, cholesterol cannot be deposited on the walls of blood vessels and is easily removed from the blood.

Anti-sclerotic products also include products containing the amino acid methionine Its effect on the human body is very similar to the choline described above. The most methionine is contained (mg per 100 g of product):

of cereals most in
buckwheat – 320,
millet – 296,
for other cereals at the level of 120-200;

of the most commonly consumed fish and seafood, most in
carpe – 500,
ice fish – 620,
lemonme – 620,
pollock – 600,
Marbled notothenia – 574,
sea bass – 500,
bonito – 806,
haddock – 530,
blue whiting – 579,
herring – 537,
sardine – 779,
mackerel – 600,
horse mackerel – 577,
pike perch – 534,
cod – 500,
heke – 510,
pike – 534,
squid – 492,
fresh shrimp – 545,
boiled-frozen Antarctic shrimp – 651;
in meat products and poultry the methionine content is
in beef – 445-515,
in veal – 414-453,
in lamb – 356-453,
rabbit meat – 499,
in pork – 342-410,
in turkey – 497-518,
in chickens – 471-574,
in duck – 370-447;
in eggs – 424;
in dairy products most of all
cottage cheese – 384-480,
cheeses – 540-780,
in milk, cream, kefir about 70.

It will help you create the most balanced diet possible. variety in the choice of products.

At any age, but especially for children and the elderly, it is important to have all the necessary substances in the diet. By eating a varied diet, you are more likely to get everything you need to stay healthy.
The calorie and vital substances calculator considers 26 basic dietary parameters, but you need to remember that the human body needs about 120-150 different substances for proper functioning. Only the most varied diet guarantees that the needs for each of them are met.

It is necessary to strive to comply power mode.

At any age, you should follow 2 simple rules:

eating at the same time with the exception of long breaks;
a small amount of food at one time.

These rules protect all organs and systems from overload and help maintain health. It should be remembered that in old age, even a healthy and normally functioning organ is very difficult to bear heavy loads.

A 4-meal diet is recommended. The bulk of food should be eaten in the first half of the day. According to energy value, the distribution is as follows:
1st breakfast – 25%,
2nd breakfast – 15-20%,
lunch – 30-35%,
dinner – 20-25%.

It is possible and even in many cases highly desirable to drink one glass of some kind at night. fermented milk product low fat content. For example, kefir.

After the age of 75 or in the presence of various diseases, five meals a day are recommended with the following distribution of caloric content among meals:
1st breakfast – 25%,
2nd breakfast – 15%,
lunch – 30%,
dinner – 20%,
2nd dinner – 10%.

Preference should be given foods that are easy to digest and assimilate.

For example, milk fats and protein are easily digestible. And it takes up to 8 hours to digest meat. Therefore, if you have a choice, it is better to eat cottage cheese rather than chop.

If necessary, required individual nutrition adjustment depending on the state of the body as a whole, the speed of metabolic processes, and the risk of developing diseases.

The article was written based on materials from the following authors:
prof. B.L. Smolyansky, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Head of the Department of Hygiene and Clinical Dietetics, Dnepropetrovsk Medical Institute;
prof. Zh.I. Abramova, Doctor of Medical Sciences.