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The Changing Nutritional Needs of Seniors

By Sara Butler

You need proper nutrition in order to stay healthy, increase vitality, and improve your quality of life. But as your body ages, so do your nutritional needs. In fact, you have to be even more careful as you get older to eat foods that have a lot of nutritional value to keep you strong and healthy. For seniors, some of the changes in health can influence nutritional intake as well as overall health. Here are a few of the reasons why.

Physiological Changes

One of the biggest reasons why nutritional needs change as you get older is because of their physiological changes your body goes through. As your age advances, your energy expenditure goes down. Simply put, your calorie needs change as your metabolism seems to slow. You don't need as many calories to maintain as you once did. You also tend to be less active as you get older, which contributes to this change.

Perceptual Changes

Perceptual changes, such as a dulling of taste, loss of hearing, or changes in your perception of smell all have an impact on your nutrition as you get older. Taste buds can start to work less effectively and your taste for sweet and salty foods tends to decline, making them seem sour or bitter. This can have a big impact on the types of foods older people choose to eat, which can lead to poor food choices and a decline in nutrition overall.

Other Changes Related to Age

A few other changes in the body can have a huge impact on nutrition as you get older too. The loss of teeth and the fitting of uncomfortable dentures can make eating itself a challenge. There are also gastrointestinal changes that can lead to frequent indigestion, which can turn a lot of older people off from eating in general.

For older people, a light, healthy diet is the best bet. That way, you can make sure that you're getting the nutrients your body needs in order to stay healthy even as your desire to eat dwindles. Just be careful because even healthy foods can lead to gastrointestinal troubles that can make an older person uncomfortable.

Focus on good eating habits and preventative care with the chiropractors at The Joint Chiropractic as you get older. They can be your partner in health no matter your age.

To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Katy, Tex.

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