The academician spoke about the key rules of healthy eating for older people

For a healthy lifestyle, nutrition is especially important - the development (or non-development) of 30 to 50% of all diseases depends on its quantity and quality. Nutrition matters at any age, from birth to old age.

On the Day of the Elderly, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, scientific director of the Federal Research Center for Nutrition, Biotechnology and Food Safety, chief freelance nutritionist of the Ministry of Health of Russia Viktor Tutelyan revealed the secrets of nutrition to those who are in favor.

Optimal nutrition is a determining factor in active longevity, says Academician Tutelyan. There are two basic laws of nutrition that every person must observe from birth to old age. The first is the correspondence of the energy value of the diet to our energy expenditure. “We get all our energy only from food. And the calories received from food need to be spent. Literally: if you ate one cake, that’s about 450 kcal – walk for two hours or run for an hour,” says Viktor Aleksandrovich.

Taking into account the fact that physical activity decreases in old age, the number of calories in food should also be less.

The second law of nutrition science is that the chemical composition of the diet must correspond to our physiological needs for biologically active substances, of which there are about 200, and of which 30-35 are essential. If they are deficient, health problems begin. For example, with a deficiency of vitamin C, the immune system suffers, and in severe situations, scurvy develops.

Alas, most Russians today experience some kind of nutritional deficiency. According to the Federal Research Center for Nutrition, Biotechnology and Food Safety, Russians' need for vegetables is satisfied by only 26%, fruits by 23%, low-fat dairy and fermented milk products by 13%, meat and poultry by 20%, and potatoes by 37% of the total. norms. But we eat almost three times more sugar than we need (288%), butter and fats – 160%, and sour cream and cream – 220%.

Only 17% of older people in Russia are fully provided with vitamins. 43% have a deficiency of some of them, and 40% have polyhypovitaminosis. Most often, there is an acute lack of vitamin D and B vitamins.

As Victor Tutelyan says, the optimal regimen for an elderly person should include not only traditional foods, but also fortified, as well as specialized and functional ones: “We don’t get all the necessary components with food, so the diet must include fortified foods, as well as specialized , developed for dietary, preventive and therapeutic nutrition. Elderly people are advised to limit the consumption of animal fats, poultry, fatty dairy products, including cream and butter, sausages, and smoked meats. You need to monitor your cholesterol levels and try to eat less foods high in cholesterol (eg eggs, caviar, offal). Simple sugars, sweets, and confectionery products should occupy no more than 10% of a person’s diet in old age. The amount of table salt should not exceed 5 grams per day, otherwise the risk of developing arterial hypertension increases.”

In addition, the expert recommends enriching food with plant and animal sources of nutrients: vegetable oils, sea fish containing many Omega acids. To maintain the microbiota, which affects all human organs and systems, Academician Tutelyan advises consuming fermented milk products enriched with pro- and prebiotics. Excellent sources of dietary fiber for older adults include whole grain bread, while millet, rice, oatmeal and prunes are potassium-rich foods that are essential for heart function. You also need to ensure that your diet contains enough vitamin C (oranges, rosehip decoction) and B vitamins (bran, wholemeal flour, fish).

And finally, the quantity, frequency and diet are important: older people need to eat little and often (4-5 times a day).

Academician Tutelyan himself, who has already crossed the 80-year mark, does not adhere to any special nutritional systems: “You can eat everything that you are used to, but use supplements with the necessary substances.”