Page 39 - Seniors Today - Vol1 Issue 3
P. 39
3)Alcohol Demineralisation also heightens the risk of os-
The effects of alcohol teoporosis. Regular consumption of soft drinks
may be increased in el- also contributes to weight gain and other health
derly patients because of issues which puts seniors at risk.
increased use of drugs, or 6)Diet sodas
other changes associated Seniors, especially those
with ageing. It could be con- who are diabetic, may go
sumed judiciously in limit- overboard with the con-
ed quantity. Otherwise there is not much benefit sumption of diet sodas (soft
to boast about. drinks) thinking that it lim-
•Empty calories. its their sugar intake, but the
•When alcohol is substituted for nutritious presence of artificial sweet-
food for elderly, it may interfere with absorption eners in these is a matter of concern. Recent re-
of some nutrients, especially folic acid. searches have associated diet soda consumption
•Alcohol is also one of the contributing factors with dementia and stroke, which puts seniors at
for osteoporosis. risk.
•If seniors live with chronic illness, such as 7)High sodium foods
diabetes, or if they take certain types of medi- Too much salt can be a problem for seniors,
cations such as antihistamines, painkillers and especially for those who
medications for hypertension, alcohol should be have hypertension. So avoid
avoided. wafers, chips, salted snacks,
4)Large quantities of fats salted nuts, packed and
Fat digestion and absorp- processed foods which have
tion may be delayed in high amounts of sodium.
elderly people. Avoid large Avoid excess salt in food. To
quantities of fat and focus on improve the flavour of food, lime or dried mango
the quality of fat used. Avoid powder (aamchur powder) can be used, as well
deep-fried items. Foods with as other herbs and spices.
empty calories such as fast
foods, fried items, soft drinks, fruit-flavoured Avoiding or cutting down the above-mentioned
sweet beverages, foods containing mostly added foods can help seniors reduce the risk of food-
sugars including high-fructose corn syrup etc. borne illnesses and osteoporosis, obesity and
This because many seniors become naturally other health issues, and will help them lead a
less active as they get older, it becomes much happy, healthy and fit life.
more difficult to work off the extra calories. The
prevalence of diabetes and impaired fasting glu-
cose increases with ageing, so foods which give
empty calories should be avoided.
5)Soft drinks
Soft drinks are nothing more than sugar and
carbonation filling up a can
or bottle. Phosphoric acid,
a major component in most
sodas, can accelerate the
process of demineralisation
of teeth and bone, which is
especially concerning for
seniors already nearing the need of dentures. Younger people can eat with carefree abandon, but with
time, one has to be careful about diet
SENIORS TODAY | Volume 1 | Issue 3
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