In a report that was recently published by the International Longevity Centre-UK, a clear description on functional foods was being provided. The report claims that functional foods complements a healthy diet and plays a fundamental role in enhancing the health of elders.
The report reviews dietary recommendations for elders as well as investigates the role of functional foods in elders’ diets.
The report was prepared by Rebecca Taylor, who is a senior researcher at ILC-UK. The study revealed that typical health problems of older adults like gastrointestinal functioning, and cardiovascular disease can be addressed with functional foods. When talking about function food cholesterol lowering products, calcium, vitamin D and probiotics are being considered. Older adults who need health food are definitely more likely to consume a great deal of functional food.
In the report, there are scientifically grounded evidences that cholesterol lowering ability of plant sterol/stanol are highly effective and should be integrated into older people’s diets. Such products can significantly lower the adversity of cardiovascular disease.
The report suggests that people should increase the current recommended consumption of calcium and vitamin D. In Addition, dietary recommendations for older people is considered as a homogenous group. This is a controversy as the nutritional needs of someone aged 55 years is definitely not the same as for an individual aged 85 and above. Nutritional needs change with age.
Gastrointestinal problems do deeply influence quality of life. There are already signs that probiotic functional foods tend to help in avoiding diarrhoea caused. by antibiotics.
The reports also provide 11 recommendations found in the Executive Summary Report.
Download: Executive Summary of Report
Tue, Dec 28, 2010
Anti Aging, Health And Aging, Lifestyle