Healthy eating for older adults Archive

In the journals

Men need sufficient protein to help maintain muscle mass and strength as they age. A study published online July 13, 2020, by JAMA Internal Medicine suggests the source of that protein also may dictate how long they live. Scientists examined the diets of more than 400,000 people ages 50 and older, who consumed protein from plant sources, red meat, and eggs. They were then followed for more than 16 years. Those who ate mostly plant protein instead of red meat or egg protein had a 13% to 24% lower risk of death from any cause.

How much plant protein is enough? The researchers found that men in particular had a 12% lower risk of death for every 10 grams of plant protein per 1,000 calories they consumed. The experts suggested that the benefits could increase if men ate even more plant protein. Guidelines recommend that healthy older adults need 1.2 grams of daily protein for every kilogram of body weight. A 175-pound man would need about 95 grams. Good sources of plant protein include almonds (about 17 grams per 1/2 cup), tofu (20 grams per cup), lentils (about 18 grams per cup), and black beans and chickpeas (15 grams per cup).

Ask the doctors

Q. I'm debating whether I need to get a flu shot this year. Do you think it's worthwhile?

A. The answer to this question is an emphatic yes. It's more important than ever to get a flu shot this year for a number of reasons. First, it will reduce your likelihood of contracting, being hospitalized for, or dying from influenza, which should be reason enough to roll up your sleeve. In addition, if you do get sick with the flu after being vaccinated, the vaccine can reduce the severity of your illness.

Research we're watching

Eating a daily serving of cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, or brussels sprouts is linked to a lower likelihood of harmful calcium buildup in the aorta, the body's largest artery, according to a new report.

The study featured 694 older Australian women who were initially enrolled in a study looking at diet, supplements, and bone fractures. The spine imaging tests used in the study also revealed the amount of calcification in the abdominal portion of the aorta. So researchers used those data to explore the link between diet and aortic calcification, a sign of plaque buildup (atherosclerosis) that leads to cardiovascular disease. The study, which was published online July 17, 2020, by the British Journal of Nutrition, found 46% lower odds of extensive abdominal aortic calcification among women who ate at least 45 grams of cruciferous vegetables daily (equal to one serving; about a half-cup) as compared with women who ate less than 15 grams of cruciferous veggies a day. The vegetables contain substances such as fiber that help discourage atherosclerosis.

You can get a good workout anyway.

The winter months present numerous challenges to maintaining your fitness in a typical year. This year, with the COVID-19 pandemic, it may be harder than ever to get to the gym or your usual exercise class.

What can you do to keep your body in motion and not lose ground as the weather turns colder? The answer, luckily, is plenty, says Dr. Beth Frates, an assistant professor physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School. There are many effective workouts that don't require a large space, a gym, expensive equipment, or even a live instructor.

These three remedies may reduce symptom duration and severity.

While there's no cure for the common cold, everyone seems to have a surefire remedy they embrace.

Some of the popular ones are sucking on zinc lozenges, boosting your vitamin C intake, and even slurping up steaming bowls of old-fashioned chicken soup.

Broccoli, brussels sprouts, and other cruciferous vegetables are associated with fewer calcified fatty plaques in the aorta.

Research we're watching

A new type of bug spray may hit the market in the next few years. The Environmental Protection Agency recently approved a new ingredient for use in these products. Called nootkatone, this ingredient, which smells like grapefruit, is hoped to safely kill and drive away mosquitos and ticks. Studies show that it's about as effective as other ingredients used in insect sprays, and it can provide protection against bugs for several hours at a time.

Nootkatone is found naturally in Alaska yellow cedar trees as well as in grapefruit skin and has long been used in perfumes. Now that the ingredient is registered with the EPA, companies can use it to develop commercial insecticides, something that could happen as soon as 2022, according to the CDC. This will expand the options for insect control and may be particularly useful in areas where insects have become resistant to existing products, says the CDC.

This daily routine can help your aging skin stay healthy.

Your skin goes through many changes as you age. All you need to do is look in the mirror.

Aging skin loses fat and becomes thinner and drier. Red and pimply spots can appear on the face (a condition known as rosacea).

New guidelines suggest doing more of the same. The problem is that many people don't.

You never forget your first gout attack. The severe pain, swelling, and redness hits hard and fast. The initial attack often strikes your big toe's large joint, but later ones might affect the foot or ankle. Other hot spots include the knees, hands, and wrists.

First-line treatment is quite effective and includes anti-inflammatory medications, ice therapy, and rest. A combination of diet and lifestyle changes and prescription drugs — an approach called urate-lowering therapy, or ULT — is typically recommended if attacks recur or become more severe.

Peer into your pillbox: It may be time to streamline your drug regimen.

Medication regimens often start simply, perhaps with a multivitamin and a single prescription drug to treat a chronic condition. But with age and more health problems, a regimen may grow to include additional prescription drugs and dietary supplements (such as vitamin D and calcium), plus over-the-counter medicines to reduce symptoms such as pain or heartburn. In time, you can find yourself facing a crowded pillbox and a complicated regimen.

"Among people age 62 to about 85, a third will take five medications per person. In the higher-risk population that I take care of, those people average 15 medications per person. And some of the dialysis patients take about 20 prescriptions," says Joanne Doyle Petrongolo, a pharmacist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.