Malnutrition is both a cause and a consequence of ill-health. The term malnutrition can apply to various states – under-nutrition, over-nutrition or deficiencies of specific nutrients (8).Malnutrition is common but under-recognised in the elderly. Clinicians are seldom taught about the subject during their undergraduate or postgraduate level.Malnutrition can lead to serious consequences in terms of morbidity and mortality (5).Undernutrition is a global problem that is usually caused by a lack of food or alimited range of foods that provide inadequate amounts of specific nutrients or other food components, e.g. protein, dietary fibre and micronutrients. Excessive intake of food or specific forms of food may also be harmful. Malnutrition among older persons can occur in economically disadvantaged groups even within privileged societies, and in pockets of poverty or social isolation. Reasons for undernutrition include decreased food availability and affordability; lack of interest or awareness affecting intake; malabsorption or increased nutrient requirements; and traditional habits or beliefs whether of the elderly or their caretakers.(2) Frail elderly people in the community, in nursing homes or in hospital are at increased risk of malnutrition. In many instances,this malnutrition, affecting health, well-being and ability to overcome disease or injury, goes unrecognised by physicians,often due to their meagre training in nutritional assessment.(4)Malnutrition is prevalent in elderly populations, even in the developed world .Among hospitalized elderly, nutritional status is even poorer. Protein-energy malnutrition has been reported in up to 15% of community-dwelling and home-bound elderly individuals, up to 62% of hospitalized elder...
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...milk powder instead of milk. You can also obtain the calcium you require from foods such as low-fat cheese, broccoli, and yogurt.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is usually absorbed by an intrinsic factor in the stomach. Many of the elderly suffer from Vitamin B12 deficiency because they suffer from atrophic gastritis, a medical condition characterized by inflammation of the walls of the stomach, growth of bacteria, and lack of the intrinsic factor that is responsible for the absorption of this vitamin into the system.
The elderly need each of the above nutritive elements to keep themselves in a healthy condition. The elderly should be as active as possible and take a good balanced diet. The elderly body may not be what it once used to be; this does not mean you have a reason to neglect it. You should take enough nutrition to enjoy a long and healthy life.(7)
Vitamin B12 is an essential water soluble vitamin that must be carefully regulated to prevent deficiency related complications in the nervous, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular systems (e). This review begins with a discussion of B12 absorption and role as a cofactor for L-methylmalonyl-CoA mutase and methionine synthase (e). Laboratory findings are interpreted along with associated disease conditions. Finally, assay methods are discussed including blood smear and complete blood count, B12 competitive-binding immunoenzymatic assay, homocysteine tandem mass spectrometry, methylmalonic acid liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, and the Schilling test.
Nutrition is a process that involves the breakdown of food and other substances in the mouth useful in the delivery of body energy. Practicing healthy diet can lead to avoidance of both the known and the unknown health issues. Poor diet is harmful to an individual’s health and cause diseases like kwashiorkor, scurvy, obesity and metabolic syndromes. Popkin (2011) said that “In the last 20–30 years, the world has reduced its water intake, shifted towards sugar-sweetened beverages, increased its proportion of food that is sweetened and ultra processed and reduced its intake of many health components of our diet, including legumes, fruits and vegetables" (p. 83). Different types of foods contain various nutrients that range from fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and water. Insufficient, imbalanced, or excessive consumption of nutrients by an organism leads to malnutrition. Today, the trend of diet and nutrition is changing at an shocking rate. Good choices of foods positively affect an individual’s health while poor diets have long-term negative effects. Healthy diet gives the body sufficient nutrients to perform physically, fight diseases and maintain wellness. Most of the foods, especially in the market today have heavy saturated fats, lot of carbohydrates, partially hydrogenated oils and highly processed foods.
Mayo Clinic Staff. "Caregivers." Senior Health: How to Prevent and Detect Malnutrition. N.p., 23 Sept. 2011. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
Vitamin B12 deficiency can be caused by a number of different medical ailments and internal concerns. Some concerns include allergies to certain vitamins, stomach problems, bad reactions with certain medicines, low levels of B12 protein in your stomach, and kidney or liver problems. Body functions can slowdown in older people and cause a B12 deficiency. Diabetics take some medicines that can lower their levels of B12 and cause a vitamin deficiency that shows up with symptoms like lightheadedness, sleepiness, and lack of
The patient may no longer be able to orally take in food, and the artificial means of feeding may worsen the patient’s quality of life. The concept of food cessation is often difficult for the patient’s friends and family to understand and accept, especially because food is essential to life, and eating is a sociocultural experience. Family must be reminded that to feed the patient may do more harm than good. However, until the time that oral intake stops, nurses must be providing other ways to increase the patient’s nutrient intake. The performance of symptom assessments and the development of plans of care should begin at the time of diagnosis and continue throughout the remainder of the patient’s life. These assessments and plans of care are both critical to preventing the onset of early malnutrition and to maintaining the patient’s quality of
...without an abundance of time to carefully watch calcium intake and calcium safety, dairy provides the best option. It is a reliable source that can be easily attained without much variation and will dependably be ingested.
I have chosen this tool as it is widely used in healthcare; however malnutrition is often unrecognised and mismanaged. According BAPEN some three million people in the UK are at risk or are malnourished. Malnutrition can affect a patient physically, mentally and can also increase recovery time (Zellipour, & Stratton, 2005). This assignment will help me understand the theory and rationale behind the development of the MUST.
In conclusion, in order to achieve a desirable nutrition and to be healthy, I will have to consume more of the foods previously mentioned on each category/group or by adding to my diet a nutritional supplement. The intake of calories is also important, so by adding more fruits and vegetables to my diet, I am confident, I will reach the desired weight and a healthier life.
Chronic disease can be a major contributor. Many diseases, such as cardiac disease, renal impairment, and malignancy contribute to inflammation that can lead to significant loss of muscle mass.8 In addition; many diseases may prompt the prescription of restrictive diets that may not always be necessary. Overly restrictive diets may be unpalatable or difficult to follow, leading to a decline in oral intake and, eventually, malnutrition.9 Functional status changes that limit ability to perform activities of daily living such as cooking and shopping can impact an older adult's dietary intake. Significant psychosocial changes that also may occur with aging (e.g., depression or simply eating alone), as with the loss of a spouse, can lead to a dramatic decrease in oral intake. Changes in finances also can impact the ability to purchase adequate food” (Malnutrition In Older Adults - Today's Dietitian Magazine, 2017). I believe nutrient deficiencies that Miss E is lacking in her diet are nutrients of Calcium, Iron, Vitamin B, D, Fiber and Potassium in which affects the development and overall good health of older adults. Older adults need more calcium and vitamin D to help maintain
A number of factors influence the nutritional status of the elderly. First, several physiological changes impact elderly nutritional requirements. Changes in taste and smell may decrease an individual's appetite or desire for food. Gastro-intestinal motility decreases with age and may lead to constipation, decreased nutrient absorption, and a decrease in fat and protein absorption. Metabolism also slows with age; this results in a decrease of lean body mass and an increase in body fat (8). Lastly, bone mass decreases, leaving the elderly vulnerable to bone fractures from falls and osteoporosis.
Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient that plays an important role in DNA synthesis and nerve function. It is contained in high amounts in animal derived foods such as milk, eggs, and meat. The vitamin is stored in the liver long-term. Individuals with vegetarian, vegan, or other forms of restricted diet may develop the condition after approximately 6 months as liver stores of vitamin B12 become depleted. Some individuals develop the condition due to autoimmune destruction of cells in the stomach that produce intrinsic factor. Intrinsic factor is necessary for proper absorption of vitamin B12 in the small intestine.
Calcium is essential to normal functioning in a healthy individual; this only leaves the question of where to get it. There are many sources available to meet daily requirements, two of which are dairy products and supplemental vitamins. Both of these options have qualities that make them appealing, so choosing might be difficult or even come to a middle ground. Some of the considerations to be made are: what calcium is, the types of calcium in each source, how much should be ingested daily, the body’s ability to absorb and tolerate calcium from the chosen source, and the interactions that might occur with other medicines and required daily nutrients. In both cases a decent nutritional diet still needs to be incorporated. It may seem like a simple choice between a couple of pills a day or 3-4 glasses of milk, but there is quite a bit more
There is a body of literature on physical status and nutrition intake in the elderly that has looked at functional status as a predictor of nutrition intake, and conversely, nutrition intake as a predictor of functional status (An, et al, 2015; Evans et al, 2010; Brewer et al, 2010; Ribeiro, et al., 2016; Shikany et al, 2013; Ziliak, Gundersen, & Haist, 2008). For example, adequate nutrient intake can reduce the effects of functional limitations in the elderly, and conversely, undernutrition can increase risks of physical, mental, and social impairment (Kleinpell et al, 2008; Sharkey et al, 2003). Moreover, as the number of functional limitations increases the risks of poor nutritional intake increase among the elderly (Bartali et al, 2003).
It is very easy to see how and why nutrition and fitness play such important roles in the well-being of the human body. Though many different diseases and health issues can come from a lack of proper diet and lack of exercise, it is amazing how many health matters can be solved and even prevented just through properly balanced nutritional and fitness habits.
One of the most complex issues in the world today concerns human population. The number of people living off the earth’s resources and stressing its ecosystem has doubled in just forty years. In 1960 there were 3 billion of us; today there are 6 billion. We have no idea what maximum number of people the earth will support. Therefore, the very first question that comes into people’s mind is that are there enough food for all of us in the future? There is no answer for that. Food shortage has become a serious problem among many countries around the world. There are many different reasons why people are starving all over the world. The lack of economic justice and water shortages are just merely two examples out of them all.