One of the ways your body changes when you become older is that your digestive tract cannot digest foods. This could result from various factors, including chronic illnesses, smoking, alcohol, living a sedentary life and other things that could damage your gut. Because of these changes, older adults often have to be more careful with what they consume.
What older adults should avoid
One of the foods older adults should avoid is dairy. As the digestive system ages, this becomes harder to break down. However, this doesn’t mean they should altogether avoid milk and milk products as these are essential for strong bones. They should instead cut back on dairy. Fortunately, many dairy substitutes are nutritious, including soy milk which could be good.
Raw vegetables might also not be suitable for older adults, especially if they have missing, decayed, or sensitive teeth. Raw vegetables could be hard for people in these conditions to chew. For this reason, they should have cooked vegetables that are still nutritious and easy to chew.
Another food they might have trouble chewing is lean steak. Older adults should instead eat fish or ground beef which is easier to chew and gives them the same nutritional value.
Another thing they should avoid is alcohol. While this might keep a young person alert, it has the opposite effect on older people. Alcohol could disrupt their sleep and even increase their blood pressure. It is even worse for patients with diabetes as it affects the efficacy of their medication and causes hypoglycaemia.
Reasons older adults should avoid certain foods
There are several reasons older adults have to avoid some foods. One of them could be weakened teeth which might make it hard to chew. They could also have a lower population and diversity of gut microbial to help them digest their food and protect them from diseases.
Another reason older adults should avoid certain foods is because some of them are on medication. The efficacy of the drugs could be affected by particular food; thus, it is best to avoid them. Their body might also produce less lactase, making it difficult for them to digest milk products.
