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USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111
| INTRODUCTION |
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This paper presents a suggested refinement of the Food Guide Pyramid to be applied to individuals who are 70 y old and older, and who are relatively healthy and active and wish to remain so. These individuals can generally be characterized as living independently, being free from major health disorders that would limit food access or intake, and participating in a variety of activities outside their homes. Given the shifting demographics in the United States, this is a growing segment of the population which has historically been underrepresented in previous recommendations for different age subgroups. Additionally, this group should be distinguished from the very elderly people who are not well and for whom different dietary considerations, such as energy density, arise.
This modified Food Guide Pyramid which will be referred to as the
Modified Food Pyramid for 70+ Adults (Fig. 1)
continues to be based on
the principles of The Dietary Guidelines and those of other
health organizations: plenty of variety; diets high in grain products,
vegetables and fruits; diets low in saturated fatty acids and
cholesterol; low to moderate use of sugar, salt and alcohol; and
physical activity in balance withenergy intake. However, we
suggest one addition to the 70+ Food Pyramid: a small
supplement flag at the top and symbols for water and fiber. It will be
very hard for a person above the age of 70 y to obtain adequate
intakes of particular nutrients due to the reduced portion sizes, the
reduced number of food servings being ingested and restrictions in food
choices secondary to medical conditions (for example, lactose
intolerance). The nutrients which are of particular concern in the
elderly are calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B-12.
| Nutrient-Dense/Fortified Foods. |
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Thus, within the bread, cereal, rice and pasta group, choices should be
primarily among those that are whole-grain, enriched or preferably
fortified, which are particularly important because the bread and
cereal group comprises the bulk of the diet in elderly people, some of
whom are at risk for malnutrition (Tucker and Rush 1992
). In addition to products made with enriched flours and
whole grains, breakfast-type cereals that are fortified should be
consciously chosen. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
issued regulations that require "enriched" cereal grains to be
fortified with folic acid at a concentration of 140 µg/100 g of
cereal grain product. This regulation was directed at eliminating
folic-acid preventable birth defects. However, folate fortification may
also benefit the elderly by lowering blood homocysteine levels,
resulting in a potential reduction in risk of homocysteine-related
cardiovascular disease. Higher intakes of folic acid pose a problem for
individuals who may have subclinical vitamin B-12 deficiency by
precipitating vitamin B-12related neurologic symptoms. To prevent
excessive folic acid intakes, the FDA chose a fortification level of
folic acid to prevent the majority of the population (95%) from
consuming greater than 1.0 mg/d of total folate. At this level of
folate fortification, it is estimated that only 6% of the population
would consume greater than 1.0 mg total folate per day (Tucker et al. 1996
).
Within the vegetable group, choices should be among those which are deeply colored. Dark green, orange or yellow fresh, frozen or canned vegetables contribute vitamin C, folic acid, vitamin A (in the form of provitamin A carotenoids) and a substantial amount of dietary fiber. Cruciferous vegetables, including beets, kale, cabbage and broccoli, also contribute antioxidant phytochemicals such as indoles, flavones and isothiocyanates. Similarly, within the fruit group, choices of fresh, canned or dried products should be yellow, orange or red in color. For fruits and vegetables, emphasis should be placed on consuming the whole food, rather than a reliance on juice, in order to supply adequate fiber intake (see below).
Within the milk, yogurt and cheese group, emphasis should be placed on low-fat dairy products, given the absence of evidence that old age obviates the need for restrictions in saturated fat and cholesterol intake. The ever-expanding availability of lactose-free foods, live culture fermented dairy products and lower fat cheeses, which are concentrated sources of protein, calcium, vitamin D (milk only) and riboflavin, should enable the consumption of the nutrient-rich dairy group by most elderly people.
Lastly, within the meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, egg and nuts group,
emphasis should be placed on variety, with individual choices made
according to preference, availability, ease of preparation, chewability
and cost affordability. Lean cuts of meat should be chosen. Fish
represents a good selection, since it provides high-quality protein and
(n-3) fatty acids. Also, suggestive epidemiologic data show that fish
in the diet may lower the risk of developing cardiovascular disease
when eaten on at least a weekly basis (Daviglus et al. 1997
). Noteably, bean, grain and vegetable main dishes provide
high-quality protein, add fiber to the diet and, as with fish, when
substituted for meat, help to minimize saturated fat and cholesterol
intake.
| Fats and Sugar. |
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Foods that have added refined carbohydrate are generally lower in nutrient density than the naturally occurring counterpart (for example, peaches canned in heavy syrup compared to fresh peaches, or flavored yogurt compared to plain yogurt). Choices within each food group that minimize those with added refined carbohydrates or for which refined carbohydrate is not the predominant ingredient should be encouraged.
| Fiber. |
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The mean dietary fiber intake in elderly males and females (70 y and
older) in NHANES III was 1416 g/d (NHANES III
198894
). However, generally 20 g/d or above is needed to
provide health benefits (Dietary Guidelines for Americans1990
). Food choices that should be emphasized in the
elderly are: whole-grain breads rather than breads made with refined
flour, brown rice rather than white rice, whole fruits rather than
juice, legumes instead of meat at least twice a week, cooked
vegetables, fresh salad, and most importantly, the choice of a
high-fiber cereal for breakfast. Most elderly can eat all of these
foods if properly prepared: cooked, grated, chopped. Within the 70+
Food Pyramid, we have added a fiber icon, with a plus sign (+), in
addition to sugar and fat icons. Unlikely, diets containing about 20
g/d of fiber will have significant negative effects on mineral
absorption.
| Fluids. |
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| Supplements. |
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Food-bound vitamin B-12 is not absorbed efficiently in many elderly
people due to atrophic gastritis, which is estimated to affect 1030%
of the U.S. population over 60 y (Hurwitz et al. 1997
, Krasinski et al. 1986
). In individuals
with atrophic gastritis, vitamin B-12 cannot be dissociated from food
protein due to lack of adequate acid-pepsin digestion (Carmel 1994
). Thus, vitamin B-12 is not freed to bind to intrinsic
factor for eventual absorption. In addition, atrophic gastritis results
in bacterial colonization of the upper gastrointestinal tract, and
whatever small amounts of vitamin B-12 are released from food can be
taken up by these bacteria (Suter et al. 1991
).
Therefore, many elderly people will need to ingest vitamin B-12 in a
pure (i.e., supplemental) form that is bioavailable, or in the form of
vitamin B-12fortified food products such as breakfast cereals. Other
than these nutrients, following the 70+ Food Pyramid should ensure
adequate intake of vitamins and minerals without need for
supplementation.
| Conclusion. |
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Finally, a flag should be placed on the top of the 70+ Food Pyramid indicating that supplements of calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B-12 are frequently appropriate to promote optimal health. Obviously, these recommendations do not apply to individuals with significant impediments in procuring or consuming whole foods. Continuous monitoring of the elderly is necessary in order to identify changes that negatively impact on food intake.
| FOOTNOTES |
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1 This project has been funded at least in part
with Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Agricultural Research Service under contract 53-3 06-5-10. The contents
of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of
the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ![]()
2 The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 USC section 1734 solely to indicate this fact. ![]()
Manuscript received August 27, 1998. Initial review completed November 6, 1998. Revision accepted November 13, 1998.
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