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Educate your patients on the importance of 3-A-Day of Dairy: Here's
a great
tool (PDF: 618k) to show families how to get their 3-A-Day of Dairy
every day for stronger bones.
Developed in conjunction with The American Academy of Family
Physicians, The American Academy of Pediatrics, The American Dietetic
Association, and The National Medical Association.
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Dairy Council Digest Archives
Special Dietary Needs of Mature Americans
Summary
The proportion of mature adults 65 years of age and over in the U.S. population has grown rapidly during this century. The fastest growth has occurred among those aged 85 years and over.
Nutritional well-being is an integral component of successful aging. Only in recent years have national nutrition surveys included adults over 75 years of age. Subclinical deficiencies of energy, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B6, folate, and zinc have been found in certain older adult subgroups. Low energy intake—or anorexia of aging—impairs the ability of mature adults to meet their needs for many essential nutrients. Reduced appetite also increases the risk of protein-energy malnutrition and its adverse health consequences.
Recognition of some unique nutritional needs of mature adults has led, for the first time, to separate recommendations for specific nutrients for adults 51 through 70 years and >70 years. These new recommendations—called Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)—for calcium and related nutrients and for B vitamins update the 1989 Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for these nutrients.
Vitamin D, folate, and vitamin B12 are specific concerns for older adults. The new vitamin D recommendation (400 I.U./day) for adults ages 51 through 70 years is twofold the level recommended in earlier adulthood (i.e., 200 I.U./day) and the level recommended for adults 51 years and older in the 1989 RDAs. For adults >70 years, 600 I.U. vitamin D/day is recommended (i.e., three times the level previously recommended for adults 51 years and older). Increasing vitamin D intake to recommended levels has been demonstrated to improve bone health in mature adults.
Adults 51 years and over are recommended to consume 400mg folate/day—which reflects a twofold increase from the 1989 recommendation of 200mg/day for men and 180mg/day for women. About 10 to 30 percent of older adults experience a decrease in their ability to adequately absorb vitamin B12 from foods. For this reason, the new DRIs recommend that adults over age 50 consume synthetic vitamin B12 from fortified foods or vitamin supplements to meet the recommended intake of 2.4mg vitamin B12/day.Adults 51 years of age and over are advised to consume 1,200mg calcium/day—a level of intake that is 400mg/day greater than the 1989 RDAs. Unfortunately, many mature adults consume levels of calcium intake that are well below recommended amounts. Numerous studies indicate that increasing older adults' intake of calcium, either alone or together with vitamin D, reduces age-related bone loss and the risk of osteoporotic fractures.
An emphasis on nutrient-dense foods can significantly help mature adults meet their nutrient needs, especially when calorie intake is low. Milk and other dairy foods are nutrient-dense foods providing significant levels of calcium, phosphorus, protein, and, if fortified, vitamin D—nutrients often lacking in mature adults' diets. It is important for older (as well as younger) individuals to adopt a healthful lifestyle including a balanced, nutritious diet and regular, moderate physical activity.
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