The Importance of Diet and Aging, application Antioxidant's and Inflammatory Compounds - Essay Example

?The Importance of Diet and Aging When you pick up a magazine or watch television, chances are that you will see a lot of commercials or ads to buy the newest anti-aging product. There are wrinkle creams, exercise devices and many opportunities for diets from the South Beach Diet to eth Food Lover’s Fat Loss System. One thing that all these products have in common is that they are aimed at the aging population. For some reason, people are afraid of aging and they want to stay as young as they can for as long as they can. Many people purchase these anti-aging products or diet programs, try them out, and then leave them sit on a shelf collecting dust. Others have used these products successfully. Still other people go with the least expensive way to learn more about aging and how they can find inexpensive ways to deal with it. The Importance of Diet As people age, their nutritional needs change. The society in which we live has become more sedentary and less physically active than societies in the past. Many people rely on fast food and processed foods because they are quick and easy to use. This has created the problem that more people are obese than in the past. Fox reports that 34% of Americans are now obese and another 32.7% are considered to be overweight. With these statistics in mind, the importance of diet becomes more profound. Society has also become fast paced and many people are working two jobs which make life difficult when it comes to eating. Tse and Benzie (2004) presented guidelines for diet to help people change the risk of certain diseases. They suggest that eating plenty of vegetables and fruits are important for keeping cancer away. In fact, The American Cancer Institute and the World Cancer Research Fund suggest that five portions of fruits and vegetables should be consumed daily (as cited in Tse and Benzie, 2004). The reason this is important is because these foods contain anti-oxidants which help all forms of cancer. When combined with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, trace metals, and B vitamins can create a good force against cancer. Cardiovascular disease is another problem for people as they age. Usually, dietary changes will help this condition. Challenges like obesity, hypertension and insulin resistance can be helped with simple dietary changes. By restricting salt and saturated fact the blood pressure can be controlled (Tse and Benzie, 2004). In general, the following foods are recommended for older persons: Recommended Not Recommended Grains like rice, noodles, bread, biscuits or pasta Salty or pickled foods Meat, eggs, and bean products Foods high in fat Drink plenty of water, eat soups and high calcium foods Foods high in sugar Use steaming, quick frying and stewing for cooking High cholesterol foods Have frequent small meals Eating large meals (Source: Tse and Benzie, 2004). These recommendations give general ideas for how someone could structure their dietary needs as they age. This is based on health nutrition information from a nursing point of view. Taubes (2010) reports on the idea of how people want to live longer. He states that some things about aging are genetic but there are many situations that can be helped even when they have a genetic component. Calorie restriction has been shown to help with intellectual function in rats but researchers do not know yet whether this can help in humans. There have been many studies on calorie restrictions that have yielded some information about what fewer calories do in the human body. The Role of Antioxidants There are a variety of dietary supplements, drinks and foods that suggest there are healing properties in antioxidants. Cantuti-Castelvetri, Shukitt-Hale, and Joseph (2000) reported on neuro-degenerative disorders that can be helped through the use of anti-oxidants. Their study reviewed the influence of both dietary and synthetic anti-oxidants. Their study reviewed the influence of both dietary and synthetic antioxidants. They found that vitamin E was a good anti-oxidant to add because it can help with cognitive functioning. Furst (1996) states that antioxidants such as vitamin E, C, and carotenoids function all support the immune system. The body can produce molecules called free radicals that are toxic to the body. These free radicals happen because of poor nutrition, stress, and environmental factors (“Immune”, n.d.). Anti-oxidants insure that free radicals do not do damage to the body by neutralizing them and breaking the cycle in the body of free radical damage. By eating foods rich in anti-oxidants the body is able to remain healthier (“Immune”, n.d.). Anti-Inflammatory Diets As people age they can become more susceptible to water retention and this means there is inflammation in the body. When there is inflammation and it continues over a long period of time, it can lead to more health problems (Doheny, 2008). Doheny also states that the average diet for Americans is high in fat from processed foods and fast foods. When people use the anti-inflammatory diets, many of the foods include phytochemicals which aid in eliminating inflammation. The inflammatory diet that is most recommended by experts suggest eating lots of fruits and vegetables, minimizing saturated and trans fats, eating Omega 3 fatty acids rich foods, watching the intake of refined carbohydrates like pasta and white rice, and eating plenty of whole grains; they also suggest limiting read meat and eating more fish or chicken. They also suggest that using spices like ginger or curry help reduce inflammation (Doheny, 2008). Exercise and Aging Hultquist (2010) suggests that exercise is very important to the aging individual for a variety of reasons. The most important thing to do is to find an exercise that is fun and that can be done easily over a period of time. Finding a gym or a community center with a variety of exercise is helpful to some people. Exercise can relieve stress, help keep a positive attitude, and it can create a distraction to common stressors; it can also decrease anxiety (Thompson, 2010). Exercise can also be a means of social support if the individual joins others who enjoy the same activity. As an example, walking clubs, hiking or running, or joining a fitness class like a dance class can help an individual look forward to the activity and they can meet new friends at the same time. According to Esmat (2010) most people who live long lives attribute their success to a healthy lifestyle, exercise, and a positive mental outlook. When people exercise, it helps them keep this outlook and they can increase their life expectance. Exercise can also decrease the progression of a chronic disease and decrease the risk of having a disability. Esmat suggests that adults should attempt to d 150 minute of moderate aerobic exercise on a weekly basis. The aerobic activity should be rhythmic such as swimming, bike riding, walking or dancing, and it should be easily accessible on a regular basis. Physical activity is also important for mental health as a person ages. White and Wojcicki (2010) state that a decrease in cognitive functioning is thought of as a natural part of aging but older adults who stay physically active “have higher mental processing speed and are better at planning, scheduling, and multi-tasking” (p. 4). Also, physical activity can increase blood supply to the brain, it can help influence the brain structure, and help generate new brain cells. Strength training activities are also encouraged because they can also help in the cognitive processing (White and Wojcicki, 2010). Conclusion There is no doubt that diet and exercise can help an individual as they age. Most experts state that a good nutritional diet of fruits and vegetables, plenty of water to drink, and cutting back on red meat are important aspects to put into the diet. A challenge for many people is that this type of eating has to be cooked at home, so they cannot rely on fast food or prepackaged foods in order to eat well. Foods rich in anti-oxidants are also important to eat because they help neutralize free radicals, which are toxic molecules that work through the body. By neutralizing these molecules, the body is able to fend of an attack of disease; anti-oxidants also help the immune system. Exercise is important because it helps blood flow, circulation and mental health. The individuals who have lived long lives state that they have a healthy diet, a healthy lifestyle, and they exercise regularly. The amount of exercise and the type does not seem to matter as long as the individual enjoys what they are doing. Strength training is also emphasized because the muscles and bones can change as we age and by doing strength training, an individual can make sure that they are keeping their body toned. References Cantuti-Castelvetri, I., Shukitt-Hale, B., and Joseph, J.A. (2000). Neurobehavioral aspects of Antioxidants in aging. International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, 18, 367-381. Retrieved from http://morelife.org/references/full_papers/10817921.pdf Doheny, K. (2008). The benefits of an anti-inflammatory diet. CBS News, Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/12/health/webmd/main4443788.shtml Esmat, T. (2010). Fitness for anti-aging, in ACSM Fit Society Page, 2. Retrieved from http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=About_ACSM&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=15215 Fox, M. (2009). Obese Americans now outweigh the merely overweight. Reuters. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/01/09/us-obesity-usa-idUSTRE50863H20090109 Furst, P. (1996). The role of anti-oxidants in nutritional support. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 55, 945-961. Retrieved from http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=%2FPNS%2FPNS55_03%2FS0029665196000365a.pdf&code=9356b60ae0ee1ef6ad870197ef071dd8 Hultquist, C. (2010). Keeping active amid life changes. In ACSM Fit Society Page, 1. Retrieved from http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=About_ACSM&TEMPLATE=/CM/ ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=15215 “Immune system health and support: the importance of antioxidants.” CNCA Health. Retrieved from http://www.cncahealth.com/health-info/general/immune-health-antioxidants.htm Mimi, M.Y., Benzie, I.F.F. (2004). Diet and health: Nursing perspective for the health of our aging population. Nursing & Health Sciences, 6, (4). 309-314. doi: 10.1111/j.1442-2018.2004.00189.x Taubes, G. (2010). Live long and PROSPER. Discover, 31 (8). 80-88. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database. White, S.M. and Wojcicki, T.R. (2010). Staying mentally sharp through physical activity, in ACSM Fit Society Page, 4. Retrieved from http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=About_ACSM&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=15215 Read More