What are the characteristics of good nutrition for the elderly?

1, good teeth

As the saying goes: good teeth, appetite is good. The elderly have 20 pairs of teeth, gums, temporomandibular joints and periodontal health in order to have sufficient chewing power, so that the body gets enough nutrition, so the elderly should focus on oral health, early treatment of missing teeth and periodontitis and other problems; moderate exercise to enhance the muscle strength of the oropharynx.

2、Good swallowing function

With age, body functions gradually decline and nerve reflexes become sluggish, so it is easy to have different degrees of choking or choking, especially for stroke and traumatic brain injury patients who are prone to swallowing abnormalities. Elderly people with abnormal swallowing cannot get enough water and food, which can easily cause malnutrition, food aspiration, and in serious cases, aspiration pneumonia and even threaten life. If mild choking occurs, slow down the speed of eating appropriately, use a spoon and straw when drinking water or soup; if necessary, do swallowing ability training under the guidance of a doctor, and supplement nutrition appropriately.

3、No picky eating

Usually elderly people should provide 1500~1600 kcal per day and 75~80 grams of protein. Insufficient daily total calorie and protein intake will easily lead to body wasting, reduce muscle content and even cause sarcopenia, so the meat and vegetable and coarse and fine food should be well matched.