The efficacy and function of nutritional powder for the elderly

The core function of elderly nutrition powder is to specifically supplement the nutrients that the elderly group cannot absorb in their daily diet. It is essentially a dietary supplement rather than a "universal tonic" - for the elderly with insufficient nutritional intake, digestive and absorption disorders, chronic disease diet restrictions, postoperative rehabilitation, etc., rational use can effectively improve nutritional status and reduce the risk of complications.； However, for the elderly who have a balanced daily diet and have no special nutritional needs, blind supplementation may increase the metabolic burden. There is no such thing as "everyone is good".

When I was doing nutrition follow-up at a community elderly canteen a while ago, I happened to come across two completely opposite examples, which are quite illustrative. The 76-year-old Aunt Zhang just had a gallbladder operation last month. After being discharged from the hospital, she felt nauseous no matter what she ate. She couldn't touch oily food, and it was difficult to chew lean meat. She could only drink white porridge every day. She lost almost 6 pounds in half a month, and her albumin level was so low that the doctor reminded her to take nutritional supplements. Her son chose low-fat and low-GI medical-grade nutritional powder for the elderly. She drank half a cup of it as a snack between meals every day. Within three weeks of drinking it, her albumin returned to the normal range during the reexamination, and her face became much rosier. Uncle Li from the same unit was jealous and followed the trend and bought the exact same model. He himself had some abnormal glucose tolerance, so he drank a glass before each meal and ate as usual. As a result, the fasting blood sugar test last week soared to 7.8. He was so scared that he stopped quickly and told everyone that nutritional powder is an IQ tax.

In fact, I really can’t blame the product, I just didn’t understand its positioning. To put it bluntly, the advantages of nutritional powder for the elderly are "accurate, easy to absorb, and trouble-free." Most of the formulas are adjusted according to the physiological characteristics of the elderly: a high proportion of high-quality protein, which can be absorbed without difficulty in digestion. It also adds extra calcium, vitamin D, and B vitamins that the elderly generally lack. Some also add probiotics and dietary fiber to help protect the gastrointestinal tract. Think about it, many elderly people living alone make a fool of themselves by eating leftovers, or they have bad teeth and can only cook soft noodles and stew pumpkin. It is simply unrealistic for them to eat two eggs, three ounces of lean beef, and half a pound of green leafy vegetables a day. The nutritional gap is getting bigger and bigger. Over time, they will lose muscle and become unstable, or their immunity is low and they will catch colds. At this time, brewing a cup of suitable nutritional powder every day is equivalent to making up for the missing nutrients, which is definitely better than trying to carry it.

There are actually differences in the attitude of the nutrition community towards nutritional powders for the elderly. One group insists on "food supplements first" and believes that as long as you can eat normally, there is no need to use such supplements. After all, the nutritional structure of natural foods is more complex, and there are many active ingredients that nutritional powders do not have.； The other group believes that less than 30% of the elderly in China meet the daily dietary standards, especially those who live alone, are disabled, or have chronic diseases. Food supplements cannot meet the recommended intake at all, and the benefits of appropriate supplements outweigh the disadvantages. Both statements are actually correct. The core dividing point is "can you eat enough in your daily meals?" I once met an 82-year-old man with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who couldn't breathe after eating too much. He would only eat less than half a bowl at a meal. His son bought imported nutritional powder and asked him to drink it as water. He drank three cups a day. As a result, his uric acid and blood lipids were all high after half a month. Later, I adjusted the usage for him: drink 100ml every time he eats, and eat it with half a bowl of rice. When he is hungry between meals, drink half a cup. The total amount is only one cup a day. In less than a month, the old man gained 1.8 kilograms in weight. Now he can walk half a circle more when walking downstairs.

When many elderly people buy nutritional powder, they always look at the words "for middle-aged and elderly people" and "enhancing immunity" on the packaging. In fact, the most important thing to read is the ingredient list. If the top three items include white sugar and non-dairy creamer, it will taste so sweet that you will feel cloying. No matter how cheap it is, don’t take it home. Drinking too much will raise blood sugar and blood lipids. If you have underlying diseases, don’t listen to the salesman’s lie that “everyone can drink this.” It’s best to ask a community nutrition doctor first: for diabetes, choose low-GI foods without added sucrose, for chronic kidney disease, choose special kidney disease-type special medical foods, and for those with weak stomachs, choose the ones with added active probiotics. You don’t have to buy the most expensive ones, only the ones that suit you will be useful.

After all, the nutritional powder for the elderly is like a band-aid that is always available at home. When you have a small cut on your hand, you can use it to stop bleeding and prevent infection. If you don't have a wound and still put it on your hand every day, it will definitely be boring and useless. Don't believe the false propaganda that "drinking it can lower blood pressure and cure joint pain", and don't reject it completely when others say it's useless. Just touch your job and look at the physical examination report to find out whether it's suitable.