Nutrition Considerations for Smart Aging

Jenny Lobb, MPH, RD, LD

Ohio State University Extension, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Franklin County

Most people are aware of the numerous changes that our bodies undergo as we age. Did you know that our nutritional needs also change with age? Metabolism tends to slow with age, yet nutrient needs increase for certain vitamins and minerals. Learning how to balance these changes and continue eating healthy meals may seem difficult. Some people find it helpful to adopt a healthy eating pattern to support healthy aging. A few healthy eating patterns to promote healthy aging are:

• MyPlate for older adults
• the Mediterranean diet
• the DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) diet
• the MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet, which was created by combining the Mediterranean diet with the DASH diet 

These healthy eating patterns are covered in the Aging and Eating module of the Aging Smart curriculum created by Ohio State University Extension This module covers:

• factors that influence the nutrition of older adults
• nutritional needs of older adults
• strategies to promote good health and nutrition in older adults, including the healthy eating patterns mentioned above

To learn more about the Aging Smart curriculum, contact authors Jenny Lobb (lobb.3@osu.edu) or Kathy Tutt (tutt.19@osu.edu). You can also view the Aging Smart modules online by visiting aginged.osu.edu. You will need to complete a registration and pay a one-time enrollment fee of $25. After setting up your account, you can select the Aging Smart modules of interest to you, including the Aging and Eating module. Each module is $10.