Do you eat seriously every day? People who eat regularly are prone to malnutrition, and malnutrition is the source of many health problems.
Recently, a new research team from Beijing Tiantan Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University published a new study suggesting that:
Malnutrition can increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease, which in turn exacerbates malnutrition as the disease progresses.
This article tells you about the risks of malnutrition and tips on how to improve it.
Malnutrition increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease
The study was published in Frontiers in Nutrition, an authoritative journal in the field of nutrition, and the research team analyzed 266 participants who were admitted to Beijing Tiantan Hospital during 2019~2023, and the results showed that:
1. Body composition and nutritional indicators are significantly related to the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease, and malnutrition is likely to increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
2. Early identification and intervention of malnourished individuals is very beneficial to control the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease.
The 266 participants were divided into three groups, the first group (73 cognitively normal NC), the second group (72 AD-MCI patients with mild cognitive impairment due to AD), and the third group (121 AD-D patients with AD-AD-AD). The researchers identified the nutritional indicators of the participants in the three groups by body composition, eating patterns, nutritional assessment scales, and more.
Body composition measurements showed that participants in the third group had lower mean arm circumference, waist circumference, calf circumference, and lower BMI compared to the first two groups.
In terms of the nutrition assessment scale, the third group was worse than the first two groups, and the micro-nutrition assessment score was also lower than that of the first two groups.
Researchers believe that malnutrition is likely to increase a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, which in turn exacerbates malnutrition.
You may be underestimating malnutrition
Eating well not only helps reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, but also serves as a longevity advantage.
Surveys led by the Chinese Population and Development Research Center show that centenarians have one thing in common: good nutrition.
Zhou Honglian, chief physician of the Department of General Medicine at Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, said that malnutrition refers to a state in which the morphology, function and clinical outcomes of the human body are adversely affected due to a deficiency or imbalance of energy, protein and/or other nutrients.
Many health problems stem from malnutrition, such as weakened immunity, muscle wasting, hypothermia, osteoporosis, cognitive impairment, reduced quality of life, and premature death. Relatively speaking, the following groups of people are more likely to be malnourished:
Senior citizen;
patients with chronic diseases;
People who eat takeout regularly;
people with a single eating pattern;
People with bad teeth;
People with poor digestive function;
Some obese people.
Ye Sa, director of the nutrition department of Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, said that obese people often have an unreasonable diet and eat more energy, but the essential nutrients are far from meeting the standard.
So, obesity is an excess of energy, not an excess of nutrition. Some people are actually fat people who are malnourished.
Older people have historically been one of the main groups of malnourished people and can assess their nutritional status using the table below.
Simple self-assessment of the nutritional status of the elderly
Good nutrition, brain protection and longevity
Good nutrition is the only way to grow old. Shi Hanping, director of the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery at Beijing Shijitan Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University, said that the most important thing to ensure nutrition is to eat every meal.
No.1
Eat a little more varied
First of all, consciously increase the intake of protein (eggs, milk, fish, meat, beans) and vegetables, and reduce refined carbohydrates, including alcohol, rice and flour and their products.
Eat a rich diet, preferably with more than 12 foods a day. The diversity of food determines the diversity of the intestinal flora, which determines human health.
We should consciously eat some foods that we don't like to eat or eat less, and pay attention to the combination of meat and vegetables, as vegan and pure meat are not the first choice.
No.2
Focus on supplementing with protein
Zhou Honglian said that adequate protein intake is the primary measure to prevent and improve malnutrition. Healthy adults can supplement protein according to the "1122" principle on the basis of eating an appropriate amount of staple foods every day.
1 bag of milk: 250~300ml milk;
1 egg: People with excessive cholesterol levels can skip egg yolks and eat 2~3 egg whites a day;
Two taels of lean meat: including chicken, duck, fish, meat, shrimp, one or two lean meat is about the size of the palm of a hand;
Two taels of tofu: raw weight, a box of boxed tofu on the market is about 400 grams.
For the elderly, a 50-kilogram elderly person, the daily protein intake reference recipe is as follows.
No.3
Eat something brain-friendly
Previously, the famous Flemingham cohort study in the United States found that the health management measures taken to prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are also effective for senile dementia, which can reduce the incidence of senile dementia by 40%. These recommendations include:
1. Mainly rich and fresh plants, including vegetables, fruits, cereals, nuts;
2. Replace animal oil with vegetable oil for cooking, and try to eat less processed food;
3. Fat intake does not exceed 35% of the total amount;
4. Eat some dairy products in moderation;
5. Eat fish twice a week;
6. Eat less red meat and more white meat.
No.4
It should not be overfilled, and it should be quantified regularly
In addition to what you eat, how much, when, and how you eat are also important.
How much to eat: Seven or eight points full is the best, that is, the stomach feels full, but it is not very uncomfortable to eat a little more.
When to eat: It is recommended that breakfast and lunch must be full and eat well, and dinner should be eaten less and early. Distribute the total intake of each day according to the proportion of 40%~50%, 40%~30% and 20% in the morning, noon and evening respectively, and try not to eat supper.
How to eat: Chew slowly, increase the number of chews, some vegetables that can be eaten raw, raw is the best.
Eating well is a health advantage, try to eat as many types of food as possible, don't eat too much, chew slowly, and don't eat casually. ▲