Should Older Adults Be Consuming Eggs?
Nutrition plays a significant role in maintaining the health of older adults. Ensuring adequate dietary intake can help enhance the quality of life, reduce chronic disease risk and increase longevity.
Older Australians are faced with a range of issues that can affect their food intake, including a reduction in appetite. At the same time, they are faced with age-related changes in body composition and functioning, for example, loss of muscle mass and decreased mineral absorption which in turn may increase their nutrient requirements. In the 2017-18 National Health Survey, older Australians generally rated themselves as having poorer health than younger people, with only 37% of persons aged 75 years and over rating their health as being excellent or very good. In addition, the leading causes of death in Australians aged 65 years and over are due to cardiovascular disease, cancer, or dementia, all linked to diet and lifestyle.
Food & Nutrition Issues
The 2011-2012 National Nutrition & Physical Activity Survey (NNPAS) provides a snapshot of food and nutrient intakes across Australians of all ages.
Results of the survey, suggest older Australians are:
- More likely to meet vegetable intake recommendations compared to younger adults (6% vs 3%)
- More likely to meet fruit intake recommendations compared to younger adults (30% vs 23%)
- Less likely to meet dairy, eggs and alternatives intake recommendations compared to younger adults (3% vs 10%)
- More likely to meet lean meat and alternatives intake recommendations compared to younger adults (29% vs 11%)
Older males (24%) are less likely and older females (39%) are more likely to meet grain intake recommendations compared to younger adults (35% younger males and 8% younger females) These results tend to reflect the changes in food group recommendations for this age group (i.e. increased number of dairy serves and decreased number of lean meat and grain serves are recommended for 51-70 and 71+ age groups) but nevertheless highlight where older Australians need to improve their intakes. In addition, those aged 51-70 years were most likely to report being on a special diet, such as a weight-loss diet, low fat, salt or sugar, or a high fiber diet.
When it comes to individual nutrients, on average older Australians fail to meet the estimated average requirement (EAR) for protein, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium, selenium, and zinc. Other research studies have suggested that older Australians may also be at risk of vitamin D and vitamin B12 deficiencies. Recent research on Australian older adults found that 8% of hospitalizations for falls and almost 8 % of hospitalizations for hip fractures were attributable to vitamin D deficiency, showing the potential consequences of inadequacy.
In addition, older adults have the highest risk of anemia according to the 2011-12 Australian Health Survey, with rates rapidly increasing after the age of 65 years. Given the higher risk of nutritional deficiencies in older adults, consuming nutrient-rich foods like eggs, and meat becomes an even higher priority.
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