Summary
Eating a healthy diet is important for a variety of reasons, but did you know the right foods and nutrients can play a role in aging and, in some cases, even slow the process?
Mirelis Venezuela, a certified dietitian at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Institute of Tucson, said aging is the result of the accumulation of oxygen radicals over time. One way to delay or slow aging: include plenty of antioxidants in your diet.
What is an antioxidant?
Antioxidants are substances that protect cells from the damage caused by oxygen radicals. They can be found in a variety of foods. While the FDA has recommended daily allowances, or RDAs, for antioxidants, Venezuela said you might need more as you get older or if you are under stress. Some examples of antioxidants and where to get them include:
- Vitamin A: The RDA is 700 micrograms for women and 900 micrograms for men. Foods that provide vitamin A include sweet potatoes, carrots and winter squash.
- Vitamin C: The RDA is 90 milligrams for adults. Foods that provide vitamin C include sweet peppers, citrus and broccoli.
- Vitamin E: The RDA is 15 milligrams for adults. Foods that provide vitamin E include oils, seeds and wheat germ.
- Copper: The RDA is 10 milligrams for adults. Foods that provide copper include oysters, spirulina and cashew nuts.
- Selenium: The RDA is 55 micrograms for adults. Foods that provide selenium include Brazilian nuts, Shiitake mushrooms and chia seeds.
- Zinc: The RDA is 8 milligrams for women and 11 milligrams for men. Foods that provide zinc include pumpkin seeds, legumes and liver.
Recent studies also suggest that the flavonoids found in red wine are also beneficial in slowing the impacts of aging, as "they are potent antioxidant agents," Venezuela said.
Don't forget about B-complex vitamins
Venezuela describes B vitamins as "the building blocks for a healthy body." She said they are found in all sorts of foods, but often, people are still not getting enough of them, especially older adults. While she always agrees that fresh is best when it comes to getting your intake of these powerful nutrients, she said a B-complex vitamin supplement, which packs the most important B vitamins into one pill, could be needed.
Some of those important B vitamins include:
- Thiamine: The RDA is 1.2 milligrams for men and 1.1 milligrams for women. Foods high in thiamine include pork, fish and green peas.
- Riboflavin: The RDA is 1.3 milligrams for men and 1.1 milligrams for women. Foods rich in riboflavin include milk, yogurt, cheese and eggs.
- Niacin: The RDA for niacin is 16 milligrams for men and 14 milligrams for women. Foods high in niacin include: Red meat, poultry, brown rice and nuts.
- Pantothenic acid: The RDA for both men and women is 5 milligrams. Foods high in pantothenic acid include meats, nuts, avocados and mushrooms.
- Pyridoxine: The RDA for pyridoxine is 1.3 milligrams for adults. Foods high in pyridoxine include tuna, salmon, chickpeas and poultry.
- Biotin: The RDA for biotin is 30 micrograms for both men and women. Foods high in biotin include organ meats, eggs, seeds and nuts.
- Folic acid: The RDA for folic acid is 400 micrograms for men and women. Foods rich in folic acid include dark green leafy vegetables, beans, peanuts and fresh fruit.
- Cyanocobalamin: The RDA for cyanocobalamin is 2.4 micrograms for men and women. Foods rich in cyanocobalamin include liver, eggs, poultry, fish and dairy.
Fresh foods are always best and don't forget to hydrate
While there are plenty of supplements out there that can help you reach the recommended daily intake of vitamins, Venezuela said it's best to try to get them through fresh food. She said supplements are not supposed to replace nutrient rich foods.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans agrees, stating that your nutritional needs should come primarily from food and beverages.
Venezuela said to choose fresh first, and then frozen if fresh is not an option. Canned goods are not recommended. "Frozen is better than canned if they don't have fresh," she added. "Cans lose a lot of their nutrients through the manufacturing process."
Equally important to getting the right vitamins and minerals is hydration. Venezuela said drinking water is essential to all your body functions. To calculate how many 8-ounce glasses you need to drink a day, divide your weight in pounds by 16. And remember, she added, water can't be replaced with other fluids.
4 healthy aging powerhouses to try
While these are nothing new, they have gained popularity in recent years and have an array of health benefits related to aging and more.
- Green tea: Drinking a cup or two of green tea a day has a variety of benefits. Naturally caffeinated, it can give you a boost of energy. It also serves as a source of calcium, iron, potassium and polyphenol, an antioxidant. "The Japanese have used this for centuries," Venezuela said. "For me, it's like coffee in the morning. This is good for not just people who are aging, but everyone."
- Matcha: Matcha is the best form of green tea and is packed with antioxidants. Unlike traditional green tea, which is made from steeped tea leaves, matcha is made with ground tea leaves that are formed into a powder that can be mixed into drinks and sometimes foods.
- Chlorella: Chlorella is a green, freshwater algae, known for its health benefits. Venezuela said it's good for the skin and has also been known to lower cholesterol and high blood pressure. It can be taken in capsule or powder form.
- Maqui Berry: This is a South American berry that is considered the world's most antioxidant rich fruit. It has more than 10 times the antioxidant power of a blackberry. Maqui Berry helps to reduce inflammation, suppress blood glucose and regulate cholesterol.
What is dysphagia?
Like aphasia, it can be caused by neurological conditions such as brain injuries and stroke, but it also can stem from muscle disorders, certain cancers and blockages/strictures in the throat.
Depending on the cause, dysphagia can be temporary or long-term.
Conditions commonly associated with dysphagia include:
- Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis
- Neck and throat cancers
- Late-stage Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias
- Cervical neck surgeries
Stages of dysphagia
There are three phases of swallowing that are impacted with dysphagia:
- Oral: This is the process of chewing food and mixing it with saliva to form a bolus in order for it to be moved from the front of the mouth to the back of the mouth. A person with dysphagia in this phase could have trouble breaking down the food enough to properly move it to the back of the mouth to trigger the swallowing reflex. This stage is also where tongue weakness or decreased sensation may impact the ability to clear food from the sides of the mouth causing it to pocket in the cheeks.
- Pharyngeal: This is where the swallowing reflex begins, and pharyngeal muscles push food down the throat to the esophagus. The epiglottis (a cartilage) inverts to protect the airway and sends the bolus towards the esophagus. This is when the upper esophageal sphincter opens to allow food to travel into the esophagus. A person with dysphagia in this phase might feel like the food is “entering the wrong pipe,” Delashaw said, because the muscles in the pharynx and/or larynx are not operating properly to prevent food or liquids from entering the airway.
- Esophageal: This is when the bolus is taken from the upper esophageal sphincter that has opened, allowing it to enter the esophagus. Peristalsis (muscle contractions) carries the bolus from the upper esophagus towards the stomach. In this phase, a person with dysphagia may feel like food is stuck in their throat or chest.
Symptoms of dysphagia
Dysphagia symptoms could include:
- Coughing or choking during or shortly after eating or drinking
- Heartburn or indigestion
- Feeling that food is stuck in the throat or chest
- Painful swallowing
- Regurgitation
- Food sitting in the mouth or being pocketed in the cheeks
- Unexplained weight loss
- Reduced desire to eat
Diagnosing dysphagia
Dysphagia is diagnosed by a healthcare provider. Speech-language pathologists diagnose dysphagia with a comprehensive oral exam and swallowing examination, which should include swallowing tests such as a FEES or MBS exam.
- FEES: FEES stands for fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing. This is an exam where a speech-language pathologist inserts a small thin scope with a camera through the nose and allows visualization of the throat, larynx and vocal cords to assess swallow function as you eat and drink certain foods.
- MBS: During a modified barium swallow study, a speech-language pathologist will give you food and liquids covered in a small amount of barium. As you swallow, X-rays are performed to view your swallow in real-time.
Treatment of dysphagia
After a dysphagia diagnosis, a speech-language pathologist can help determine what consistency of food and liquids is safest to eliminate risk of choking or aspiration. They can also provide therapy and exercises to help strengthen the muscles used during the different stages of swallowing.
Treatment should always involve a discussion with the individual to determine their wishes regarding oral intake and development of dysphagia treatment.
“If difficulty is noted in the oral phase, we can design an exercise program to target movement for the muscles used when breaking down the food,” Delashaw said. “Say you had a stroke that impacted lip muscles, and you can’t hold food in your mouth. We’re going to work on increasing the control and strength of the lip muscles, so you do not lose liquids or foods out of the mouth.”
In addition to exercises, Delashaw said neuromuscular electrical stimulation could also be used to increase muscle awareness in the different stages of dysphagia.
In the esophageal stage, your speech-language pathologist could suggest obtaining a referral from your primary care doctor to a gastroenterologist for further evaluation.
Recovery from dysphagia
Depending on the diagnosis and related conditions, dysphagia could improve over time. If swallowing difficulty is related to a neurological condition, inpatient rehabilitation could help develop adaptive techniques and diet plans to meet your needs and quality of life standards.
The multidisciplinary approach in this setting also allows for other symptoms related to your condition to be addressed through intensive therapy. In addition to working with a speech-language pathologist, your therapy team would also include a physical therapist and occupational therapist to address mobility and strength as well as activities of daily living and quality of life.