scholarly journals A Review Study of a Green Diet and Healthy Ageing

Author(s):  
Ben Y. F. Fong ◽  
Wang-Kin Chiu ◽  
Wendy F. M. Chan ◽  
Ting Yu Lam

Nowadays people are living longer, and there has been a substantial growth in the global elderly population in the past decades. While life expectancy is increasing, there are growing concerns towards the heavy financial and social burdens related to chronic diseases among the elderly. These have been critical health care issues, and healthy ageing is considered a top priority in public health. Diet and eating habits are crucial factors contributing to healthy ageing. These important aspects have attracted much attention in health research, particularly in consideration of the causes and management of chronic conditions which affect most elder adults in the world. Recently, a growing number of investigations have reported significant findings on the association of reduction in the risks of chronic non-communicable diseases with plant-based diets. Meanwhile, there have been worldwide initiatives and programmes implemented for reduction of salt intake. A green diet, which emphasises the consumption of a diet rich in plant foods with minimal portions of red or processed meat and reduced salt intake, is advocated with due consideration to the importance of sustainable environment and healthy ageing. This paper highlights a brief review of the recent advance of knowledge in diet and health, its effects on the elderly and the significance of a green diet on healthy ageing. Implications for a green diet and recommendations for future research are also discussed.

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 2982
Author(s):  
N. S. Karamnova ◽  
A. I. Rytova ◽  
O. B. Shvabskaya ◽  
Yu. K. Makarova ◽  
S. A. Maksimov ◽  
...  

The presence of a disease, the prognosis of which can be improved by dietary modification, motivates a patient to change their eating habits.Aim. To study the associations of dietary patterns and alcohol consumption with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), diabetes, myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke in the adult population.Material and methods. The analysis was carried out using data from representative samples of population from 13 Russian regions aged 2564 years (n=19520; men, 7329; women, 12191). The response rate was ~80%. Dietary characteristics were assessed by frequency method.Results. In the diet of people with CVDs, the daily intake of vegetables/ fruits increases by 84% in men and by 19% in women, while the use of animal fats in cooking decreases by 28% and 20%m respectively (p<0,0001). Women with CVDs reduce the consumption of processed meat and sweets by 16 and 19%, respectively (p<0,005). Persons with prior MI reduce the consumption of sweets in the diet: men by 38% and women by 30%. Men with prior MI have higher daily consumption of cereals by 31%, vegetables and fruits by 46%, low-fat dairy products — 2,4 times. In addition, they are more adherent to a healthy and cardioprotective diet by 3,65 and 1,75 times, respectively. Dietary changes in those with prior stroke were noted only in women in the form of a 29% decrease in excess salt intake (p=0,0075). In the diet of people with diabetes, there is decreased consumption of sweets and an increased intake of vegetables/fruits: by 77 and 69% in men and by 79 and 69% in women, respectively (p<0,0001). Men with diabetes are 3 times more likely to adhere to a healthy diet, and women — 2,3 times (p=0,0039 and p<0,0001, respectively).Conclusion. Patients with CVDs, MI, and diabetes have a healthier diet than healthy persons.


2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 380-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai Victor Hansen

Purpose – With the growing older population, the increasing interest in the elderly’s eating habits and the meal situation go hand in hand and are challenges in many countries, including Norway. The purpose of this paper is to investigate, part of an ongoing project in Norway, address four categories of elderly people: healthy elderly (HE), old people with home care, elderly living in institutions, and critical ill elderly. Design/methodology/approach – The aim of this study was to investigate related articles concerning food and the elderly in the four identified categories, defining six different meal experience categories to disclose possible gaps in the research in terms of core product, room, personal service, company, atmosphere, and management control systems (MCS). Database searches, conducted through JSTOR and Web of Science, started with words in combination with “elderly and meal experiences” and were narrowed down to the most relevant papers with words from the six meal experience categories. Ultimately, 21 of 51 downloaded papers from international journals were reviewed. Findings – A comparison of the four elderly groups was made across the six different meal experience categories, which disclosed several gaps. Among the 21 papers, five focused on HE, 12 on older people living with home care, 16 on elderly living in institutions, and one on critical ill elderly. The specific under-researched gaps include room, company, atmosphere, and MCS. Research limitations/implications – Future research will need to investigate these groups more thoroughly, and the research should concentrate on the HE and critical ill in connection with the six meal experience aspects. Originality/value – The combination of meal experience aspects towards different elderly categories is an original perspective on the aim of the literature review.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Du-Ri Kim ◽  
Seunghwan Song ◽  
Gwon-Min Kim ◽  
Jae Hyeok Chang ◽  
Young Jin Tak ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Although the elderly have more time and exercise opportunities compared to other age groups, they tend to be inactive and passive towards exercise, resulting in low actual exercise rates. Furthermore, simple repetitive exercise programs fail to engage the elderly to continuously exercise because these programs do not induce their interest or meet their expectations. Meanwhile, information and communication technology (ICT)-based training devices for elderly care related to dementia are being developed to enhance the cognitive functions of elder adults. For elder adults who require bicycle training devices can not only improve muscle strength and balance of lower limbs by continuously contracting and relaxing lower-limb muscles but also improve cognitive function to help prevent dementia. OBJECTIVE This study was conducted to investigate the effects of an information and communication technology (ICT)-based multi-cognition program on body composition and cognitive function in elder adults. METHODS In a randomized controlled intervention test on 20 people over the age of 60 (exercise group: n = 10; control: n = 10), the multi-cognition program was applied on the exercise group twice per week, once per day for 12 weeks, at 30 min per session, whereas the control group was advised to maintain their usual daily activities. RESULTS A comparison of changes in body composition and cognitive function before and after intervention exhibited statistically significant differences in skeletal muscle mass (P=.01) and modified Alzheimer’s disease assessment scale–cognitive score (P=.01) between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS It can be difficult to be engaged in a simple repetitive exercise program. Therefore, to meet the interest and expectations of elder adults, a customized ICT-based multi-cognition program, which can improve body composition and cognitive function in elder adults and is believed to be helpful in the prevention of dementia, is recommended. CLINICALTRIAL UMIN000042129


Catalysts ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 142
Author(s):  
Jianfei Tang ◽  
Tianle Liu ◽  
Sijia Miao ◽  
Yuljae Cho

In recent years, we have experienced extreme climate changes due to the global warming, continuously impacting and changing our daily lives. To build a sustainable environment and society, various energy technologies have been developed and introduced. Among them, energy harvesting, converting ambient environmental energy into electrical energy, has emerged as one of the promising technologies for a variety of energy applications. In particular, a photo (electro) catalytic water splitting system, coupled with emerging energy harvesting technology, has demonstrated high device performance, demonstrating its great social impact for the development of the new water splitting system. In this review article, we introduce and discuss in detail the emerging energy-harvesting technology for photo (electro) catalytic water splitting applications. The article includes fundamentals of photocatalytic and electrocatalytic water splitting and water splitting applications coupled with the emerging energy-harvesting technologies using piezoelectric, piezo-phototronic, pyroelectric, triboelectric, and photovoltaic effects. We comprehensively deal with different mechanisms in water splitting processes with respect to the energy harvesting processes and their effect on the water splitting systems. Lastly, new opportunities in energy harvesting-assisted water splitting are introduced together with future research directions that need to be investigated for further development of new types of water splitting systems.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-29
Author(s):  
Magdalena Pracka ◽  
Marcin Dziedziński ◽  
Przemysław Łukasz Kowalczewski

AbstractIn recent years have seen increasing percentage of the elderly in the overall population. This has driven the attention to the lifestyle factors that influence the health and quality of life of this social group, including their nutrition and physical activity. Universities of the Third Age (U3A) are a valuable platform for the dissemination and broadening of the knowledge related to these topics. The nutritional habits of 61 U3A students in Poznań were evaluated on the basis of a modified KomPAN questionnaire. Their nutritional status was determined using the body mass index (BMI) and waist to hip ratio (WHR) indices. Nearly half of the respondents were overweight and 16% had first degree obesity. The WHR index in women was on average 0.8, while in men it was 1.01. Only 13% of the students declared regular eating, with 60% consuming 4-5 meals a day. Women were found to eat snacks between meals more often than men. It was also found that the majority of the elderly do not add salt to ready meals or sweeten beverages with sugars. Taking into account the observed nutritional problems and the occurrence of improper eating habits of the elderly, it is recommended to continue the education on the prevention of common diet-related diseased.


Author(s):  
Xiaochen Zhang ◽  
Lanxin Hui ◽  
Linchao Wei ◽  
Fuchuan Song ◽  
Fei Hu

Electric power wheelchairs (EPWs) enhance the mobility capability of the elderly and the disabled, while the human-machine interaction (HMI) determines how well the human intention will be precisely delivered and how human-machine system cooperation will be efficiently conducted. A bibliometric quantitative analysis of 1154 publications related to this research field, published between 1998 and 2020, was conducted. We identified the development status, contributors, hot topics, and potential future research directions of this field. We believe that the combination of intelligence and humanization of an EPW HMI system based on human-machine collaboration is an emerging trend in EPW HMI methodology research. Particular attention should be paid to evaluating the applicability and benefits of the EPW HMI methodology for the users, as well as how much it contributes to society. This study offers researchers a comprehensive understanding of EPW HMI studies in the past 22 years and latest trends from the evolutionary footprints and forward-thinking insights regarding future research.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
L P B Medina ◽  
M B A Barros ◽  
A A Barros Filho

Abstract Knowledge of avoidable exposures to noncommunicable diseases from the analysis of health behaviors or practices, and of attitudes and care related to lifestyle is an important strategy in identifying issues emerging to health and opportunities for the prevention of these problems. It was intended to analyze the combination of behaviors related to health, food and lifestyle, identify behavioral patterns and verify the inequalities present in its association with sociodemographic characteristics of the population of Campinas, São Paulo. This is a cross-sectional study conducted in 2014/15 that evaluated 1,205 people aged 20 years or older. From the behaviors regular consumption of raw and cooked vegetables, fruit and beans, consumption of low-fat milk, concern with salt intake, habit of reading food label, concern with the use of pesticides, consumption of organic foods, practice of leisure-time physical activity, consumption of meat with fat, frequent consumption of sausages and soft drinks, current smoking, alcohol abuse and short sleep duration were extracted through analysis factorial by main components. The association of these patterns with the variables gender, age and income were tested. Three lifestyle patterns were identified and nomined. The 'Healthy Advanced' lifestyle pattern was associated with females, the elderly and the best income groups can be identified; the 'Healthy Prudent' was associated with older adults, with the elderly and with the intermediate income segment. The 'Unhealthy' pattern was associated with males, with young people and did not have an association with income. It can be concluded that healthy lifestyle patterns were more present in female groups, with older age and better income level. The less healthy pattern was found more frequently among men and young people. It is noteworthy that this last pattern did not differ between income strata indicating that unhealthy practices may be equally disseminated in these groups. Key messages The better lifestyle patterns were more present in female groups, with older age and better income level. The less healthy pattern was found more frequently among men and young people, and did not differ between income strata.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Erika Guastafierro ◽  
Ilaria Rocco ◽  
Rui Quintas ◽  
Barbara Corso ◽  
Nadia Minicuci ◽  
...  

Abstract Healthy ageing is a public health problem globally. In Europe, the dependency ratio of the elderly is expected to increase by 21.6 per cent to 51.2 per cent in 2070. The World Health Organization (WHO) study on healthy ageing started in 2002 as a concept whereby all people of all ages should be able to live in a healthy, safe and socially inclusive way. The aim of this study is to present preliminary results of the project Identification of Determinants of Healthy Ageing in Italy (IDAGIT) that aimed to collect data on the active and healthy ageing of the Italian population aged over 18 using the conceptual framework of the WHO's ageing model. To link the determinants of the IDAGIT studies to those of the WHO model, we performed a confirmatory factor analysis which reported these variables as significant (in order of factor loading): smoking, cognition score, comorbidity, outdoor built environment, participation, working expertise and income. Considering comorbidity, 83.8 per cent of the sample declared not having any chronic diseases or to have only one, and regarding neurological diseases, only nine people had received a diagnosis of stroke. Regarding gender, the personal determinants and physical and social environments did not result in statistically significant differences, whereas we found statistical differences between the aged groups in all variables analysed. These results provide a first bio-psycho-social perspective on ageing in the Italian population.


Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 169
Author(s):  
Rosa Maria Fanelli

The principal aim of this study is to explore the effects of the first lockdown of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on changes in food consumption and food-related behaviour on a diverse sample of Italian consumers aged ≥18 years. To achieve this aim, the research path starts with an investigation of some of the first few studies conducted on Italian consumers. It then reports the findings of a pilot survey carried out on a small sample of Italian consumes who live in Molise. The studies chosen for investigation were published as articles or research reports. In total, six relevant studies were chosen, each involving a different sized sample of Italian consumers. The average number of respondents is 2142, with a standard deviation of 1260.56. A distinction is made between the results of the articles, the research reports, and the pilot survey. The latter was conducted to develop and validate the components of a new questionnaire and, furthermore, to assess changes in the eating habits of individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results suggest that the effects of the pandemic on consumer behaviour can, above all, be grouped into changes related to shopping for food, eating habits, and food-related behaviour. This article can serve as the basis for future research in this area as it identifies and highlights key changes, in addition to comparing the earliest evidence available, using a critical approach.


Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathy Trieu ◽  
Stephen Jan ◽  
Mark Woodward ◽  
Carley Grimes ◽  
Bruce Bolam ◽  
...  

Systematic reviews of trials consistently demonstrate that reducing salt intake lowers blood pressure. However, there is limited evidence on how interventions function in the real world to achieve sustained population-wide salt reduction. Process evaluations are crucial for understanding how and why an intervention resulted in its observed effect in that setting, particularly for complex interventions. This project presents the detailed protocol for a process evaluation of a statewide strategy to lower salt intake in Victoria, Australia. We describe the pragmatic methods used to collect and analyse data on six process evaluation dimensions: reach, dose or adoption, fidelity, effectiveness, context and cost, informed by Linnan and Steckler’s framework and RE-AIM. Data collection methods include routinely collected administrative data; surveys of processed foods, the population, food industry and organizations; targeted campaign evaluation and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative and qualitative data will be triangulated to provide validation or context for one another. This process evaluation will contribute new knowledge about what components of the intervention are important to salt reduction strategies and how the interventions cause reduced salt intake, to inform the transferability of the program to other Australian states and territories. This protocol can be adapted for other population-based, complex, disease prevention interventions.


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