It is widely believed that prevention and healthy habits are the best way to ward off disease. While we cannot guarantee that we will remain healthy, as there are factors beyond our control (such as genetics and environmental factors), good habits can help us age more healthily and prepare us to better cope with illness.
The most common conditions in old age are related to hearing loss or cataracts, back and neck pain, osteoarthritis, diabetes, depression, dementia, and lung disease. A single person may experience several of these conditions at the same time, and it is important to consider not only medical treatment but also the environment in which older people live.
In any case, we can consider some guidelines that healthy adults can follow to live their final years to the fullest.
The microorganisms in the gut microbiota change in old age, with bacteroides, lactobacilli, and bifidobacteria giving way to enterobacteria and clostridium perfringens, which are responsible for infectious diseases when the immune system is weakened.
Dietary changes, a sedentary lifestyle, or age-related changes in intestinal function may be causing this imbalance in the microbiota, although they are also associated with specific disorders such as food intolerances or stress, and with diseases such as cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer, or hypertension.
What can we do to compensate for the alteration in the microorganisms in the intestine? Probiotic foods stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria, and probiotics contain these living organisms. Although not everything is known about them, research is being conducted into exactly how these foods help, and the "signaling pathways through which the beneficial effects of these foods are promoted are being studied in depth, which would facilitate their more appropriate use to regulate disorders related to the immune system," explains researcher Eduardo Arranz, head of the Mucosal Immunology Laboratory at IBGM.
In addition, it has been discovered how a dysfunction of the immune system can affect an intestinal bacterium that produces reactive oxygen species that damage cells and generate many age-related pathologies. Research led by Igor Iatsenko, a scientist at the Bruno Lemaitre Laboratory of the Global Health Institute at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), has identified "a specific member of the microbiota and its metabolite that can influence aging in the host organism," explains Iatsenko, who acknowledges that "a better understanding of microbial and host metabolic interactions during aging is needed to develop strategies against age-related diseases."
In old age, structural and functional changes occur in the body's tissues, resulting in differences in how we metabolize food, swallowing problems, and reduced sensitivity in the taste buds, among other issues. In addition, from the age of 70 onwards, we consume less energy, so food intake should be reduced.
It is essential to prioritize key nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D, bearing in mind that lactose intolerance is more common at this age. Calcium is found in foods such as cheese, almonds and hazelnuts, sardines in oil, yogurt, prawns and clams, chickpeas and white beans, among others. Vitamin D is present in fatty fish and egg yolks.
On the other hand, eating fruit, vegetables, and legumes helps maintain hydration and intestinal function. In addition, olive oil and nuts can increase energy intake without increasing the volume of food consumed.
It is also important to keep the immune system strong by eating foods rich in vitamins A, B, C, and E.
In addition to these general guidelines, at Biosalud we take into account each person's nutritional needs based on their DNA so that any deficiencies can be addressed on a case-by-case basis.
Physical exercise slows down aging. This statement has a scientific basis and is directly related to coenzyme Q10, one of the blood parameters that prevents cellular oxidative stress and, with it, the effects of the passage of time.
The Study of the relationship between physical activity and aging with biochemical and antioxidant parameters in blood, supported by the Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology and funded by the Andalusian Center for Sports Medicine of the Regional Government of Andalusia, explains how oxidative stress in cells can be reduced by up to 15 percent in the elderly population when they engage in moderate-intensity sports.
"This is the first time that the beneficial effect of physical exercise on coenzyme Q10 levels has been demonstrated in humans, using it as a therapy to combat the decline in antioxidant activity associated with aging and to prevent the cardiovascular or chronic complications that accompany it," explains Jesús del Pozo-Cruz.
Another important factor is reducing stress, as it has a serious influence on aging and telomere shortening.
