This text is part of the special Health and well-being section
The recommendations of the Canada’s Food Guide are not all adapted to the nutrient needs of people aged 65 and over. This is what a study carried out by a team from the School of Human Nutrition at McGill University concludes.
Current indications for Canada’s Food Guide encourage the population to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, consume protein foods, choose whole grain cereals and favor water as a drink.
But the research team showed that adherence to Guide is insufficient to meet the nutritional recommendations for calcium, vitamin D and folic acid for seniors.
One of the issues raised by Didier Brassard, a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Human Nutrition at McGill University and author of the study, is that appetite in older people is often weaker.
They will therefore require more substantial foodstuffs, particularly with regard to nutrients whose recommendation is higher. Thus, older people do not consume enough vegetables and fruits to meet their folic acid needs. But the researcher adds that it’s not just a question of quantity, it’s also a question of food choice. “For example, the main sources of calcium in the diet in Canada […] are mainly dairy products, although they have no special place in the Guide, underlines-
he. This is a change from older versions. » He specifies that the problem of calcium in the elderly is all the greater as their recommendation is higher for them.
Various challenges in following dietary recommendations
To carry out this study, the team used data from major health surveys carried out in 2015 by Statistics Canada among Canadians aged 65 and over, who live at home, in the community, outside of an institution. “With different weighting and statistical techniques,” explains Mr. Brassard, “we can have an estimate of what food consumption represents in Canada in 2015.”
Traditionally, he continues, the Food Guide is published as a single document. Its latest version dates from 2019. “The original recommendations from 2019 are still there. The composition of the ideal plate, for example, is one that people know well,” recalls the researcher. However, he is concerned that Canadians have not been informed of the addition of additional information in 2022, adapted to certain groups of the population, such as seniors or adolescents. Mr. Brassard notes that respect for the evolution of Food Guide is a challenge that health and nutrition research professionals also face. This is also the case for people who create menus in institutions such as schools, hospitals or CHSLDs. “I encourage people to consult the Guide to know how to better apply the recommendations,” he advises.
Mr. Brassard admits that following the instructions on Food Guide may cost more. However, he explains that it is possible to make strategic decisions to avoid increasing the price of your grocery bill. “You can eat fresh fruits and vegetables, but they can also be frozen and canned, options that are generally more affordable. »
To obtain a sufficient protein intake, specifies the researcher, legumes, which are plant proteins, can be an interesting and less expensive choice than red meat. “Canned tuna is cheaper than fresh fish,” he adds.
According to him, there are, however, other challenges in meeting nutritional needs: in addition to having access to a grocery store, one must have a certain nutritional literacy. “Elderly people, in particular, do not know how to cook legumes,” he emphasizes.
Food, but not only
Mr. Brassard maintains that, on certain aspects, such as the indications on the sources of calcium and folic acid for the elderly and on the information concerning products rich in protein, the Guide can do better. “We must emphasize that it is not just the way of eating that maintains health,” continues the researcher, “it is also physical activity. »
Didier Brassard and his team are also studying how respecting information from Food guide in older people affects their muscle strength and ability to move. They also evaluate the effect that adherence to the recommendations of the Guide a on health measurements such as waist circumference and blood pressure. “I noticed, in my results, that those who follow the Guide will potentially have better mobility, for example, when they do normal walking and fast walking,” he confides. But the researcher adds that increasing the quantity of protein products, combined with daily physical activity of at least thirty minutes, accentuates the benefits of respecting the dietary instructions of the Guide.
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