As a result of physical reasons, elderly people are prone to indigestion. If indigestion occurs frequently, it will seriously affect their quality of life. So how should we regulate it? Let's take a look together!
Causes of indigestion in the elderly:
1. Gum recession in the elderly. Teeth may fall out due to long-term wear, making chewing difficult. As a result, food is not fully chewed and swallowed, increasing the burden on the stomach.
2. Atrophy of the gastrointestinal mucosa and glands in the elderly. Atrophy of the oral mucosa dulls the sense of taste, leading to a preference for thick and hard-to-digest foods.
Atrophy of the salivary glands reduces saliva secretion to one-third of that in young people, and gastric acid secretion decreases to one-fifth of that in young people.
3. Atrophy of smooth muscle fibers in the gastrointestinal tract weakens elasticity, leading to slow expansion of the stomach and intestines and slow intestinal peristalsis, resulting in weakened mechanical digestion in the elderly.
How to regulate indigestion in the elderly:
1. Light diet:
Elderly people should have a light diet, mainly vegetarian with fish as the main source of meat. It is not advisable for elderly people with reduced taste to eat heavily flavored foods.
2. Avoid hard-to-digest foods:
Avoid long-term consumption of sticky rice, hard and greasy foods, as well as foods that cause bloating and are difficult to digest, such as dry beans, onions, potatoes, and sweets. These should be controlled appropriately to avoid affecting stomach movement.
3. Eat high-nutrition foods:
Supplement high-quality protein and also consume animal protein, such as eggs, milk, fish, and chicken.
Foods that the elderly should eat less:
1. Tremella:
Tremella is nutrient-rich and has effects such as kidney nourishing, lung moisturizing, and saliva replenishing. It is popular among the elderly. However, in clinical practice, it is common for elderly people to develop intestinal obstruction due to improper consumption of tremella.
2. Fish roe:
Fish roe is a nutritious food, rich in protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamins, and riboflavin. It is also a good supplement and nourishing agent for the human brain and bone marrow. However, the elderly should try to eat less fish roe as it is high in cholesterol and excessive consumption is not beneficial.
3. Sunflower seeds:
Although sunflower seeds are nutritious, they are not suitable for the elderly.
4. Tofu:
Tofu has high nutritional value, but the elderly should not eat too much of it.
Tofu contains a rich amount of protein as well as phytic acid and gas-causing factors. Excessive consumption at one time not only hampers the absorption of iron in the body but also leads to indigestion of protein, causing discomfort such as bloating and diarrhea.
