Eating Wrong Can Cause Memory Loss By Gretchen Heuring | 03.01.2011

 

Eating wrong is the same as "not eating right." Older people can be quite suddenly become exhausted caregivers, suffer from energy-depleting illness, or live alone for the first time. Preparing and consuming nutritious meals falls by the wayside under such stressful conditions. Once can become twice, can become a week, then a month, then longer.

 

The body and brain need certain foods to be healthy. Most of our lives, it's relatively easy to shop for and prepare good meals. Older people often fail to manage their nutrition properly when life deals them a blow.

 

The term we use is "malnourished" because the body isn't getting the right foods in the right combinations to mainTextTexttain health. The result is loss of energy, a depleted immune system, confusion and memory loss.

 

Downward Spiral of Malnutrition

Low energy and confusion lead to poor choices but there is more going on in a person who doesn't eat right for an extended period. The body loses the resources to heal and repair itself. At the very lowest level the cells of the body begin to break down and are not replaced.

 

Foods We Must Have to Live Long and Well

The Tufts Modified Food Pyramid for Older Adults divides the foods we need into several categories, and suggests appropriate quantities.