Tackling older adults malnutrition through the development of tailored food products

Abstract

Background The global population is ageing. Elderly population has surpassed the number of children under 5 years of age, making older adults the fastest-growing age group. The life expectancy increase is the result of scientific, technological and social advances made during recent decades. However, the increase in life expectancy is not accompanied by a healthy ageing, since older adults undergo several physiological changes that may result in the development of several diseases or chronic conditions. Scope and approach Malnutrition of elderly population is one of the most urgent topics in the food industry, costing millions of euros each year to health and social care systems. The development of functional foods with tailored properties for the elderly population, that aim at improving the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of important nutrients in their diets, have been gaining a lot of interest in recent years. Knowledge on which properties are more relevant and how those products behave in older adults gastrointestinal tract is yet to be thoroughly described. Key findings and conclusions Nutrition is the support of human life. Nowadays, through application of novel food processing technologies, older adults health and wellbeing can be greatly improved. These advances, along with the increasing knowledge regarding ageing physiological changes, should be employed for the development of nutritional approaches that aim at preventing diseases and ensure a healthier ageing of the global population.