Everyone says "good teeth, good appetite", eat well, good health. Having a good set of teeth is not only the basis for good chewing and swallowing function in the elderly, but also the guarantee of adequate nutrition.

The dietary pattern of the elderly has a great impact on oral health, especially the high sugar and high energy dietary pattern has a serious impact on oral health.

1. High-sugar dietary patterns and oral health

Caries (dental caries) are the result of a change in the ecological balance of the normal beneficial oral microbiota, which is caused by the continuous occurrence of low oral pH, resulting in the enrichment of oral pathogens within the bacterial community, emphasizing the key role of high sugar in caries = as an important dietary factor in the development of caries. Second, sugar can induce and aggravate inflammation and increase the risk of gum bleeding, possibly because glucose and advanced glycation end products trigger an excessive inflammatory response in white blood cells.

2. High-energy dietary patterns and oral health

Most of the vegetables and fruits in the high-energy dietary pattern are insufficient, and the deficiency of dietary trace elements calcium, vitamins C, D and B12 is a high risk factor for periodontal disease. Insufficient intake of vitamin D and dietary calcium can lead to osteoporosis and make alveolar bones more sensitive to periodontal infections. Vitamin C deficiency can lead to bleeding gums and other symptoms.

Therefore, ensuring a balanced diet is essential to protect the oral health of the elderly, and the daily diet should pay attention to the following three points:

1. Reasonable diet is the cornerstone of health

The daily diet of the elderly should include whole grains, fish, meat, eggs, milk and dairy products, vegetables and fresh fruits, it is recommended that the average intake of more than 12 kinds of food per day, more than 25 kinds per week, the richer and more miscellaneous the better. However, the elderly often because of poor teeth, picky eating, eating less lead to unbalanced diet, especially insufficient intake of vegetables, fruits and meat, taking into account the actual situation, it is recommended to use steaming, stewing, stewed cooking, or made into meat/minced vegetables, meat/minced vegetables, meat/vegetable puree form, to ensure the intake of various foods.

2. Reduce your sugar intake

Acidic substances produced by carbohydrate metabolism can cause tooth enamel demineralization, which leads to caries. Cariogenic properties of sugars are positively correlated with their ability to produce acid. The strongest cariogenic properties are monosaccharides and disaccharides, also known as free sugars, which are often added as added sugars to candies, cakes, biscuits, desserts and beverages, but do not include natural sugars in fruits, vegetables and milk. Therefore, from the entire health situation of the elderly to consider, try to avoid eating such foods with high sugar content.

3.High dietary fiber diet

Dietary fiber can remove food debris attached to the teeth and enhance the self-cleaning effect of the mouth, which can protect oral health. Foods high in dietary fiber are whole grains, fruits and vegetables, so try to ensure food integrity, both to increase dietary fiber intake and exercise chewing function.

4. Low salt diet

Eating less salt actually plays a "non-complementary" role in calcium. Due to changes in the taste of the elderly, the more salt ingested in the diet, the worse the absorption of calcium, the more calcium excreted in the urine. Eating less salt is the most economical way to supplement calcium and the most beneficial way to health. The World Health Organization recommends that each person eat 5 grams of salt per day is appropriate, and no more than 6 grams, which is equivalent to the amount of 1 beer lid. If you are worried that the food will be tasteless with too little salt, you can use vinegar and unsalted soy sauce to season it.

In addition to paying attention to eating habits, pay attention to oral cleanliness, brush your teeth at least two times a day, do not eat after brushing your teeth at night, and regularly go to the hospital for check-ups and dental cleaning.

Reference materials:

[1] Zeng Xiaojuan, Taiwan Baojun. Modern dietary patterns and oral health [J]. Chinese Journal of Stomatology, 2020, 55(10): 701-706. (in Chinese)

[2] Guo XG. How to scientifically feed the elderly with poor teeth [J]. Central South Pharmacy (Medicine and Health),2015(10):36.

[3] Zheng Zhenzhen, Zhou Yun. Health behavior and oral health of the elderly in China [J]. Population Research,2014,02:83-91.

 

(The views expressed are those of the author)