The worldwide population is now living longer, thanks to modern medicine and better living conditions. However, some people may have fear of ageing due to the misconception that growing older will make you unproductive and have health issues.
But, having a positive ageing experience is not as elusive as people think. After all, age is not the sole factor of a person’s ability to achieve their dreams or prevent individuals from being independent.
This can be achieved by simply breaking out of the usual stereotypes of ageing and taking charge of our own lives, especially our health.
The role of nutrition in healthy ageing
Despite the belief that there is a growing risk of illnesses due to old age, studies show that the negative ageing qualities are usually caused by lifestyle and other factors that are avoidable and modifiable.
Healthy eating is important as nutrient deficiencies become increasingly common among the elderly. According to the Institute for Public Health, 30.8% of Malaysian adults aged 60 and above are malnourished.1
Ageing, nutrition and immune health are closely related. As our age advances, the immune functions declines making older adults at a higher risk of infections.2
Many different types of nutrients are necessary for healthy immune functions and deficiency in any of the nutrients will lead to compromised immune functions.3
Successful Ageing, More Than Just Maintaining Good Health
Research shows that it is not the age of an individual that determine how ‘old’ one would feel; nor is it an indication of a person’s wellbeing, albeit it does offer certain guidance on what to expect. Positive ageing experiences are linked to the activities that one does, as well as the physical and social environment they are exposed to.4
Joy, personal contentment, and a sense of independence are also essential attributes to the wellbeing that contributes to ageing positively in the older population.5
Hence, immersing oneself in environments with good support systems is crucial to improve the long stretches of “successful ageing”.6
An example of an individual experiencing successful ageing is 69-year-old Albinus Gimbang, who is a former medical assistant with the Malaysian Red Crescent Society who still provides first aid training to Keningau folks in Sabah to this day.
The passion and determination of individuals like him go beyond the familiar stereotypes or societal expectations of the senior population – and to complement the positive ageing experience, strengthening immunity is key.
Feed your immune system with good nutrition for a healthier ageing process
There is strong evidence that indicates wholesome nutritional intervention can optimise the immune and inflammatory responses in older adults. This will prompt further developed protection from infectious and chronic illnesses.
Balanced nutrition among older adults has not only proven to correlate with increased physical and emotional scores but also life fulfilment.7
Older adults who have activated their immunity by including nutritious milk in their daily nutrition have a higher likelihood in experiencing positive ageing and are more confident with their health status.
On this front, incorporating nutritional milk like PROVITAL Immuna Plus in our diet is a convenient way to boost up our immunity. You get the essential nutrients of yeast beta-glucan, selenium and vitamin C for immunity and mobility all in a glass of this nutritional milk.
Many studies have shown that yeast beta-glucan is effective in supporting the immune system. Beta-glucan from different sources provides different health functions, while yeast beta-glucan is the type of beta-glucan that supports the immune system.
A study by Talbott et al. showed that 9 out of 10 adults reported no cold and sore throat symptoms after 12 weeks supplemented with 250mg yeast beta-glucan per day compared to 7 out of 10 adults in the placebo group.8
Such conditions are common signs of a weaker immune system and yeast beta-glucan’s ability to activate the body’s immune cells to react more rapidly when detecting a pathogen, help to support and strengthen the immune system.9
Begin taking charge of your health status
A good nutritional status is important to maintain optimum immune health. Do not take health for granted, it is a privilege denied to many.
Older adults who have activated their immunity by including nutritious milk in their daily nutrition have a higher likelihood in experiencing positive ageing and are more confident with their health status.
References:
- National Health and Morbidity Survey 2018: Elderly Health.
- Simon AK et.al. Biological Sciences, 2015.
- Alam et al. Nutrition and Healthy Aging 2019
- The experience of ageing is a complex one that is only loosely associated with number of years lived. Retrieved from: www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/research/policycommission/healthy-ageing/1-The-experience-of-ageing-is-complex-updated.pdf
- Perspectives of Older Adults on Aging Well: A Focus Group Study. Retrieved from: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jar/2018/9858252/
- Healthy ageing: Evidence that improvement is possible at every age. Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878764916300699
- Healthy ageing: the natural consequences of good nutrition—a conference report. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5984649/
- Talbott SM et. Al. 2012. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol 31, No 4
- E. De Marco Castro et al. Mol Nutr Food Res 2021.
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