Uncle Zhang, a middle-aged and elderly person who is in good spirits on weekdays, has been frequently holding his stomach and showing pain on his face recently. It turned out that due to his long-term preference for spicy and greasy food, coupled with occasional raw and cold hard food and high-sugar and high-fat snacks, his stomach was finally overwhelmed and he had severe stomach pain and diarrhea. Uncle Zhang's experience made the middle-aged and elderly friends around him worry about their gastrointestinal health.

As we age, our gastrointestinal function gradually weakens, and the slightest carelessness may lead to a series of health problems. However, many people ignore this and still maintain the eating habits of their youth, which leads to frequent gastrointestinal diseases. Today, we will talk about how middle-aged and elderly people should adjust their diet to avoid those "culprits" that may destroy our stomach.

Are you also worried about your gastrointestinal health? Do you want to know which foods middle-aged and elderly people should eat less? Next, let's unravel this mystery together and escort the gastrointestinal health of middle-aged and elderly people!

Gastrointestinal characteristics and dietary principles of middle-aged and elderly people: understand the differences and eat scientifically

Gastrointestinal characteristics of middle-aged and elderly people

With the increase of age, the gastrointestinal function of middle-aged and elderly people gradually weakens, which is manifested by a decrease in gastric acid secretion, a slowdown in intestinal peristalsis, and a decrease in gastric mucosal barrier function. These changes make middle-aged and older adults more likely to have problems with indigestion, stomach pain, bloating, constipation, or diarrhea.

Eating and drinking principles

In view of these characteristics of the stomach and intestines of middle-aged and elderly people, the diet should follow the following principles:

Light and easy to digest: Choose light, non-greasy, and easy-to-digest foods to reduce the burden on the stomach.

Balanced nutrition: Make sure you get enough protein, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients to meet your body's needs.

Moderate softness: Food should be warm and soft, and avoid irritating the stomach and intestines with cold and hard food.

Regular and quantitative: Maintain a regular diet and avoid overeating, which can help with gastrointestinal health.

Eat less of these 3 foods: beware of "gastrointestinal killers"

1. Spicy and greasy food

Spicy and greasy food not only irritates the gastric mucosa and increases the burden on the stomach and intestines, but also may cause gastritis, gastric ulcers and other diseases. Middle-aged and elderly people should try to eat less chili, pepper, fried food, etc., and choose light cooking methods, such as steaming, boiling, stewing, etc.

2. Raw and cold hard food

Raw and cold hard food is difficult to digest and can easily damage the gastrointestinal mucosa, leading to indigestion, stomach pain and other problems. Middle-aged and elderly people should avoid eating raw and cold foods such as ice cream, cold drinks, and raw seafood, as well as hard foods such as nuts and hard candy.

3. High-sugar and high-fat foods

High-sugar and high-fat foods not only increase weight, but also may cause chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and pose a threat to gastrointestinal health. Middle-aged and elderly people should control their intake of sugar and fat, and eat less high-sugar and high-fat foods such as desserts, candies, and fatty meats.

Gastrointestinal maintenance tips for middle-aged and elderly people: Protect your health, start from the details

1. Eat regularly

Maintaining a regular diet and eating regularly every day will help the stomach and intestines form a fixed biological clock and improve digestion efficiency.

2. Chew slowly

Chewing food well can help reduce the burden on the stomach and improve the digestion and absorption rate of food.

3. Stay in a good mood

Middle-aged and elderly people should maintain a positive and optimistic attitude to avoid the impact of negative emotions such as anxiety and depression on the stomach.

4. Appropriate Exercise

Moderate exercise can promote intestinal peristalsis and improve digestion, and middle-aged and elderly people can choose gentle exercise methods such as walking and tai chi.

5. Regular medical check-ups

Regular gastrointestinal examinations to detect and deal with gastrointestinal problems in a timely manner are important measures for middle-aged and elderly people to maintain gastrointestinal health.

Through the study of the above content, middle-aged and elderly people can better understand their gastrointestinal characteristics, master scientific dietary principles, avoid those foods that may destroy the gastrointestinal tract, and at the same time start from the details to protect their gastrointestinal health.

Proofread by Zhuang Wu