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ccording to the World Health Organization (WHO), the pace of population ageing is growing much faster than in the past, and the number of people aged over 60 years old will double by 2050.1 WHO also estimated that 80% of older people will be living in low- and middle-income countries by that year. This, in turn, will create new problems due to the higher cost of caring for the elderly and the greater need for support in the form of healthcare services to safeguard the general health of this population.
The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region will be at the forefront of managing the challenges that emerge with caring for an elderly population. Global AgeWatch reported that the proportion of people aged 60 and above, termed as the ‘silver consumers’, is projected to grow in all Asian countries, but Japan and South Korea are expected to age faster than its neighbours. By 2030, 37.3% of the Japanese population is expected to be in this age bracket, while South Korea is projected to reach 31.4%, almost doubling its 2015 figures. Similar growth trends are expected across Asia, such as in Thailand and China, which are expected to see more than a quarter of their populations aged 60 and above in the near future.
Healthy Ageing!
As populations age, it has become even more important to ensure that the elderly can live a healthy lifestyle throughout their lifespan. According to findings from a Herbalife Nutrition survey on APAC consumers, healthy ageing means being mentally active and sharp (61%), being physically active (57%), not suffering from illness (56%), living a free and independent life (52%), and not being a burden to their family (51%).2
These factors can be brought under 3 clear priorities namely to maintain brain and mental health, to remain physically active, and to avoid age-related illness. Healthy ageing can be effectively categorized into the following 3 areas:
- Mental: Memory, mental alertness, focus, relaxation, sleep
- Physical: Energy, bones, joint, muscle, and heart
- General health: Immunity, gut health, microbiota diversity, risk of infection
However, the Herbalife survey found that less than three in 10 APAC consumers are confident in their ability to maintain these pillars of health as they age. This is where consumers are able to rely on food and beverage manufacturers to develop products that can assist them with healthy ageing, through improving cognition, immunity, and general health.
However, the Herbalife survey found that less than three in 10 APAC consumers are confident in their ability to maintain these pillars of health as they age. This is where consumers are able to rely on food and beverage manufacturers to develop products that can assist them with healthy ageing, through improving cognition, immunity, and general health.
Diet is one of the modifiable factors that can help prevent age-related diseases and help preserve overall good health during the ageing process.3 It is important that food and beverage manufacturers support consumers in navigating the ageing process with products that conveniently deliver health benefits, specifically those that can prevent age-related deterioration.
Boosting Fibre Intake
Fibre is an integral part of a healthy diet. A study commissioned by the WHO found that eating 25 to 29g or more of dietary fibre daily led to a decreased risk in all-cause and cardiovascular related mortality.4 However, the same study also found that most people globally consumed less than 20g of dietary fibre per day.
More specifically, fibre contributes to good gut health, which can in turn support an effective immune system. As individuals age, the mucus layer and barrier function of the gut weakens, leading to a rise in inflammation and an increase in the risk of infection. In addition, microbiota diversity and beneficial metabolites also decrease, which led to the weakening of the immune system.5
Fibre is beneficial to ageing populations because it can support a more diversified gut microbiome, with one example being the production of metabolites, such as short chain fatty acids.6 Other benefits include its prebiotic effect, blood glucose management, improving satiety, weight management, and sustained energy release.7
Food and beverage manufacturers should be looking to introduce fibre into products to capitalize on these benefits, particularly as there are easy-to-use fibre enrichment solutions available. Roquette has developed NUTRIOSE® soluble fibre made from non-GMO wheat or corn exactly for this purpose. Manufacturers should be looking for a fibre solution that is easily digestible and with a high fibre content, thereby ensuring that the end product effectively reach the optimum recommended levels for gut health and general well-being. For example, NUTRIOSE® has a digestive tolerance threshold of 45g per day with no side effects, which can be effective in helping elderly populations meet their fibre requirements.
NUTRIOSE® has also been proven to be effective in human or preclinical models to have a range of benefits for gut health, prebiotics, and some first scientific evidence that it may support the immune system. The research has shown that Roquette’s product is able to promote specific useful bacteria, whilst also decrease levels of less useful bacteria8: it has a positive overall impact on the gut environment and gut activities, such as short-chain fatty acid production, metabolites with well-known health benefits9; in preclinical models, NUTRIOSE® modulates some immune cell response and inflammatory biomarkers; and it reinforces the gut barrier.10, 11
Protein for a healthy body
Another area that has recently become a source of major consumer interest for improving health is the addition of high-quality protein to food and beverages. Supplementing food with additional protein can provide additional advantages to the older people, as they tend to have lower muscle mass and muscle tissue quality. With no proper supplementation, they will experience poorer quality of life through loss of normal physical function, which is one of the primary concerns previously mentioned for APAC consumers.
With ageing, insulin resistance increases as well as vascular dysfunction and other metabolic changes. All this leads to a less efficient muscle protein synthesis resulting in loss of muscle mass and strength. This loss can be slowed down by higher consumption of high nutritional quality protein. Research has shown that many adults do not consume enough protein, which is in the range of 1.2g per kg weighed, each day.12 Sarcopenia is the gradual loss of muscle mass in older people that can be prevented through increased protein intake and regular physical activity. The condition has functional adverse consequences, such as increased morbidity due to falls, fractures, infections, and other conditions, as well as increased mortality.
For food and beverage manufacturers, the possibility to add quality nutritional protein to products bodes well with the growing ageing population in the APAC region, as well as globally.
Roquette has conducted research with its NUTRALYS® plant protein ingredient, a premium nutritional quality pea protein, which has been proven to increase muscle mass when supplemented in food products.13 The 12-week study analyzed participants who were provided with 50g per day of NUTRALYS® or whey protein while they undertook sports training 3 times per week. At the end of the study, no difference was noted in thickness of the biceps brachii in the whey group, but a significant evolution was noted in the NUTRALYS® group.
Additional research into NUTRALYS® has shown that the product can help with blood glucose management.14 This issue is of particular importance to the elderly, as the risk of type 2 diabetes increases with age. During a clinical study, Roquette found that the addition of NUTRALYS® pea protein to a control glucose beverage significantly decreased the blood glucose levels.15 The conclusion drawn was that including NUTRALYS® with high glycemic foods could be a useful strategy to occasionally manage blood glucose levels.
To produce the ideal product for elderly consumers, it is also possible to combine both soluble fibre products with protein. One of the concerns about this approach would be how 2 additional ingredients could impact the flavor profile of the end product. To test this, Roquette conducted a study where a 125g apple compote was used to deliver 6.3% NUTRIOSE® soluble fibre, 5.1% NUTRALYS® pea protein, and 0.9% NUTRALYS® wheat protein.16 Of those who participated, 91% of the volunteers rated the taste of the apple compote “rather pleasant” to “very pleasant”, with these ratings staying consistent over a 21-day testing period.
Innovating a product specifically for the dietary and nutritional needs of the elderly population is of vital importance today, as the APAC region will witness a growing number of elderly population in the future. Roquette is an expert in how best to help the silver generation benefit from ingredients that support cognition, mobility and general health. Roquette has also developed a diverse portfolio of plant-based ingredients that addresses not just this group’s health concerns, but also ensures a pleasurable eating experience.
References
- https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ageing-and-health
- https://www.herbalife.com.sg/apacnews/press-release/healthy-ageing/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34959862/
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190110184737.htm
- https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.15121.1
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9787832/
- https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15010047
- http://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/PAVSNNR20116052
- https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0077128
- https://academic.oup.com/ibdjournal/article/16/5/783-794/4628273
- https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0261561417302169
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8068133/
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1186/s12970-014-0064-5
- https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00394-021-02481-8
- https://radar.brookes.ac.uk/radar/file/2ec7483e-d97f-4ad0-aa48-11163645204e/1/NUTRALYS%C2%AE%20pea%20protein%20-%202021%20-%20Thondre%20et%20al.pdf
- http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s40520-015-0415-3