Nutrition for constipation in the elderly

As studies show, in developed countries, constipation is disturbed by 40% of people over 60 years old, and at 70 years oldmore than 80% of the population complain of stool violation. Since elderly people are predisposed to the development of atonic constipation, it is recommended to adhere to a dietary diet that can prevent the onset of a symptom.

Correction of the nature of nutrition and drinking regimen is necessary and if pathology has already developed. With constipation, the act of defecation is accompanied by attempts, and this can lead to diseases of the large intestine, for example, hemorrhoids, paraproctitis, secondary colitis, colorectal cancer.

In addition, the number of pathogenic microorganisms in the small intestine increases, toxic substances that poison the body accumulate, the nutrition of cells and tissues is disrupted( due to a worsening of the absorption function), there is discomfort in the abdomen, so the symptom should not be ignored.

What diet is prescribed for constipation

With age, the gastrointestinal tract undergoes some changes, which causes a predisposition to certain diseases. For example, the liver synthesizes less bile, which leads to impaired motor activity of the intestine. Less is allocated gastric juice and pancreatic enzymes responsible for quality digestion of food.

It turns out that the chyme can not be quickly split and retained in the intestines longer than the time prescribed, the intestinal walls that have lost their tonus are weakerly contracted and the progress of the stool becomes difficult, which leads to the development of atonic constipation. Diet with constipation in the elderly involves adding to the diet products stimulating the motility of the gastrointestinal tract( GIT) and normalizing bile secretion, as well as avoiding dishes that stay in the stomach and intestines for a long time.

For constipation should adhere to dietary table No3, which is designed to normalize bowel motility. The diet is physiologically complete, so its compliance is not limited in time. It involves the restoration of motor activity of the intestine due to the increase in the diet of foods high in fiber and magnesium( vegetables, fresh fruits, dried fruits, fermented milk products), as well as reducing the time spent in the digestive tract by means of fractional nutrition, heat treatment of foods and increased water consumption.

Unfortunately, in our country, most elderly people stop using cellulose products because they are not able to chew solid fruits and vegetables. If a person for a long time eats poor fiber, vitamins and proteins, but contains a lot of carbohydrates and fats, and if you drink a lot of liquids during or after meals, then the motor activity of the intestine( hypokinesis) is disrupted.

That is, the intestines "lose weight" to work and the motor function is significantly reduced. In this case, in the absence of gastrointestinal disease, diet table No15 is assigned, but the amount of laxative products increases.

If the stool is broken due to an exacerbation of chronic bowel disease, then a sparing diet No4B is prescribed, followed by No4B, which excludes the use of cellulose, and intestinal motility is stimulated by softer methods( cold liquids and dishes on an empty stomach, vegetable juices and mashed potatoes, vegetable oil, kefir, baked apples).

If a liver failure is prescribed diet No5, but added to the diet products with cellulose and magnesium( honey, fruits and vegetables, juices, cereals, cereal bread).If the cause of constipation is a peptic ulcer, then the diet table No1 is shown. Since the maximum shaking of the digestive tract is required, the stool is normalized by the use of boiled vegetable purees from zucchini, beets, carrots, boiled and grated dried fruits, and vegetable oil.

Dietary fibers passing through the intestines not only stimulate peristalsis, but also collect toxic substances

Principles of nutrition

According to diet No3, the patient must observe the following rules:

• to eat in small portions, but often( from 5 times a day) and at the same time. So, a conditioned reflex will be developed and the necessary amount of digestive juices will be synthesized to take food, which will speed up digestion and improve its quality. Fractional food will help to avoid overeating;
• vegetables during the preparation of soups or salads should not be chopped finely, meat and fish should be cooked better with a piece, and the porridges should be crumbly( and not liquid or mucous);
• dishes are served boiled or cooked in a double boiler. Fried dishes are digested for a long time, causing heaviness in the stomach and increased gas formation;
• use at least 2.5 liters of free liquid. Cal quickly loses water in the intestines and hardens, which greatly hinders his progress. A large amount of liquid softens the stool and promotes their rapid movement into the large intestine;
• is not later than two hours before bedtime. At night, the work of all body systems, including the digestive system, slows down. Food, eaten at night, will be digested longer by the small intestine;
• drink an hour before eating a glass of mineral water. The liquid will start the digestive system.

Which products improve the motility of the digestive tract

With constipation, the menu adds products that restore the motor activity of the large intestine, namely those that contain:

• sugar( syrups, honey, jam);
• salt( salted fish, snacks, salted vegetables);
• organic acids( pickled and marinated vegetables, sour fruits and juices based on them, fruit drinks, fermented milk products);
• cellulose( bran, dried fruits, legumes, whole grain bread, nuts, cereals, raw vegetables);
• carbon dioxide( carbonated drinks, kvass, kumis);
• free fat( vegetable oil, sour cream, cream).

Cold dishes( less than 15 degrees Celsius) that are consumed on an empty stomach( cold soups, beetroot, okroshka, drinks) Accelerate intestinal peristalsis

Which products are useful and harmful for constipation

Diet table No3 recommends using:

• vegetables in raw and cooked form. The most rich in fiber are cabbage, zucchini, beetroot, pumpkin, tomatoes, cucumbers, radish, radish, legumes;
• vegetable salad with vegetable oil. Any oil( olive, sunflower, linseed, corn) is useful, as it envelops the walls of the intestine, so that the feces move faster;
• sea kale. It swells in the intestines and removes stagnant stool from the walls of the organ. It can be eaten fresh or dried;
• not strong meat or fish broth. To increase the amount of incoming fiber, the soups should be cooked with a lot of vegetables, and to improve the motility it is desirable to serve them in a cold form. In the menu it is better to include refreshments, cabbage soup, beetroot, borsch;
• meat and fish dishes. It is better to choose meat and fish of low-fat varieties, because it is easier to digest and quickly removed from the intestine. Dishes should be boiled, baked or cooked on a pair of whole pieces. With daily meat consumption, elderly people notice worsening of symptoms, in this case it is better to get protein from fish, and meat is a couple of times a week;
• cereals. You should choose pearl, buckwheat, barley, millet, wheat. They should be cooked crumbly;
• sour-milk products. They contain organic acids, and also contribute to the restoration of the microflora of the large intestine, so should be included in the menu on a daily basis. Useful for breaking the stool kefir, fermented baked milk, curdled milk, koumiss, varenets, cottage cheese;
• eggs. You can eat up to 2 eggs a day. Cooking is allowed from them steam omelettes, boil soft-boiled;
• fruit and berries. You should choose sweet varieties of berries and fruits, and eat them fresh, without cutting the peel. Dry fruits containing cellulose and sugar are useful( prunes, dried apricots, figs);
• sweets. From sweet it is recommended to eat jam, honey, marmalade, pastille, caramel, dried and oatmeal cookies;
• bread. It should not be today's baking. It is allowed to use wheat flour from the second grade, grain or rye bread;
• fizzy drinks. You can drink cold mineral, fruit and berry water with carbon dioxide;
• juices. Normalizes the stool carrot, beet, tomato, plum, apricot and other juices.

Useful for breaking stools and soups with pearl barley

Diet for constipation in the elderly requires daily intake of increased amounts of free liquid. This includes water with honey, nectars, compotes from dried fruits, decoction on the basis of dogrose, infusion of prunes, mineral carbonated water.

To normalize the stool, you need to eat 25 grams of fiber per day( one apple contains about 3 grams).In a day you need to eat at least 200 grams of fresh vegetables and fruits, and not less than 8-12 fruits of dried apricots or prunes. Before going to bed it is useful to drink a glass of yogurt with a spoon of bran or vegetable oil.

Please note that the same product may work differently on the GI tract. So, apple puree strengthens, and an apple with a peel relaxes. Fat in a free form( 5-10 g) strengthens the motor activity of the intestine, and if it is used simultaneously with other products, it will not affect motor function almost.

If you are concerned about the lack of a chair, then you should exclude foods and dishes that have an astringent property. These are mucous soups, mashed potatoes, rice porridge, jelly, vermicelli, noodles, semolina, sago. It is necessary to remove from the menu and dishes with tannins( strong coffee, tea, cocoa).

Fermentation in the intestine provokes fresh wheat bread, yeast and puff pastry, beans, so it is better to refuse them. Do not include in the menu dishes that are long split( fatty meat and fish, lard, canned food, hard boiled eggs, all fried).Sharp dishes and sauces adversely affect the gastric mucosa, so I do not advise them to use even a healthy person.

On bowel motility affects not only the food and fluid consumed, but also the intake of certain medications, the level of physical activity. Violation of the digestive organs can be provoked by viruses, bacteria, protozoa, parasites, as the acidity of gastric juice decreases with age.

In the elderly, the risk of developing neoplasm in the organs of the digestive system increases. If a tumor or feces overlaps the lumen of the gut, this creates a mechanical obstruction to the movement of the feces, while the patient is concerned with persistent constipation. Thus, not always constipation in an elderly person is a consequence of a disturbed diet and can not always be eliminated with dietary dishes, so it is necessary to undergo a diagnostic examination and to identify the cause of the onset of the symptom.

Do not self-prescribe a diet, because nutrition for constipation in the elderly should be adjusted taking into account the concomitant diseases of the cardiovascular, nervous, excretory system. The action of the therapeutic diet developed by the doctor will be noticeable after a few days, but it is necessary to adhere to such nutrition constantly.