19 Oct 2016 --- According to recent statistics, 8.5 percent of people worldwide (617 million) are now aged 65 and over, and this percentage is set to jump to nearly 17 percent of the world’s population by 2050 (1.6 billion). Today NutritionInsight takes a look into how the aging population can benefit from targeted nutrition, and how the ‘nutrition for silvers’ trend presents new challenges and opportunities for the food industry.

An Aging Population and the Food Industry

With more people living longer, the world is now dealing with a host of illnesses and conditions never before experienced at such levels. These illnesses are often chronic, and include conditions such as dementia, stroke, cancer, fractured hips, osteoporosis, Parkinson’s disease, lower back pain, sleep problems, and urinary incontinence.

With worldwide health systems still designed to provide episodic acute care, the preventative and long-term healthcare needed by older people is in short supply, and health officials now recommend physical activity and nutritional optimization as chronic disease treatment and prevention. After all, healthy aging and the prevention of chronic disease is heavily dependent on proper nutrition.

This has put the food industry in an interesting position. This nutrition focused prevention strategy pushed by health officials, combined with people aged 60 years and older making up the fastest-growing segment of the US population, the food industry can play an important role both during this critical era of people’s lives and in a growing market.

Making Silvers Aware of their Nutritional Needs

The nutritional needs of older people differ hugely compared to younger people. Issues such as muscle mass loss, something believed to contribute to the frailty and functional disabilities associated with aging, along with the increased incidence of sarcopenia and impaired cognitive health, are two of the main health concerns facing the older generation. Applying nutritional knowledge can help to relieve these issues.

But making sure older people are aware of their nutritional needs is key to success. Ensuring then that they get the right amount of nutrients in the best possible way is the next step.

The Importance of Protein

Protein intake is a prime example of a nutrient key for senior health, as the loss of skeletal muscle mass, in particular, is a major issue for silvers.

“Muscle decline is directly correlated with independence in folks after the age of 60, so it is incredibly important to provide foods with a good source of protein with every meal, evenly distributed throughout the day is ideal for muscle synthesis,” Susie Rockway, PhD, CNS, vice president of research and development at Capital Brands LLC told NutritionInsight .

However, studies have shown that older people aren’t getting the amount of protein they need, so researchers from the university of Bournemouth recently looked into the reasons why, and in doing so, revealed how food manufacturers have an opportunity to address this concern and provide formulation options that confer to a healthy diet.

“Cost and ease of preparation emerged as factors in our study,” said lead researcher, Professor Katherine Appleton, “This suggests that the promotion of pre-prepared or pre-cooked foods may make a difference to protein consumption, as might education around the promotion of cheaper sources of protein.”

“Taste was an important factor,” continued Appleton, “So that suggests that we should be considering the use of flavorings and promoting appetizing recipes or taster sessions.”

“We also found that people took into account the healthiness of foods when picking what to buy and eat, so better information and education may also change people’s decisions.”

A Whole Diet Approach

There have been numerous studies looking at how following a specific diet can improve the nutrition received by older people, and many health organizations now recommend that older patients follow particular diets in order to prevent and relieve symptoms of age-related conditions.

The DASH diet has also been promoted for its nutritional benefits, and researchers at TUFs University last year created a sheet called ‘MyPlate for Older Adults’ which aims to show what proportions of different foods older people should eat at each meal.

Supplementation for Old Age

Despite many health organizations focusing on the ‘whole diet approach’ for old age nutrition, there is still space for the supplement market to flourish.

The rise of ‘Brain health’ supplements, in particular, is something that has been driven largely by the aging population market, and is continuing to see growth. According to Innova Market Insights data, there has already been the same number of supplement products launched in 2016 claiming to promote ‘brain health’ compared with the whole of 2015.

Liver and digestive supplements have seen an even bigger increase YOY, with 2016 so far seeing 6% more product launches than the whole of 2015.

The rise of these supplements is a response to numerous studies suggesting that particular nutrients can reduce free radical damage to brain cells, and that looking after the brain can prevent dementia type illnesses from progressing and even forming in the first place.

NP Nutra, a leading wholesale supplier of premium grade botanical ingredients for functional foods, recently revealed new Ayurvedic brain and liver supplements specifically aimed at the aging market as a preventative tool.

Margaret Gomes, Director of Marketing at NP Nutra, told NutritionInsight: “With the aging process comes a natural decline in brain and liver function and a consequent increase in age-related illnesses such as dementia.”

Gomes continued, “In 2012 the World Health Organization estimated that 35.6 million people were suffering from dementia and this figure is set to double by 2030.”

“In response, brain and liver health has increased dramatically over the last few years as people become aware and try to take steps to improve their brain and liver health. Functional foods, beverages and dietary supplements naturally become the focus of their attention.”

And it’s not just brain health that is being disrupted by the supplement market. Supplements may also be able to tackle muscle loss, too.

A new peer-reviewed study recently revealed that the French maritime pine bark extract, Pycnogenol, could be effective in curbing muscle loss, showing that it measurably reduced oxidative stress by 14 percent, a common measurement of sarcopenia that prevents the body from normal detoxifying and repair.

Challenges for the Food industry

Despite clear growth opportunities in the age-related nutrition sector, the food industry faces many challenges when it comes to entering the market.

These include the strict rules surrounding regulations. For example, many “healthy aging” products feature claims describing the content of a specific nutrient present such as “a good source of calcium,” “high fiber” and “low in saturated fat.” These claims are called “nutrient content claims”, and in the US, they fall under strict FDA regulation, making it difficult to push products through to market quickly. Similar regulation issues affect other countries.

An additional challenge already touched upon, is meeting the likeability requirements for older consumers. While the importance of nutrition increases with age, sensory perception, including smell, taste, vision and textural senses, drops. This means foods need to be specifically formulated to provide both the flavorful and nutritious elements that appeal to the older generation, which can be difficult.

“With aging, the ability to taste salty and sweet decline more rapidly than for sour and bitter. That is why many older adults crave sweet and salty foods.” says said Annette Hottenstein, MS, RD, LDN, a sensory scientist and president of The Food Sommelier.

“The challenge lies in finding the balance between health and taste,” Hottenstein added.

“More than 75 percent of people over the age of 80 have major olfactory impairment. This is not a small problem by any means, and it greatly affects quality of life.”

Opportunities from the Challenges

However, there are ample opportunities for the food industry, both in the supplement sector and by focusing on the whole diet approach. By offering quality, scientifically backed supplements and marketing products that fit around diets such as the DASH diet, the Mediterranean Diet, there is endless room for innovation.

The ‘real food’ angle in particular, certainly has scope, and has been proven to appeal to older audiences.

In 2014, a study from the VTT Technical Research of Finland looked at focus groups, taste tests and surveys to determine what type of packaged meals would be preferable for older adults. The results revealed that seniors thought packaged meals did not provide enough nutrition, and also clarified the taste preferences of older adults.

Investing in technologies specific to silvers needs is also key. Nestlé’s Institute of Health Science’s recent announcement of its acquisition of Phagenesis, a UK based company developing an innovative pharyngeal electrical stimulation device used to treat dysphagia, is a prime example of how food companies can lead the way.

With continued research and a focus on understanding the aging consumer, food companies can innovate to meet the needs of aging populations in multiple global markets, while marketers can develop educational resources to help translate scientific information into practical resources.

by Hannah Gardiner