Abstract
Life expectancy as a measure of population health does not reflect years of healthy life. The average life expectancy in the Asia-Pacific region has more than doubled since 1900 and is now above 70 years. In the Asia-Pacific region, the proportion of aged people in the population is expected to double between 2017 and 2050. Increased life expectancy leads to an increase in non-communicable diseases, which consequently affects quality of life. Suboptimal nutritional status is a contributing factor to the prevalence and severity of non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular, cognitive, musculoskeletal, immune, metabolic and ophthalmological functions. We have reviewed the published literature on nutrition and healthy ageing as it applies to the Asia-Pacific region, focusing on vitamins, minerals/trace elements and omega-3 fatty acids. Optimal nutritional status needs to start before a senior age is reached and before the consequences of the disease process are irreversible. Based on the nutritional status and health issues in the senior age in the region, micronutrients of particular importance are vitamins A, D, E, C, B-12, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids. The present paper substantiates the creation of micronutrient guidelines and proposes actions to support the achievement of optimal nutritional status as contribution to healthy ageing for Asia-Pacific populations.
Highlights
The global reduction in infectious disease has been a landmark achievement over the past century due to effective therapeutic and vaccine developments as well as medical practices
The results indicated that riboflavin and folate intake were inversely associated with cognitive impairment in a dose-dependent manner, whereas dietary intake of thiamine, niacin, vitamin B-6 and B-12 were not significantly associated [47]
One review [59] suggested that, based on an analysis of published data, “the evidence for a positive relationship between the serum 25(OH)D concentration and bone mineral density (BMD) in the middle-aged and older Chinese population living in Asia appears to be limited and inconsistent”, the authors acknowledge that “few studies were available and most of the 11 selected studies were cross-sectional in design and susceptible to bias
Summary
The global reduction in infectious disease has been a landmark achievement over the past century due to effective therapeutic and vaccine developments as well as medical practices. This situation remains fragile as shown by the HIV and SARS-CoV-2 virus outbreaks, highlighted by the rapid and global impact of SARS-CoV-2, classified by the WHO as a pandemic. Convincing, when there is a high level of causality as demonstrated in intervention studies, supported by data regarding the mechanism of action Based upon this assessment recommendations are proposed for the development guidance to optimize micronutrient intake throughout life in support of healthy ageing. While the current assessment focuses primarily on the Asia-Pacific region, it may apply globally as many trends are similar
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