Perfil de consumo alimentar em idosos: uma revisão narrativa da literatura

Abstract

This is a narrative review article of the literature with the objective of investigating the food consumption of the elderly. The search for articles was carried out in the Google Scholar, Latin American and Caribbean Literature on Health Sciences (Lilacs) and Scientific Electronic Library Online (Scielo) databases, including publications referring to the period from 2009 to 2022. The words Keywords used to search for the results of this study were “Nutrition” and “Elderly. The results showed that the food consumption profile of the majority of the elderly is characterized by the regular consumption of fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables (FV), rice and beans and low intake of whole foods. Some studies have pointed to the consumption of foods from the group of oils and fats, sugars and sweets and a reduction in the intake of ultra-processed foods with age. The consumption of processed foods is associated with a high content of saturated and trans fats and sugars, contributing to an increased risk of chronic non-communicable diseases. It is concluded that, although the dietary pattern of the elderly is characterized by the consumption of fresh foods, there is a need to strengthen guidelines on healthy habits in order to promote more and more adequate eating practices, with a view to guaranteeing the food consumption of all food groups, as well as policies to improve access to fresh food.