- 26 April 2024
Ageing: the role of nutrition
HOSTED BY DOCTORS FOR NUTRITION
Despite the fact that Australians and New Zealanders are generally living longer lives, many are not increasing their ‘healthspan’, that is the period of life spent in good health. Cardiovascular disease remains a major health concern with a greater impact on older persons. Multimorbidity affects more than half of older persons. The number of elderly Australians is expected to rise, reaching an estimated 8.8 million by the year 2057.
The Standard Australian Diet rates high on the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) due to the high intake of saturated fat and cholesterol from animal products and processed foods. An inflammatory diet is linked with chronic disease, faster ageing, the development of frailty and Alzheimer’s Disease. Conversely, a diet centred around whole plant foods, containing fibre, phytonutrients and antioxidants, is very anti-inflammatory. As ageing can be thought of as an inflammatory disease, a whole food plant-based diet can help mitigate the onset of age-related diseases.
With currently more than one in three general practice encounters being people aged 65 or older, the pressure on our healthcare system will only continue to rise. This webinar will provide GPs with vital information on how an eating pattern focussed on unprocessed, whole plant foods can help patients to prevent, reduce and manage age-related diseases and multimorbidity. They can then use this knowledge to provide effective care and make recommendations regarding diet and lifestyle modifications for their ageing patients.
By the end of this activity, attendees will be able to:
- Describe two pathophysiological processes contributing to age-related disease.
- Identify at least three features of an eating pattern that can be beneficial for increasing longevity.
- Name tools and techniques to support patients to transition to a whole food plant-based diet to increase their lifespan
Following a recorded presentation you will have the opportunity to have your questions answered live by Dr Greger.
