Golden-Girl Nutrition

By Donna Berry, Contributing Editor

In mid-April my husbands grandmother celebrated her 100th birthday. When I asked this petite, alert mother of three and twice a widow what her secret was to vim, vigor and vitality, she responded, I eat good food.

This was a response reflective of a woman who her entire life ate minimally processed foods, as well as balanced and portioned meals that always ended with something sweet. Sometimes it was fruit, other times chocolate, both natural sources of antioxidants. When time permitted, it was homemade custard made from all-natural ingredients, including egg yolksa source of lutein and zeaxanthin for eye health, and choline for brain functionand creama source of calcium for bone health, as well as conjugated linoleic acid for lean muscle.

But times have changed. Today, most women rely on prepared and packaged foods. As 40 seems to be the age when the first signs of aging appear, whats a lady in her 40s suppose to look for in the Nutrition Facts to kick off her journey into her golden years?

Masterpiece in the making

Women have special dietary needs as they move through life, with each of lifes stages carrying with it certain health concerns, says Aparna Parikh, marketing manager, DSM Nutritional Products Inc., Parsippany, NJ. If you think about a woman in her 40s, the reproductive system is beginning to prepare for retirement and less estrogen is produced. Estrogen has many roles in a womans body, such as helping to protect the heart, to preserve bone strength and to lift and stabilize a womans moods. Decreasing estrogen also brings with it a host of gradual, yet visible, symptoms, including dry skin, wrinkles and weight gain, as well as very personal inconveniences such as fatigue, sleep disturbances and hot flashes.

Studies have examined the influence of soy supplementation on a variety of womens health concerns. Soy isoflavones are classified as phytoestrogens, meaning that they are estrogen-like substances, says Hartley Pond, vice president, technical sales, VDF/FutureCeuticals, Momence, IL. Studies have linked soy isoflavones to a decrease in the occurrence of hot flashes and assisting with other menopausal symptoms.

Angela Dorsey-Kockler, product manager, BI Nutraceuticals, Long Beach, CA, adds: As women age, they may also absorb or process nutrients less efficiently. For example, B vitamins may be less well absorbed, and the skin may generate less vitamin D from sunlight. Women in their 40s and 50s also must begin to protect their mental acuity and physical strength so as to avoid later progression toward Alzheimers or injuries such as hip fractures in their senior years.

It is human nature to believe one will never get old. Unfortunately, by the time one accepts the inevitable, some of the damage has been done.

The science and market respond to consumers who did not take advantage of optimizing their baseline in their younger years, be it from lack of time, money or awareness, says Anh Thu Tran, nutrition consultant and R&D coordinator, Cyvex Nutrition, Inc., Irvine, CA. In such a situation, whole extracts and pure compounds work actively as antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, neurotransmitter modulators and hemodynamic agents to respond to age-related degenerative mechanisms of actions.

Boning up on osteoporosis

Runway model never made Grandmamas list of accomplishments, but at 100, she has great posture and has never broken or fractured a bone. Not everyone is so lucky.

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 80% of the 10 million Americans affected by osteoporosis are women. One in two women over the age of 50 will eventually develop an osteoporosis-related fracture, says Matthew Pikosky, vice president, partnerships, Dairy Management Inc. and the National Dairy Council, Rosemont, IL. Consuming a nutritionally balanced diet containing foods rich in calcium and vitamin D, such as milk, yogurt and cheese, can help women improve bone health.

 Grandmama loved the sun, so she made most of her own vitamin D. And calcium was consumed directly through dairy foods and ingredients. Today, most women rely on fortified foods for essential bone-building nutrients.

The Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) at the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies established Adequate Intakes (AIs) for the amounts of calcium required to maintain adequate rates of calcium retention and bone health in healthy people. The daily AI for women up to the age of 50 is 1,000 mg. However, as a woman ages, her need for calcium goes up. For those 50 and over, the AI for calcium is 1,200 mg. High levels of protein, caffeine and sodium in the diet may heighten calcium deficiency problems because they can increase calcium excretion through the kidneys. Additionally, foods with high amounts of oxalate (such as spinach and rhubarb) and phytate (such as legumes and wheat bran) reduce the absorption of calcium. Calciumincluding that from food sourcesis best absorbed when the amount is 500 to 600 mg or less at a single sitting.

Foods and beverages that contain at least 20% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) of calcium per serving can make a health claim regarding the role of calcium in the reduced risk of osteoporosis, as long as they meet the regulations other conditions for the food composition and the wording of the claim. For example, the products phosphorus content cannot exceed calcium content.  In addition, one of the requirements for the wording of the claim itself is that it must say the disease depends on many factors by listing risk factors of the disease: gender (female) race (Caucasian and Asian) and age (growing older). FDA regulations also permit calcium-rich products to display claims such as good source of calcium if they contain 10% to 19% of the RDI per serving, and high calcium if they contain 20% or more.

A number of calcium ingredients can be used to fortify foods and beverages. Formulators must weigh cost, calcium content, solubility, taste, mouthfeel and other factors when choosing a calcium ingredient for a specific application. Calcium salts commonly used for fortification include: carbonate (40% calcium by weight), chloride (27% calcium), citrate (21% calcium), gluconate (14% calcium), lactate (14% calcium) and phosphates (mono-, di- and tribasic with 17% to 38% calcium). Other options include dairy calcium, such as high-calcium milk protein, and milk minerals (calcium contents from 2% to approximately 25%), and other calcium forms, such as calcium amino acid, malic acid chelate complex, and calcium fumarate (19% calcium).

The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), Washington, D.C., recommends that women younger than 50 years old get 400 to 800 International Units (IU) of vitamin D daily. Once a woman hits age 50, the amount needed increases to 800 to 1,000 IU of vitamin D. Plus, given our reduced exposure to sunlight and dropping consumption of milk, some experts are saying those levels should be raised to as high as 10,000 IU per day.

Vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin, comes in two forms that appear to be equivalent in bone health: vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol (the form generated by exposure to UV rays), and vitamin D2, or ergocalciferol. However, the two forms might be metabolized differently,  according to recent studies, with D3 being the more effective of the two forms (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2004; 89:5,387-5,391).

The combination of vitamin D and calcium is essential for strong bones. Specifically, vitamin D is important for the absorption and regulation of calcium and phosphate in the blood, and for the mineralization of bones, says Todd Sitkowski, senior marketing manager, DSM. In recent years, we have learned that vitamin K1 helps activate bone proteins that function in bone mineralization.

Soy isoflavones have also been shown to reduce bone loss in postmenopausal women. Specifically, soy proteins high in the isoflavone daidzein have been associated with reduced bone loss as women age, says Pond. Results from a recently completed controlled investigationthe OPUS study (Osteoporosis Prevention Using Soy)showed that supplementation with soy isoflavones plus calcium and vitamin D significantly reduced bone loss in postmenopausal women.

Lorraine Niba, regional marketing manager, Americas, FrieslandCampina Domo, Paramus, NJ, says: The prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) has been shown to increase calcium absorption in post-menopausal women. There are various proposed mechanisms for the observed improvement in calcium absorption. One of these is based on the selective fermentation of GOS in the colon to produce short-chain fatty acids, which lower the pH of the gut, increasing solubilization of minerals, including calcium and magnesium. Another possible mechanism is through the enhanced expression and activity of the calcium-binding transporter protein, calbindin, in the presence of prebiotics. She notes a clinical study with the companys GOS showed that intake of 10 grams daily resulted in a 16% increase in calcium absorption in post-menopausal women.

Skin-deep nutrition

Most women over the age of 40 worshipped the sun, and their skin is now paying for it. Generations that followed were taught early on that the ultraviolet (UV) rays that produce a tan also damage the skin.

A lifetime of exposure to the sun causes aging of the skin through a series of pathways involving harmful UV rays, which lead to the formation of free radicals says Dorsey-Kockler. These are chemically charged molecules that disrupt the bodys normal pathways and cause mutations that lead to wrinkling, discoloration and even cancer. Some food ingredients can help improve the skins integrity and color through various physiological mechanisms, from the inside out. For example, aloe vera possesses anti-inflammatory and moisturizing properties, while antioxidant powerhouses such as cocoa flavonols, grape seed extract and vitamins A, C and E quench destructive free radicals.

Fighting aches and pains

As we age, the cartilage separating the bones begins to wear away and the joint space between bones narrows. So the bones have fewer cushions between them, explains James Elliott, director, nutritional science, DSM. Also, inflammation brings on aches and pains. These conditions worsen as we age.

Glucosamine has long been used by arthritis suffers to reduce symptoms. This amino sugar is naturally present in the shells of shellfish, animal bones and bone marrow, as well as some fungi. Glucosamine functions as a precursor of glycosaminoglycan, a major component of joint cartilage.

An active lifestyle, participation in impact sports and aging can wear down joint cartilage. Glucosamine provides a cushioning effect for our joints, and is a key building block of joint cartilage and joint fluid, says Mike Fleagle, product manager, Cargill Corn Milling, Minneapolis. Normally present in human tissue, glucosamine has been used safely for many years by both humans and animals as a supplement to promote mobility and joint health.

Shari Ruble, technical services specialist, Cargill, adds: We offer the only commercially available GRAS glucosamine ingredient. Produced from a vegetarian source (fungi), it provides a nonanimal, nonshellfish solution for customers seeking a vegetarian, allergen-free, kosher and halal glucosamine.

Glucosamine can be added to many food and beverage products as a drop-in ingredient, Ruble continues. It is compatible in acidic environments; in fact, that is where stability of the ingredient is best. To reap the known benefits of glucosamine on joint health, a single serving should deliver 750 mg, or a total of 1,500 mg per day.

Antioxidants are another healthy-joint strategy. Karen Rubin, marketing manager, DSM, describes a 100% natural, patented rosehip powder that has been proven in four clinical studies to soothe sore joints when 2.5 grams is consumed twice daily in as little as three weeks. In vitro studies show that the antioxidant action and unique activity of the specialized rosehip powder may prevent the damaging cell reactions caused by chemokines and interleukins in joints. These studies also show that the specialized rosehip powder helps reduce the oxidative activity that speeds the deterioration of joints.

Staying slim and trim

While metabolism does tend to slow with agewomens metabolisms slow at a rate of 2% to 3% each year after the age of 30it is not out of ones limit to control, says Dorsey-Kockler. Weight gain may have more to do with lifestyle and activity level than with hormonal changes.

Plus, as women age, many will experience an age-related loss of muscle mass, function and strength, a condition referred to as sarcopenia. The key tactics to help prevent sarcopenia hinge on routine exercise and adequate amounts of dietary protein, says Pikosky. Emerging research has shown whey proteins, which are high-quality, dairy-derived proteins, provide an anabolic advantage over other proteins in promoting muscle synthesis. This is believed to be due to the high level of leucine in whey ingredients. It has been shown that, of the nine essential amino acids, leucine is unique in that it is the key igniter of protein synthesis in the body.

Since muscle tissue is metabolically active, while adipose tissue is an energy store, women who replace muscle mass with fat burn fewer calories, which can result in weight gain over time, Pikosky continues. Sufficient protein intake and routine exercise are key to staying fit as one ages.

Protein and fiber have also been shown to assist with weight management by providing a feeling of fullness to curb appetite. With obesity reaching epidemic levels, reducing calorie intake is the key to success for most women, says Laura Cooper, marketing manager, SunOpta Ingredients Group, Chelmsford, MA. A common strategy is to reduce portion size to reduce calories. Formulating with fiber allows you to provide a normal portion size with fewer calories, as most fiber ingredients contribute little or no calories and can replace caloric carbohydrates. Golden girls also need to pay attention to digestive health, and insoluble fiber, such as that found in oat fiber, helps promote laxation.

Niba concurs: Constipation is a wellness need in adults overall as they age, but most especially in women. Women typically suffer from constipation more than men. GOS has been shown to positively improve laxation and regularity in women.

GOS might also help prevent weight gain through its satiety-inducing effect Clinical studies show that GOSs prebiotic fermentation in the colon results in increased expression of the gut satiety hormones GLP-1 and PYY in the colonic mucosa, adds Niba. This is likely due to the production of short-chain fatty acids, particularly butyrate, which in turn contributes to inducing secretion of satiety hormones.

Tran concludes: It is a womans dedication to maintain vim, vigor and vitality that has opened the doors for a new generation of womens food and beverage innovations.

Donna Berry, president of Chicago-based Dairy & Food Communications, Inc., a network of professionals in business-to-business technical and trade communications, has been writing about product development and marketing for 13 years. Prior to that, she worked for Kraft Foods in the natural-cheese division. She has a B.S. in food science from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. She can be reached at [email protected].