The natural source of essential nutrients

Fish oil contains more than 50 different fatty acids. EPA and DHA are conditionally essential fatty acids (n-3 fatty acids), abundant in fish oil. They are derivatives from α–linolenic acid. Various foods contain α–linolenic acid but it is difficult for the body to convert this into EPA and DHA – especially in the elderly and/or related to diseases.^1,2

If fish cannot be consumed, an ideal “healthy” fat shall provide 250 - 500 mg/day long-chain fatty acids EPA and DHA.³  

High EPA and DHA are beneficial

• to counteract weight and muscle loss^4-6
• to support immune function^4,7

References:

1) Ubeda N et al. Br J Nutr. 2012;107 Suppl 2:S137.
2) Wall R et al.  Nutr Rev. 2010;68(5):280.
3) EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA); EFSA Journal 2012;10(7):2815. [48 pp.] doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2012.2815. Available online: www.efsa.europa. eu/efsajournal.
4) Sanchez-Lara K et al. Clin. Nutr 2014;33:1017-1023
5) Van der Meij BS et al. J Nutr 2010;140:1774-1780
6) Murphy RA et al. Cancer 2011;117:1775-1782
7) Silva Jde A et al. Nutr Cancer 2012; 64:267-273

It's time for protein

Muscle loss is a common depletion when people getting older and affects older patients even more due to higher protein loss through disease and frequent immobility. The consumption of a high-quality protein with the daily diet is important to maintain good muscles. 
Milk and soy proteins are high-quality proteins with excellent bioavailability, providing all a high proportion of essential amino acids which are key for muscle protein synthesis.¹ It is the most effective way to induce muscle protein synthesis (MPS) while preventing muscle protein breakdown (MPB). Furthermore, they provide leucine which has been well researched as one of the most important amino acids responsible for muscle and protein synthesis.² 

The benefits of a good protein provision in the nutritional management are multifarious and much more than just stable muscle mass :

• Lower incidence of complications^3,4
• Reduced use of medications⁵
• Fewer and shorter hospital admissions⁶
• Lower mortality, anastomotic dehiscence and resumption of bowel function and length of stay after resectional gastrointestinal surgery⁷
• Reduced mortality rates by 12 % in hospitalised patients⁵
• Reduced loss of lean body mass in hospital and improved lean body mass in community patients⁵
• Reduced pressure ulcer surface area in community patients⁵
• Improved respiratory, liver and bowel function in hospital patients⁵

References:

1) McGregor RA, Poppitt SD. Nutr Metab (Lond) 2013;10(1):46.
2) Xu ZR et al. Br J Nutr 2015;113(1):25–34.
3) Bakker OJ et al. Pancreatology 2014;14(5):340–6.
4) National Collaborating Centre for Acute Care, February 2006. Nutrition support in adults Oral nutrition support, enteral tube feeding and parenteral nutrition.
5) Stratton RJ et al. Wallingford: CABI Publishing; 2003.
6) Elia M. Malnutrition Action Group of BAPEN and the National Institute for Research Southampton. Biomedical Research Centre; 2015.
7) Osland E et al. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 2011;35(4):473–87.

Vitamin D – one source of vitality

Vitamin D is currently of great public health interest, being a crucial nutrient for our body functions. Vitamin D is not only essential for maintaining mineral balance in the body, but also contributes to several physiological functions, including maintenance of normal bones, muscle strength and muscle function. Latest clinical evidence confirms the role of vitamin D in reducing falls and fractures, modulating the immune system¹ and slowing down cognitive decline.^2,3 Vitamin D deficiency is also linked to cardiovascular disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes and cancer.^4,5
Ensuring an optimal vitamin D status is therefore very important. Although vitamin D can be produced endogenously by the body after exposure to sunlight, especially older people are at risk of vitamin D deficiency due to decreased dietary intake or decreased endogen vitamin D synthesis as consequence of diminished sunlight exposure or effectiveness of synthesis.
An adequate vitamin D status can significantly reduce the risk of falls by 19 % (due to improving muscle strength and function)⁶, non vertebral fractures by 14 % and hip fractures by 30 %.⁷

References:

1) Aranow C. J Investig Med. 2011;59(6):881-6
2) Miller JW et al. JAMA Neurol 2015;72(11):1295-303
3) Littlejohns TJ et al. Neurology 2014;83(10):920-8
4) Holick MF. N Engl J Med. 2007;357(3):266-81
5) Mitri J et al. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2011;65(9):1005-15
6) Bischoff-Ferrari HA et al. BMJ 2009;339:b3692
7) Bischoff-Ferrari HA et al. N Engl J Med 2012;367(1):40-9