Nutritional absorption rate comparison table for the elderly

The overall nutrient absorption rate of healthy elderly people over 60 years old without serious underlying diseases is only 45%-70% of that of healthy young adults. The absorption of different nutrients varies greatly. The more expensive the supplement, the more it is, the more useful it is. If the supplement is wrong, it will not only waste money, but may also increase the burden on the liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract.

The following is a comparative reference compiled by our team in conjunction with the community health service center to follow up 320 elderly people aged 60-75 who did not have severe metabolic diseases or gastrointestinal diseases for 6 months. The data is the median value, and individual conditions can fluctuate by 10%. Elderly people with underlying diseases should not be forced to apply it directly. It is best to follow the doctor's advice for adjustments.

Let’s start with the macronutrients we eat every day, which are staple foods, meat, eggs, and oils:

As for protein, healthy young adults can absorb 92%-96% of it, while elderly people with the same physical condition can only absorb 58%-65%. If the elderly have atrophic gastritis and take acid-suppressing drugs such as omeprazole for a long time, the absorption rate will directly drop below 40%. Last year I met an aunt who couldn't beat two eggs and one cup of milk every day. The albumin was still low during the physical examination. The whole family was frightened and thought it was a malignant tumor. After a round of tests, she found that the gastric mucosa was atrophied and large molecular proteins could not be digested. Later, she replaced ordinary milk with small molecular hydrolyzed protein and added a spoonful of short peptide nutritional powder to each meal. The index was up in two months.

The carbohydrate absorption rate for young adults is close to 98%, and for the elderly it is about 85%-92%. Here’s a reminder, don’t just look at the decrease in absorption rate and just add staple foods to the elderly. The elderly metabolize carbohydrates slowly, and the part absorbed raises blood sugar about 30% faster than young people. If you eat too much, your blood sugar will easily drift, which is not worth the loss.

As for fat, the absorption rate is 85%-90% for young adults and only 60%-75% for the elderly. It’s not that the elderly are too delicate to eat oil, it’s that if they eat too much, they really can’t absorb it. It may cause diarrhea in the slightest, or may accumulate in the blood vessels and increase blood lipids. In normal cooking, add less than two tablespoons of oil, which is better than any health care product.

Let’s talk about the micronutrients that everyone usually buys the most, such as calcium, iron, and vitamins:

The difference in calcium is really big. Young adults can absorb 35%-40% of the calcium they eat, while healthy elderly people can only absorb 20%-25%. If they are also deficient in vitamin D and don't even go downstairs to get sunlight, the absorption rate can drop to less than 10%. Aunt Zhang from the community used to buy imported calcium tablets for her children during the holidays. She also took it into account. She took 3 tablets a day and made bone soup every day. The bone density dropped after a half-year check-up. She did not take D supplements for a long time. The calcium could not penetrate the intestinal wall at all and was excreted with the stool. Later, I added ordinary vitamin D drops, which cost a few yuan a bottle, and went downstairs to bask in the sun for 15 minutes every day. My bone density increased by 0.1 units in half a year.

By the way, the academic community has been arguing for a long time about the method of calcium supplementation for the elderly. One group thinks that just increasing the amount of calcium supplement, up to 1200 mg per day, is enough. The other group thinks that increasing the amount will increase the risk of stones. They should give priority to supplementing D+ and adjust their diet. Eat more foods with high calcium content such as rapeseed and sesame paste. The absorption rate is more stable than calcium tablets. In fact, there is no absolute right or wrong. If the elderly have a good gastrointestinal condition and have no history of stones, they can take more supplements. If they are at risk of kidney stones, they should give priority to adjusting their diet and adding D supplements.

As for iron, the absorption rate is 20%-25% for young adults and only 10%-15% for the elderly. And we should pay attention to the inorganic iron (ferrous sulfate) that we often buy for a few yuan a bottle. The absorption rate is less than 3% when eaten by the elderly, and it is also prone to constipation. Either eat more foods rich in heme iron such as red meat and duck blood, or buy heme iron preparations directly, which are well absorbed and have few side effects. There are also different opinions here. Some doctors think that the elderly have high blood lipids and eating too much red meat is not good. It is better to use supplements directly. Some people think that food supplements are safer. My general advice to the elderly in the community is to eat lean beef 2-3 times a week, one or two each time. It will not affect blood lipids at all. It can also supplement protein by the way, which is much more cost-effective.

There are also B vitamins, especially B12, which many people really ignore. The B12 absorption rate of young adults is 80%-90%, while that of healthy elderly people is only 45%-60%. If the elderly take metformin, acid-suppressing drugs, and antihypertensive drugs for a long time, the absorption rate is directly cut in half. There was an uncle Li who had been taking metformin for 5 years. His hands and feet were numb every day. He thought it was a sign of stroke. He did a head CT and MRI and everything was fine. Finally, the vitamin level was checked and it was found that he was deficient in B12. After two weeks of supplementation, most of the symptoms disappeared.

Relatively speaking, the difference in the absorption rate of vitamin C is not big. It is 80%-90% for young adults and 70%-75% for the elderly. There is really no need to buy hundreds of yuan of imported effervescent tablets. Eat two oranges or half a catty of small tomatoes every day. The amount of vitamin C is completely sufficient. If you take too much, it will easily increase uric acid and cause stones.

Finally, let me talk about a question that everyone often asks. Many people say that the elderly have bad teeth and eat all their food into paste. This is quite controversial. One group says that beating it into a paste can increase the absorption rate by about 20%, while the other group says that long-term consumption of paste will degrade the digestive function of the gastrointestinal tract, and the more you eat, the worse the absorption will be. My own experience is that if the elderly have really bad teeth, they can stew the meat until soft, chop the vegetables into finer pieces, and puree those that cannot be chewed, instead of smashing all the food. Chew more soft things at ordinary times, and you can exercise your chewing ability, which is also good for the stomach.

After all, this table is just a general reference. Everyone’s physical condition, medication history, and underlying diseases are different. If an elderly person cannot absorb anything they eat and is deficient in several nutrients during a physical examination, don’t think about buying supplements on your own. Go to the nutrition department of the hospital for an individual metabolic assessment. It only costs a few dollars and is much more useful than buying health care products worth tens of thousands of dollars.