What nutritional problems do patients with dementia encounter? How can diet be used to delay dementia?

Malnutrition and muscle loss are major potential issues for patients with dementia.

Patients with dementia may face major potential issues such as malnutrition and muscle loss. As dementia progresses, patients often experience significant difficulties in chewing and swallowing, which can lead to inadequate food intake, malnutrition, weight loss, and problems such as aspiration pneumonia. Swallowing difficulties can prevent patients from consuming adequate food, leading to malnutrition.

In some cases, patients may experience irregular eating patterns due to forgetting whether they have eaten or drunk, leading to dehydration.When the body is malnourished or lacks certain key nutrients such as vitamin B12, folic acid, and vitamin D, brain function may be affected, exacerbating the condition.

There is no best diet, only the most suitable one

Due to the gradual decline in cognitive abilities, patients with dementia lose their ability to care for themselves, similar to infants, and require caregivers to assist and accompany them. As dementia symptoms worsen, patients may exhibit unstable states, potentially ingesting or taking dangerous substances, or forgetting to turn off the stove while cooking.

In such cases, even the best dietary plans may be difficult to implement due to changes in the patient’s eating habits. Patients with dementia may experience agitation or anxiety, affecting normal eating. Therefore, the most suitable dietary plan should be adjusted according to the patient’s awake and eating times.

Small, frequent meals, with no fixed meal times

Due to the possibility of chewing and swallowing difficulties and post-meal forgetting, adopting a small, frequent meal pattern can ensure that patients receive adequate nutrition, avoiding malnutrition due to restricted intake in one meal. This dietary approach fully considers the special conditions of patients with dementia to meet the challenges they face due to declining cognitive abilities.

When implementing the small, frequent meal strategy, consider providing a small snack every two to three hours, such as sesame paste, tofu water, sweet potato soup, or mung bean soup. This helps to distribute meals, allowing patients to receive balanced nutrition throughout the day, while also alleviating the dietary pressure that may result from chewing and swallowing difficulties. Especially before bedtime, consider providing warm soy milk or cocoa to promote a balanced and stable state of the brain during the night, helping patients sleep better.

Diversify the diet for balanced nutrition

All kinds of food are crucial for patients with dementia, including vegetables, fruits, proteins, fats, and whole grains. By maintaining a balanced diet and providing diverse nutrition, it helps promote brain health. In addition to promoting brain health, incorporating a cardiovascular disease diet is also beneficial for patients with dementia. This type of diet focuses on reducing saturated fats and cholesterol, and increasing intake of heart-healthy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. By incorporating these dietary guidelines, patients with dementia can also reduce their risk of developing other health conditions that may exacerbate their symptoms.

In terms of consuming fruits and vegetables, it is recommended to choose fruits and vegetables of different colors, such as bell peppers, tomatoes, radishes, onions, black fungus, eggplants, and various mushrooms.

Fruits and vegetables of different colors contain various plant compounds, including rich vitamins A, C, E, and antioxidants, which are extremely important for protecting nerve cells from oxidative stress and free radicals. This is helpful for preventing or slowing down the development of dementia.

Increase the intake of leafy vegetables

Increasing the intake of leafy vegetables is particularly important for dementia patients. This is because dementia patients may have higher concentrations of homocysteine in their blood, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

To reduce homocysteine levels, it is recommended to increase the intake of leafy vegetables rich in vitamin B6, B12, and folate, such as spinach, kale, broccoli, and choy sum. The vitamins in these vegetables help regulate homocysteine levels, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

In addition, dietary fiber in fruits and vegetables helps maintain good intestinal function, maintaining the overall health of dementia patients.

Ensure a variety of good fats

Consuming good fats is also essential, and it is recommended to choose oils rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, such as extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, nut oil, perilla oil, and bitter tea oil, consuming at least 2 tablespoons a day, which can be drizzled over food or eaten with food.

Nuts contain unsaturated fatty acids and rich vitamin E, especially walnuts, which can be ground into sauce or powder for easy swallowing, avoiding choking. These foods help fight inflammation, prevent vascular blockages, and delay dementia.

Fish or plant-based protein as a protein source

For dementia patients with poor oral health and swallowing difficulties, increasing the intake of boneless fish or boneless deep-sea fish can increase the intake of unsaturated fatty acids.

It is recommended to consume deep-sea fish such as sardines, mackerel, salmon, and kingfish two to three times a week. Avoid overly tough or fibrous meats, such as pork, chicken, offal, etc. If the meat is too tough, it can be cut into small pieces or minced.

Soy products can replace some meat products, which are soft in texture, easy to swallow, and easy to digest. Soybeans, black beans, soybeans, tofu, and other plant-based proteins are rich in dietary fiber, which helps improve intestinal health. Each meal should include at least one serving of high-quality protein, such as lean meat, fish, eggs, or tofu.

Ensure adequate daily fluid intake

Consider increasing fluid intake through soups and other forms. In the case of dementia, patients may forget to drink water or ignore the need for water, so providing a variety of liquid options may help increase fluid intake.

However, if patients face swallowing difficulties, thickeners can be used to adjust the viscosity of the drinks, making them easier to swallow and ensuring that patients receive enough fluids safely and reliably.

Another method is to increase the viscosity of beverages by adding starchy foods such as pumpkin soup, corn soup, red bean water, etc., to reduce swallowing difficulties and increase the nutritional value of beverages.

Summary

In summary, proper nutrition is crucial for the overall health of patients with dementia, not only helping to maintain good nutritional status but also preventing muscle loss. In this caregiving journey, caregivers play an indispensable and crucial role, responsible for ensuring that patients receive adequate nutritional support.