Perceived intolerance of vegetables among the elderly

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Nutrition Science
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Dietary intake of vegetables is crucial for elderly health.
• Perceived food intolerance can impact dietary choices and nutritional status in older adults.
• Meals on Wheels programs aim to provide nutritious meals to homebound seniors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the perceived intolerance of various cooked and raw vegetables among elderly participants.
• To identify specific vegetables or vegetable types associated with gastrointestinal symptoms.
• To explore the relationship between vegetable tolerance, taste acceptability, and availability in a feeding program context.

Main Methods:

• Home-conducted interviews with 66 elderly Meals on Wheels participants.
• Questionnaires focused on perceived vegetable intolerance, gastrointestinal symptoms, and taste acceptability.
• Categorization of participants into 'tolerators' and 'intolerators' based on their responses.

Main Results:

• Cooked vegetables were generally better tolerated than raw vegetables.
• Vegetables from the Brassica genus were frequently perceived as poorly tolerated.
• Severe gastrointestinal symptoms were reported infrequently; taste acceptability was similar between tolerators and intolerators, but tolerance was linked to higher acceptability for more vegetables.
• Some well-tolerated, acceptable vegetables were not readily available to participants.

Conclusions:

• Elderly individuals exhibit varied tolerance to different vegetables, with cooked options and non-Brassica types often preferred.
• Feeding programs should offer a wide array of vegetables to maximize nutrient intake, accommodating only confirmed cases of intolerance or disease-related issues.
• Addressing vegetable availability is key to improving dietary diversity for elderly recipients of meal services.