CRN encourages CODEX to adopt nutritional strategies to cope with the aging world
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“It’s a long game and CRN has been playing it for 11 years”, said James Griffiths, PhD, senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs for the Council for Responsible Nutrition.
Over the past decade, the Council for Responsible Nutrition – International has presented a scientific symposium to delegates attending the Codex Alimentarius (Codex) Annual Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU). In 2020, the symposium was first presented as a webinar series due to the global pandemic, which precluded an in-person meeting.
Heavy CODEX process
Griffiths said it takes a long time to influence a public policy body. And the meeting of CODEX, sort of a United Nations nutrition organization, is perhaps exceptional in this regard.
Delegates to these meetings are often required to appear on official minutes to justify travel at taxpayer expense. So Griffiths said part of the process is statements and speeches that function primarily as placeholders without losing sight of the ultimate goal, which is to push global public policy on nutrition towards changes that could lead to a healthier world with a lower disease burden.
“The goal is to move the lines in terms of public policy”, Griffiths said. âWe are trying to encourage delegates to do something in the area of ââpublic health that can ultimately benefit the general population. “
The demographic explosion will need innovative solutions
The need for changes in nutrition policy becomes increasingly urgent as the world enters an unprecedented era where populations in almost all countries age. Soon a ‘population explosion’ will present policymakers with tough choices in which there will be more older people with fewer young people to care for them, and fewer wage earners to pay taxes to support the whole population. ‘business.
The causes of this bulge are well known. Modern medicine and sanitation in developed countries have reduced infant mortality and the likelihood of dying young, which is accompanied by a sharp drop in birth rates.
Aging populations are spreading across the world
These changes are also evident in developing countries. In a recent article detailing the proceedings of the 2020 CRN-I Symposium, the authors (of which Griffiths is a part) presented a case study for Brazil. In the early 1950s, life expectancy at birth in Brazil was only 50 years. Today he is 77 years old. At the same time, the fertility rate fell from 6.1 children per woman to 1.7, which is well below the replacement rate of 2.1.
This means that Brazil’s population, like that of many countries, will peak at some point over the next several decades and then begin to decline.
These changes are well advanced in some developed countries. Italy’s population, for example, is expected to drop from around 60 million today to less than 48 million in 2070.
The question then becomes, how to best support these aging people? What changes in nutrition policy can be encouraged to keep them as healthy as possible, both for their own good and that of their society as a whole?
The article argues that focusing on the intake of specific nutrients may benefit this aging group and, indeed, the population as a whole, assuming that calorie intake and basic macronutrient requirements are met. It lays out the science behind the effects of proteins and amino acids, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, and includes a discussion of the role of polyphenols in the diet.
Proteins to fight sarcopenia
Additional protein and / or amino acid intake could play a major role in relieving sarcopenia, the article argues. Sarcopenia, which is the progressive wasting of muscle tissue and loss of strength in older people, is a relatively new term, not being coined until the 1990s. But it has become a major risk factor for muscle loss. ‘autonomy. The article notes that a newly developed creatine dilution method for measuring muscle mass is a more accurate measure of the actual state of an individual’s musculoskeletal condition as opposed to simply measuring body mass. skinny. This includes things like water in the tissue that does not help maintain adequate strength.
Proof of omega-3s, vitamin D, polyphenols
Regarding omega-3s, the article notes the crucial role that DHA plays in healthy brain development. And in a discussion of the process for establishing a Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) for EPA and DHA, the authors note the extensive evidence for long-term cardiovascular health benefits of these nutrients.
The paper also includes a discussion of the science supporting the recommendation for higher vitamin D intakes. It also looks at supporting the use of polyphenols as a means of managing “inflammation,” or the process by which an Chronic low-level inflammation can cause people to increase “biological age” faster than they otherwise would.
“The end goal of this article and the examples presented is to establish, or at least propose for regulatory review, public health goals to mitigate or at least improve the scourges of debilitating health as we approach. the limit of the lifespan of our species. Recommended beneficial diets, including increased protein and amino acids, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D at doses above the RDA, and (poly) phenols / antioxidants, require further research. Savvy consumers could assess the personal benefits of adopting one or more of these academic recommendations, and the data would suggest a longer, healthy life for that person, âthe authors wrote.
âSociety’s response to an aging population will require a vision to harness the years spent in ‘good health’ (eg healthy life expectancy) with those who hope to have additional years of life. Essentially, not only more years to live, but also more life to years. A fundamental transformation of public policies and institutions is needed to ensure a future that celebrates diversity while reducing health inequalities, within and between countries â,they concluded.
Source: European Journal of Nutrition
60, Pages 1â17 (2021)
Science policy: targeted nutrition for all ages and the role of bioactives
Authors: Kalache A, et al.
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