Hoffman Richard
Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK.
J Nutr Sci. 2017 Jan 12;6:e2. doi: 10.1017/jns.2016.42. eCollection 2017.
Micronutrient deficiencies contribute to many age-related disorders. One group at particular risk of micronutrient deficiencies is the elderly. Many elderly, such as the frail and those living in institutions, rely on ready meals of variable, often poor, nutritional quality for a significant part of their daily nutritional needs. New policies are needed to ensure that micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and phytochemicals of known nutritional value are retained during the manufacture of ready meals. This together with increased awareness of the importance of micronutrients for health, and simple, clear labelling of the micronutrient content of ready meals would help in the choice of healthier products. Professionally prepared ready meals monitored by nutritionists and dietitians can help achieve these goals so that ready meals become part of the solution to poor nutrition in the elderly, rather than being viewed as part of the problem.
微量营养素缺乏会导致许多与年龄相关的疾病。特别容易出现微量营养素缺乏的群体之一是老年人。许多老年人，如体弱多病者和住在养老院的人，很大一部分日常营养需求依赖于营养质量参差不齐且往往较差的即食食品。需要出台新政策，以确保在即食食品的生产过程中保留已知具有营养价值的微量营养素（维生素和矿物质）和植物化学物质。这一点，再加上提高对微量营养素对健康重要性的认识，以及对即食食品微量营养素含量进行简单、清晰的标注，将有助于选择更健康的产品。由营养学家和营养师监测的专业制备即食食品有助于实现这些目标，从而使即食食品成为解决老年人营养不良问题的一部分，而不是被视为问题的一部分。
