November Blogspot Summary - Jenn

November Blogspot Summary

Question 1

Many of us agreed that increasing the RDAs for these vitamins would likely be more beneficial than harmful, especially for vitamins C and B-12 which are water-soluble. The bioavailability of these micronutrients is characteristically lower in the elderly population, however, which may result in limited positive benefits seen in this age group even if the RDAs are increased. The major point reiterated by mostly everyone was that an increase in the RDA would likely not result in greater consumption or intake of these nutrients in the elderly population. The elderly typically have decreased appetites which may prompt a healthy, balanced diet to be the primary goal in this population as opposed to focusing on specific nutrient intakes. Many of us did agree that additional research is needed for this population to analyze the effects and benefits of altering the RDAs for this age group, accommodate the increased nutrient needs for the elderly, and offer recommendations on a more individualized basis to best educate elderly individuals on how to modify their diet to meet nutrient requirements.

Question 2

When considering generalizing nutrition research findings to individuals from other countries, many of us perceived that “blanket” recommendations applying to all countries would not be valid based on the differences in environment, culture, genetic influence, available food sources, and geography, etc. Vivian discussed Vitamin D levels, which are highly dependent on environmental exposure, and how this could contribute to large disparities in needs based on geographical countries and regions. Yet, Desiray discussed the benefit of sharing nutrition research findings among all countries to collaborate on findings and achieve potential best practices on a global level. In the second half of the conversation, Vivian and Amanda started to advocate for international nutrition standards stating that intakes of nutrients may be different for each population group but that needs would remain relatively similar. Amanda discussed a major benefit of these generalized standards to be simplified comparisons between countries, which may assist in developing countries where nutrition research is not of high priority.

Question 3

A majority of individuals were against the creation of universal nutrition recommendations on an international basis based on complexity and diversity. Many agreed that individualized recommendations for each country and/or region would best accommodate the needs of the individuals living there by reflecting food availability and major health concerns. Some agreed that international standards would aid countries with no guidelines already in place and that global standards could assist with nutrition research and ease of comparison across cultures. Vivian’s opinion changed throughout the conversation as she discussed how different dietary intake and ADLs across cultures would not drastically modify individuals’ needs. Thus, global standards could serve as an effective guideline for advancing nutrition research possibilities and offering recommendations for countries with no current guidelines. The question that arose again in this conversation was how we would promote all individuals to meet these guidelines from their dietary intake if they were created – a challenge that goes beyond changing the standards, but actually implementing them.

Recommendation for Future Practice

The elderly population will continue to gain prevalence in the dietetics world as the number of individuals in this age group are rapidly increasing. More research focused on the elderly population and their physiologic mechanisms of digestion and absorption are needed to combat the increased nutrient needs for this group. It is our role as dietitians to motivate and encourage our clients on an individualized basis to consume the recommended intake of nutrients by following a nutritious, healthy diet and promoting supplementation of certain nutrients as needed.  

Overall, there are both pros and cons to generalizing nutrition research findings to other countries. While cultures vary in their normal intake, disease prevalence, genetics, and food availability, we are all human beings with relatively similar needs. Thus, nutrition findings from foreign countries can be generalized to individuals of other countries; however, studies should be replicated to determine if findings are valid and reliable across cultures. The prospect of international nutrition standards is one that seems very complex, yet may serve as a valuable asset for developing countries with no established nutrition recommendations. With increased transparency in research and communication across cultures, sharing our own nutrition findings will be valuable to all nutrition research globally as we continue to make progress and build credibility for our field.