The diet of the elderly should have "four degrees"”

　　One: speed

　　elderly The teeth are thinner and the digestive function is reduced. If they are not chewed fully, the digestion and absorption of food will be affected. Some elderly people have dentures. If they eat too fast, they may swallow the dentures into their esophagus and stomach. The thin metal wires in the dentures may also scratch the walls of the esophagus and stomach, causing gastrointestinal bleeding.

　　Two: Saturation

　　If the elderly eat too much, all the food cannot be digested, and many undigested chyme masses will stay in the intestines for a long time. After bacterial fermentation, more gas will be produced, making people feel abdominal distension and discomfort. Overeating puts a heavy burden on the gastrointestinal tract. The hepatogastric ligament and diaphragmatic gastric ligament that support the stomach in the elderly will relax due to traction, which may cause gastroptosis.

　　Three: temperature

　　The gastrointestinal mucosa of the elderly becomes thinner, the glands and small villi gradually shrink, and they are very sensitive to food stimulation. If they eat food that is too hot or too cold, it will irritate the gastrointestinal tract and affect digestive function. Therefore, the appropriate temperature of food for the elderly should be 20 to 40 degrees Celsius.

　　Four: Hardness

　　The secretion of digestive juices such as salivary amylase, gastric acid, gastric amylase, pancreatic lipase and amylase in the elderly is reduced. In addition, intestinal peristalsis is weakened and the digestive function is poor. If you eat hard food that is not cooked or easy to chew, it is easy to cause gastrointestinal ulcers, gastritis and other gastrointestinal tract diseases. disease。