Practice Article Diet and health: Nursing perspective for the health of our aging population Mimi M. Y. Tse, RN, PhD and Iris F. F. Benzie, DPhil, FIBMS Aging and Health Section, School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Abstract For most age-related disorders there is no cure, and treatment is expensive and often ineffective. Thus, disease prevention is an issue of increasing concern and importance. Nurses form the largest professional healthcare group in the world, and the professional code of the modern day nurse advocates health promotion as a primary role. Nurses, by virtue of their close, direct interaction with their community and clients, are in a strong position to disseminate and reinforce the message of health promotion with the aim of achieving functional longevity in our aging population. This requires that nurses themselves increase their awareness, knowledge and understanding of relevant interdisciplinary research findings. In the current review, the influence of diet on the risk of four of the most prevalent age-related diseases (cancer, cardiovascular disease, dementia and diabetes) is presented, and the underlying mechanisms of influence are discussed, with particular focus on antioxidant- rich foods. INTRODUCTION Worldwide, there is an increasing incidence of chronic, age-related diseases such as cancer, coronary heart disease, diabetes and dementia. For most age-related disorders there is no cure and treatment is difficult, expensive and often ineffective. Thus, disease prevention has become an issue of increasing concern and importance among healthcare providers. Nurses form the largest professional healthcare group in the world, and the professional code of the modern day nurse advocates health promotion as a primary role. Nurses, by virtue of their close and direct interaction with their community and with clients of all ages, are in a strong position to disseminate and reinforce the message of health promotion into evidence-based practice for disease prevention. This requires that nurses themselves increase their awareness, knowledge and understanding of interdisciplinary research findings relevant to health promotion. It is clear that diets rich in fresh fruits and vegetables are protective against chronic, degenerative disease. ‘Healthy’ diets are also rich in wholegrain cereals and omega-3 fatty acids, and are low in saturated fat, salt and sugar. It is advisable to avoid excess energy intake, regardless of the source of kilojoules. These recommendations are well known, but nurses must be able to substantiate their advice with a clear rationale. This requires knowledge of the ‘why’ as well as the ‘what’ of dietary recommendations for health promotion. In this review, the influence of diet on the risk of four of the most prevalent age-related diseases (cancer, cardiovascular disease, dementia and diabetes) is presented, and the underlying mechanisms of influence are discussed, with particular focus on antioxidant micronutrients. The role of antioxidant-rich foods and dietary supplements in health promotion is discussed briefly. Finally, an important and effective role for nurses in promoting health through dietary changes is portrayed. Nursing and Health Sciences (2004), 6, 309–314 Nursing and Health Sciences, 11/04 as presented by these authors w/Annie Appleseed Project input Nursing Persepectives article, 11/04 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.