Consumption of food with antioxidant properties institutionalized elderly

Abstract

AIMS: To analyze the consumption of micronutrients with antioxidant properties in institutionalized elderly. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study with residents of an institution for the aged male. Dietary intake was assessed by direct observation of meals and was calculated in DietWin Profisional 2008 software. Adequacy of macronutrients followed the recommendations of the Brazilian Society of Food and Nutrition and micronutrient intake was analyzed according to the Dietary Reference Intakes. The tests used were Spearman correlation and descriptive statistics. The level of significance was p less than 0.05. RESULTS: The study included 28 elderly males. The average intake of carbohydrates and lipids was adequate but the average protein intake was slightly elevated. The average intake of micronutrients was inadequate, except for the average intake of zinc and iron. Tocopherol was the micronutrient with the highest percentage of inadequacy. There was a positive correlation between consumption of tocopherol and lipids and negative correlations between the average intake of vitamin C and age, between the average selenium intake and blood levels of leukocytes and between triglycerides and zinc intake. CONCLUSIONS: The intake of most micronutrients with antioxidant properties was inadequate. It is important to establish strategies for nutrition education and adjustment of the menu of institutionalized elderly to correct these deficits.