“From Lifespan to Healthspan: The Role of Nutrition in Healthy Ageing,” is comprised of expert perspectives from the CRN-I session held at the Federation of European Nutrition Societies (FENS) 2019 meeting, according to a press release. The report focuses on the impact of nutrition within the World Health Organization (WHO)Global Strategy and Action Plan on Ageing and Healthframework. As CRN-I explained, this report takes a person-centered approach to healthy aging. It emphasizes the need to better understand an individual’s intrinsic capacity (i.e., their physiological and psychological capabilities and behaviors) and functional abilities (i.e., the health-related attributes that enable the individual to be and to do what they have reason to value) at various life stages.
“Globally, we’ve seen a marked increase in longevity, but major inequalities persist and are exacerbated by inadequate access to proper nutrition and healthcare services, and to reliable information to make nutrition and healthcare-related decisions,” said James C. Griffiths, Ph.D., co-author and CRN's Senior Vice President, International and Scientific Affairs, in a press release.
Mental and physical deterioration, increased non-communicable disease rates, lost productivity, increased medical costs, reduced quality of life...these are all concerns that can result from energy excess and under-nutrition, CRN-I noted, adding that the impact of diet on prolonging quality of life during aging remains unclear.
“Growing evidence demonstrates that access to better nutrition, improved immunity and response to disease, functioning senses—sight, taste, smell—and mobility, as well as the ability to recover physically and mentally, or even maintain wellness, when faced with stressors, may enhance how individuals age," Dr. Griffiths said. “This evidence highlights the need for innovative research on dietary interventions to improve healthy aging, with validated, widely accepted and quantitative biomarkers responsive to lifestyle-based interventions.”
The second report is comprised of expert perspectives from CRN-I’s 2019 symposium, which was held in conjunction with the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) meeting. “Measuring Health Promotion: Translating Science into Policy” complements the FENS report, CRN explained, but dives deeper into health promotion and health literacy, appropriate nutritional study design, and the role the human microbiome plays in promoting health and alleviating disease.
“The nutrition science community must set credible recommendations and communicate those in a way that the public will adopt,” said Daniel Marsman, D.V.M., Ph.D., immediate past chair, CRN-I, and director of Global Product Safety, P&G Health Care, in the release. “The WHO Global Strategy and Action Plan is a framework for strong progress advancing the benefits of nutrition on healthy ageing. Nutrition messaging must be based on appropriate scientific evidence and communicated in a way that encourages people to adopt healthier dietary habits, balancing calorie intake with nutrient density, and lifestyles with increased physical activity, moderate alcohol consumption, smoking cessation, and stress reduction, to benefit the individual and society.”
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Reports from past CRN-I symposia are available on theCRN-I website.Due to COVID-19, CRN-I will be holding a series of webinars in lieu of its annual in-person symposium normally held in conjunction with CCNFSDU meeting. Details will be available on theCRN-I website.
