277: Exploring the link between nutrition and health in later life

<div>Studies have shown that around 20-30 per cent of how we age is down to our genetics, so how big a factor is what we eat in the remaining 70 per cent?<br> <br> </div> <div>In this episode of the Food Matters Live Podcast, we explore the relationship between our diets and our health in later life.<br> <br> </div> <div>Life expectancy has fallen in the UK very recently, largely down to the <a href="https://foodmatterslive.com/discover/podcast/how-shifting-relationships-are-influencing-consumer-trends-food-podcasts/">Coronavirus pandemic</a>, but it had been rising consistently since the end of the Second World War.<br> <br> </div> <div>And an ageing population can throw up a number of problems…<br> <br> </div> <div> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/foresight-projects">The UK Government’s Foresight report</a> into the future of an ageing population points out that without significant improvements, ill-health, chronic conditions, and cognitive impairments will become more common.<br> <br> </div> <div>The question for us is: can our diet help prevent these things?  And what can we learn from the food culture in places where people live the longest, healthiest lives?<br> <br> </div> <div>As we grow older, our nutritional requirements change, so should our eating habits change too?<br> <br> </div> <div>At what age do we need to start making changes? And when we're thinking about the foods we eat, should we be considering our healthspan as well as our lifespan?<br> <br> </div> <div>Listen to the full episode to find out more about the nine hallmarks of ageing on a molecular level, how healthy ageing is defined, and the simple changes we could all be making to give us a chance of living a longer, healthier life.<br> <br> </div> <div>We also ask if the food industry could be doing more to help an ageing population, and do it whilst still making a profit.<br> <br> </div> <div> <strong>Rosie Martin, Registered Dietician and Founder of Rosemary Nutrition and Dietetics<br> </strong><br> </div>