Why Should You Not Give Nutritional Drinks To Seniors?

Undernutrition among seniors due to lack of appetite is a common and dangerous problem. The study conducted on this reveals that decreasing body mass index (BMI) and malnourishment in seniors can contribute to high mortality rates.

Family members have a very tough time when they need to entice the seniors to eat more due to which, many start giving nutritional drinks to seniors. Unfortunately, these drinks might not serve as full nutrition to seniors. 

Drawbacks Of Giving Nutritional Drinks To Seniors 

Inferior nutrition 

Nutritional drinks containing minerals, supplements, and vitamins might not contain all the desired micronutrients and antioxidants that a whole food source provides. Most people think that more nutrients are better. The best alternative would be to give seniors a homemade or refrigerated fruit smoothie. There is no harm in supplementing the senior diet with a nutrition drink but the focus should be on trying to find real foods to make up most of the senior’s diet.

Medication interactions 

The nutritional drinks contain plenty of vitamins and minerals which can cause drug interactions with senior’s medications. Many seniors take prescription and over-the-counter drugs. These complex medication regimes can cause adverse effects on seniors and might damage their organs and systems. Consequently, make sure to get a senior’s medications and nutritional drink checked by their physician to figure out all the possible interactions. 

Digestive issues 

Over-reliance on these nutritional drinks and giving these to seniors in excess can cause digestive issues such as diarrhea to seniors. Any nutritional drink made from milk may cause nausea, diarrhea, or constipation in seniors. 

High sugar content 

When elderly individuals lose their appetite, caregivers often try various food options. If these don’t work, they resort to nutritional shakes. It’s important to check these shakes for sugar content, ensuring that protein or fruit is the primary ingredient over sugar or corn syrup. This is crucial for diabetic seniors, and they should opt for specialized low-glycemic formulas like Glucerna or Boost Glucose Control.