How Can Fiber Reduce an Aging Adult’s Risk of Stroke?
By Home Care Assistance Des Moines 9 am on
Strokes affect approximately 795,000 people each year, with nearly 75 percent of all strokes occurring in adults over the age of 65. While seniors often experience common risk factors for stroke, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, sedentary lifestyles, and weight gain, they still have opportunities and tools to battle those risks. Research shows consuming the proper amount of dietary fiber as part of a healthy diet can prevent stroke. Listed below are ways fiber can reduce stroke risk and how seniors can take advantage of fiber’s stroke-reducing properties.
Dietary Fiber Combats Many of the Common Risk Factors for Stroke
Fiber helps the body maintain a healthy weight by slowing digestion and keeping the body feeling full for longer periods between meals. Fiber aids the reduction of bad cholesterol by binding with lipids, or fats, in the bloodstream, and it also helps the body prevent insulin resistance. As fiber assists in keeping weight, cholesterol, and blood sugar in check, it also reduces high blood pressure. While fiber isn’t a cure-all, its stroke-fighting properties make it a valuable asset for stroke prevention. For many seniors, preparing nutritious meals on their own can be challenging. Aging adults who require assistance with the tasks of daily living can benefit from reliable senior home care.Families trust Home Care Assistance to provide the high-quality care their elderly loved ones need and deserve. Our caregivers are trained to help seniors prevent serious illnesses and encourage them to make healthier decisions as they age.
Fiber Is Readily Available in Natural Form
Fiber is found in foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and unrefined whole grains. Foods like raspberries, pears, artichokes, green peas, lentils, barley, bran, and oatmeal serve up substantial amounts of fiber per serving. For reference, men over 50 years of age should be consuming about 30 grams of fiber per day, while women over 50 should aim for 21 grams daily. If you’re the primary family caregiver for a senior loved one living in Des Moines, live-in care is available if your loved one’s health has become too difficult to manage without professional expertise. At Home Care Assistance, we take measures to help seniors prevent illness and injury by assisting with exercise and mobility, preparing nutritious meals, helping with bathing and other personal hygiene tasks, and much more.
Seniors Can Increase Their Dietary Fiberwith Simple Changes
Swap seasonal and more affordable fresh fruits and vegetables for processed snacks in the diet. Serve your loved one oatmeal or bran for breakfast, include a serving of beans or lentils with lunch or dinner, replace unhealthy processed side dishes with fresh veggies, and put out a bowl of fresh berries for dessert. Some aging adults may need help making lifestyle adjustments to reduce their risk of stroke and other cardiac issues. In Des Moines, home care agenciescan be a great boon to seniors. With the help of the caregivers at Home Care Assistance, your aging loved one can lead a happier and healthier life. We offer a revolutionary program called the Balanced Care Method, which encourages seniors to eat nutritious foods, exercise and socialize regularly, and focus on other lifestyle factors that increase life expectancy. If you need professional care for your loved one, reach out to one of our Care Managers today at (515) 264-2438.
