Page 63 - Petelin, Ana, ur. 2021. Zdravje starostnikov / Health of the Elderly. Zbornik povzetkov z recenzijo / Book of Abstracts. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press
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role of nutrition in first 8000 days of life for healthy aging prehrana in zdravje starejših odraslih | nutrition and health of the elderly
Neža Lipovec1, Brigita Avramović Brumen2, Evgen Benedik1
1 University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Division of Paediatrics, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2 Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Clinical Nutrition Unit, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Introduction and purpose. Ageing is one of the greatest challenges in healthcare
today that has been shown to be affected by early life nutrition. Genetic, nu-
trition and environmental factors have an influence on dysregulated gene ex-
pression, altered metabolite levels, and accumulated molecular damage. These
changes are thought to be causal factors in aging, and it is believed that they de-
termine the lifespan of humans. From these, early life nutrition is a key compo-
nent affecting our health and has also the potential to increase lifespan.
Content presentation. Awareness is growing that a healthy eating habits and
healthy lifestyle during pre-pregnancy period (for women and men), during
pregnancy, during breastfeeding as well as up to the second year of child’s life
(first 1000 days) and all until the beginning of adulthood (first 8000 days) deter-
mine the optimal health of the child throughout life (reducing the chances of de-
veloping overweight, diabetes, allergies, hypertension, cardiovascular disease,
and metabolic diseases). This effect has not been seen only during infancy but
also beyond the adulthood and is called metabolic or nutritional programming.
Further understanding of the extent and nature of how early life nutrition in-
fluences the ageing process will enable the development of novel and more ef-
fective approaches to improve health and extend human lifespan in the future.
However, tackling the epidemic of chronic diseases requires a comprehensive
life course approach. Many countries are plagued with the double burden of
energy excess and undernutrition. This has resulted in mental and physical de-
terioration, increased noncommunicable disease rates, lost productivity, in-
creased medical costs and reduced quality of life. Furthermore, a balanced nu-
trition with high intake of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and nuts is associated
with a reduced risk for all-cause mortality whereas a high intake of (red) meat,
especially processed meat is positively related to all-cause mortality.
Conclusions. While adequate nutrition is fundamental for good health, it re-
mains unclear what impact various nutrition interventions may have on pro-
longing good quality of life. Nutrition interventions should be person-centered,
emphasizing the need to better understand an individual’s intrinsic capacity,
their functional abilities at various life stages, and the impact of mental, and
physical health, and the environments they inhabit. We also need to keep in
mind, that the impact of nutrition on the individual starts before this person is
even born, so the interventions should start at the previous generations. The
health and well-being of the next generations must therefore be a priority for
all of us, as we are, with our current eating habits, shaping the fate of our off-
spring.
Keywords: nutrition in first 1000 days, nutritional programming, healthy aging
61
Neža Lipovec1, Brigita Avramović Brumen2, Evgen Benedik1
1 University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Division of Paediatrics, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2 Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Clinical Nutrition Unit, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Introduction and purpose. Ageing is one of the greatest challenges in healthcare
today that has been shown to be affected by early life nutrition. Genetic, nu-
trition and environmental factors have an influence on dysregulated gene ex-
pression, altered metabolite levels, and accumulated molecular damage. These
changes are thought to be causal factors in aging, and it is believed that they de-
termine the lifespan of humans. From these, early life nutrition is a key compo-
nent affecting our health and has also the potential to increase lifespan.
Content presentation. Awareness is growing that a healthy eating habits and
healthy lifestyle during pre-pregnancy period (for women and men), during
pregnancy, during breastfeeding as well as up to the second year of child’s life
(first 1000 days) and all until the beginning of adulthood (first 8000 days) deter-
mine the optimal health of the child throughout life (reducing the chances of de-
veloping overweight, diabetes, allergies, hypertension, cardiovascular disease,
and metabolic diseases). This effect has not been seen only during infancy but
also beyond the adulthood and is called metabolic or nutritional programming.
Further understanding of the extent and nature of how early life nutrition in-
fluences the ageing process will enable the development of novel and more ef-
fective approaches to improve health and extend human lifespan in the future.
However, tackling the epidemic of chronic diseases requires a comprehensive
life course approach. Many countries are plagued with the double burden of
energy excess and undernutrition. This has resulted in mental and physical de-
terioration, increased noncommunicable disease rates, lost productivity, in-
creased medical costs and reduced quality of life. Furthermore, a balanced nu-
trition with high intake of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and nuts is associated
with a reduced risk for all-cause mortality whereas a high intake of (red) meat,
especially processed meat is positively related to all-cause mortality.
Conclusions. While adequate nutrition is fundamental for good health, it re-
mains unclear what impact various nutrition interventions may have on pro-
longing good quality of life. Nutrition interventions should be person-centered,
emphasizing the need to better understand an individual’s intrinsic capacity,
their functional abilities at various life stages, and the impact of mental, and
physical health, and the environments they inhabit. We also need to keep in
mind, that the impact of nutrition on the individual starts before this person is
even born, so the interventions should start at the previous generations. The
health and well-being of the next generations must therefore be a priority for
all of us, as we are, with our current eating habits, shaping the fate of our off-
spring.
Keywords: nutrition in first 1000 days, nutritional programming, healthy aging
61
