Alliance for Aging Research Releases "Food for Thought: The Role of Nutrition in Healthy Aging" During May's Older Americans Month

New Film Shows the Impact of Nutrition on the Aging Process

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May 18, 2021, 11:41 ET

WASHINGTON, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- This May during Older Americans Month, the Alliance for Aging Research is raising awareness about healthy aging and nutrition with a new video, "Food for Thought: The Role of Nutrition in Healthy Aging." Developed to simplify the relationship between good nutrition and healthy aging, the Alliance hopes the video will resonate with all ages and backgrounds as they seek to make healthy choices.

The new film shows how we nourish our bodies throughout our lives can significantly impact how we age, and reinforces that without proper nutrition, our bodies can't stay healthy, fight off disease, or deal with illnesses that we may already have. The film highlights how poor nutrition weakens our immune systems and leaves us vulnerable to infections, slower recovery times, and delayed healing from wounds.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) created the 2020 – 2025 Dietary Guidelines to help Americans of all ages navigate their nutritional needs and achieve a well-rounded diet. USDA also provides recommendations for different age groups, including those individuals 65 years and older, who often need fewer calories and more protein, get too little hydration, and may need supplements to meet their nutrient needs.

"We all have the power to maximize and improve our health, add vitality to our years, reduce the risk of disease, and increase our healthspans—the number of years we live in good health. And research shows that it's never too late to make improvements," said Lindsay Clarke, J.D., Vice President of Health Education and Advocacy at the Alliance for Aging Research. "Despite this, we know that less than two-thirds of Americans ages 60 and older follow the USDA dietary guidelines. The Alliance released this new video resource during Older Americans Month with the hope that older adults can easily understand the connection between nutrition and healthy aging and make positive changes in their daily choices."

"Food for Thought: The Role of Nutrition in Healthy Aging" highlights the power of a healthy diet in maintaining our health and independence as we age, underscores the changes with aging that impact our nutritional needs, and addresses the harsh reality of food insecurity in older adults. To learn more visit www.agingresearch.org/nutrition and watch "Food for Thought: The Role of Nutrition in Healthy Aging." The video is also available in Spanish and free to download.

Media Contact:
Lauren Smith
Vice President of Communications
[email protected]
(202) 688-1229

About the Alliance for Aging Research
The Alliance for Aging Research is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the pace of scientific discoveries and their application to vastly improve the universal human experience of aging and health. The Alliance believes advances in research help people live longer, happier, more productive lives and reduce healthcare costs over the long term. For more than 30 years, the Alliance has guided efforts to substantially increase funding and focus for aging at the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration; built influential coalitions to guide groundbreaking regulatory improvements for age-related diseases; and created award-winning, high-impact educational materials to improve the health and well-being of older adults and their family caregivers. For more information, visit www.agingresearch.org.

SOURCE Alliance for Aging Research