Fiber intake and food selection of the elderly in taiwan

« OBJECTIVES: We assessed fiber intakes and determined the major food categories that contribute. to. dietary fiber intakes in the Taiwanese elderly. We also examined the association-between fiber. intake and health status.METHODS: Macronutrients dietary, and crude fiber intakes of 173 elderly-men (76.4 +/- 0.4 y) and 140. women (76.6 +/- 0.4 y) were assessed with 24-h recall. Health status was assessed by the checklist questionnaire. Food was categorized as grain, vegetable; fruit, soy, other legumes, snack, seaweed; nuts; and mushroom groups.RESULTS: The mean dietary and crude fiber intakes by our older population were 8.79 +/- 0.24 g/d and 3.30 +/- 0.08 g/d, respectively. Significant associations were found between low fiber intakes and ‘ swallowing ability in the. elderly population. Vegetables, fruits, and grains contributed most (>85%) to dietary fiber intakes for men-and women. However, women consumed a greater. proportion of fiber from ‘ vegetables and a lesser proportion from grain and snacks than did men.,CONCLUSIONS: Elderly subjects had remarkably low dietary fiber intakes (g and g/Mcal). Swallowing and, chewing ability determined the amount of fiber consumed. Vegetable contributed more than-half of dietary fiber intake. The selection of food groups exerted sex-dependent pattern in grains; vegetables and snacks. «