In recent years there has been a trend in eating more healthy, organic foods. This idea is beneficial for anyone, but many people are still choosing to eat quick-fix processed foods because they are less expensive and more accessible than their organic counterparts.

However, there are many reasons people should be eating healthy—for seniors especially! If you’ve been following our series on senior nutrition, you’ve already read the benefits of a low sodium diet and likewise why seniors should be adopting a diet high in protein. Now we want to look at sugar and preservatives.

We all know that it’s much easier to grab something out of the frozen food aisle for dinner or a candy bar for in-between-meal snacks, but the fact is that this type of eating can be harming you and your loved ones.

At Synergy HomeCare, we want you and your loved ones to be informed about the dangers of the types of foods that many people are consuming every day. For starters, here are

The Top 10 Reasons to Eat Low Amounts of Sugar:

1. High amounts of sugar intake can lead to heart disease
2. Sugar intake contributes to diabetes
3. Too much sugar can lead to various types of cancers, such as cancer of the breast and prostrate
4. High amounts of sugar can contribute to Alzheimer’s Disease
5. Sugar can weaken the immune system
6. Too much sugar can weaken eyesight
7. High amounts of sugar can lead to obesity, which adds a whole other list of complications
8. Too much sugar can lead to appendicitis, hemorrhoids, or gallstones
9. High sugar intake can contribute to osteoporosis and arthritis
10. Sugar can interfere with protein absorption (see our information on the importance of protein intake for seniors)

The benefits of having a low-sugar diet are obvious, but what about diets that are low in preservatives? Our local grocery stores are filled with foods that have been pre-packaged and contain high amounts of preservatives and their prices are almost always less than the prices in health food stores. Can the benefits of eating organic and unprocessed health foods really outweigh the damage it can do to your check book?

Especially for the elderly generation, we believe so.

Here are the Top 10 Reasons to Eat Low Preservatives:

1. Certain types of preservatives can lead to high blood pressure, stroke, and heart attack
2. Eating less preservatives can lessen the chance of developing diabetes
3. Some preservatives have been linked to certain types of cancer
4. Often times the preservatives used in foods destroy their nutrients
5. Preservatives can lead to impaired liver and kidney function
6. High amounts of preservatives can lead to high blood cholesterol levels
7. Some preservatives have been linked to causing brain damage
8. Consuming high amounts of some preservatives can lead to nervousness, increased heart palpitations, and heart defects
9. Preservatives have been linked to tumors
10. Many common preservatives can lead to vitamin B6 deficiencies.

If you are a family caregiver, you know the importance of helping your loved one to eat healthy, and we want to help and encourage you to do so. Before going to the grocery store, be sure to check out our HomeStyle meal program and see how we can help keep you and your loved ones healthy.