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Healthy Eating After 50

Shannon Owens

UMUC ASIA Spring Session 2

April 26, 2015

Healthy Eating After 50

Aging is a part of life that is associated with high risk factors for many diseases. As people grow older, they become more prone to infections and diseases. This is because the vital organs and the immune system weaken over time. The vital organs such as the heart and the brain are also affected. The heart increases in size in most senior individuals and the blood vessels become stiffer (Morelli & Sidani, 2011). This makes the heart work harder to pump blood through the vessels thus puts the senior individuals at risk of getting hypertension (high blood pressure), cardio vascular disease and other cardio vascular problems (Morelli & Sidani, 2011). However, there is evidence that eating a balanced diet along with safe physical activity makes great strides in reducing such adverse effects of aging and helps senior individuals live longer. This paper explores the molecular mechanisms of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan that is said to have the effect of lowering blood pressure in seniors and thus reduce their chances of getting hypertension.

Overview of the DASH Eating Plan

The link for the eating plan is http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/dash. The eating plan focuses on increasing intake of vegetables, fruits, and fat-free or low-fat dairy products. This is because they are high in fiber and low in fat so as to limit the amount of cholesterol in the blood. Foods in the realm of whole grains, fish, poultry, vegetable oils, and beans, seeds, and nuts are also included in the eating plan due to their contribution to a balanced diet. Also, they have certain components that have proved essential for the reduction and prevention of hypertension in people above the age

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