3D Food: Chicken drumsticks which can also be made with cabbage

 3D Food: Chicken drumsticks which can also be made with cabbage.

It looked like a roasted golden chicken drumstick. A plate set before a dozen elderly people smelled like chicken and tasted pretty much like chicken when they started eating it with their forks and knives.

The only difference was that it wasn't chicken. Residents of this German nursing home were eating a puri, printed in the shape of a drumstick. Each 'chicken leg' was 3D-printed out of vegetable paste and made tastier than the usual puri.

It was also modified to meet the nutritional needs of each elderly person individually.

The group that first ate the 'non-chicken' meal five years ago were part of an innovative food project in Europe called 'Performance'.

It sought to see if 3D-printed food could be given to elderly people who have difficulty swallowing food, a condition also known as dysphagia.

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For those who have chewing or swallowing problems, eating chicken drumsticks is usually a difficult task. However, the foods made for the elderly today are often bland and boring, which often results in them not getting the nutrients they need.

But many research teams are trying to find solutions to make food for the elderly more nutritious, varied and interesting, and in a form that is easy to eat.

Biozone, a company spearheading the 3D printing project, first made a filling of fresh broccoli, cabbage and potatoes to make its 'chicken' dish, and then added a variety of vitamins, calcium, carbohydrates and vitamins to suit the needs of each eater. Added protein.

The mixture was then fed into a 3D food printer where a gelling agent was added so that the mixture would harden when molded into a shape. The printed food was then frozen to be reheated for later serving.

Mathias Cook, chief executive of BioZone, says the project has been very successful in terms of improving the appetite or appetite of those consuming the food. During the experiment, the average weight of the participants increased by 1.7 kilograms, and more than half of the participants also appreciated the texture of the 3D food.

These efforts are probably much more than you think. Most of us can now expect to live to a very old age.

According to statistics released by the United Nations in 2019, by 2050, one in six people will be 65 years of age or older, Will be.

The number of people aged 80 and over is expected to triple by 2050, from 143 million in 2019 to 426 million in 2050, and over 100 in 2050. The number can be up to three point seven million.

Because this 'silver tsunami' can affect any country, there is a need to be creative in food so that people can get the healthy food they need.

Elderly people are more likely to face problems that prevent them from eating adequate food.

According to a 2018 study in Hong Kong, dental and swallowing problems can make eating difficult, while people with neurodegenerative disease, or a disease in which the patient's health gradually deteriorates, may have difficulty eating. They also try to maintain a proper balance of food.

According to research, one in three Chinese people aged 60 and over have difficulty chewing food. A 2009 study in Belgium found that 70 percent of people between the ages of 75 and 85 had difficulty swallowing. Olfactory receptors in the nose decrease with age, affecting the ability to taste and smell.

These problems have a significant impact on nutritional status. When these are combined with lack of exercise and the effects of medications, the very elderly can suffer from problems such as malnutrition and obesity. By the time people reach age 70 or older, their ability or desire to eat has decreased by up to 25 percent, with up to 60 percent of malnourished people in nursing homes.

"Older people who exercise regularly are more likely to have poor diet, depression and poor health," says Marian Lutz, professor of human nutrition at the University of Valparaiso in Chile.

Obesity is on the rise among the elderly. In 2015, about 20 percent of people over the age of 50 in Europe were obese, while in the United States, about 60 percent of people over 60 were classified as obese.

A big part of the problem is that as we age, we continue to change our diet, whether by choice or forced.

But according to the World Health Organization, while dietary changes may slightly reduce the risk of disease later in life, the effect is greater in older adults. For example, eating less saturated fat and salt lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of heart disease.

According to Litz, an ideal diet for seniors should be high in protein, vitamins, especially B-complex and D, which can increase bone and muscle strength. It also needs minerals, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, and fiber.

A recent study by Litz found that even an adequate supply of calcium can strengthen bones and increase muscle mass, even though they also need plenty of energy from protein in their diet.

"A diet that includes plant-based foods, such as vegetables, legumes, cereals, nuts, seeds and fruits, is a good source of phytochemicals," says Litz. These phytochemicals are compounds that are involved in the plant's defense system. Such a diet has so many benefits that there is no need for commercial supplements.

Fish and shellfish products are great sources of good protein, Litz says.

But one in five people aged 64 and over are deficient in vitamin D, folic acid, calcium, selenium and iodine, according to a study of elderly people in Europe.