“Unfortunately, there is a problem for older adults who want to eat as well as possible,” says Ram Chaudhari, executive vice president and chief scientific officer at Fortitech. “In addition to their activity level, their appetites decrease, even though they need to consume more nutrients to compensate for the effects of aging.”
The loss of appetite does not usually result in serious nutrient deficiencies that cause problems such as scurvy (a severe vitamin C deficiency) or pellagra (too little of the B vitamin niacin). But the elderly often have what are known as sub-clinical deficiencies that impact the body's ability to maintain itself as well as it should. Many older adults, for example, do not take in enough vitamin B6, which plays a key role in keeping the immune system functioning properly and can help ward off illness.