Researchers recently examined how older people and healthcare professionals were aware of the Mediterranean diet and its effects in a study that was published in Frontiers in Nutrition.
Nutrition and diet are essential for fostering health and a healthy aging process. In particular, the Mediterranean Diet (MD) is advised as a nutritional approach to address a variety of age-related issues, such as neurological decline and frailty.
Current research has shown that the MD fostered a healthy gut flora, boosted immunological function, reduced bone loss, and improved episodic memory in addition to blood pressure. In order to change public and medical health education, specialists now realize the need for clinical intervention trials that highlight the significance of microbiome to health.
Researchers looked into how older people and healthcare professionals (HCPs) perceived the MD, microbiome, and gut health in relation to healthy aging in the current study.
The research used a qualitative phenomenological approach, and it was documented in accordance with COREQ guidelines. The researchers agreed that a phenomenological approach was appropriate for a thorough investigation of older people’s lived experiences and HCPs’ perspectives of the MD and gut microbiome in relation to healthy aging.
The study cohort involved 47 adults aged 55 years and above and 26 HCPs. The evaluation included 25 interviews and 16 focus groups with two to five subjects each. Most adults were between 60 and 69 years, with four individuals aged more than 80.
While there were areas of ambiguity, most persons aged 55 years and older understood the foods which are part of the MD. HCPs did not particularly address older individuals’ comprehension of the MD composition but stated that it might vary depending on whether or not the individual had visited Mediterranean nations.
