Efeitos nutricionais de um suplemento alimentar à base do fruto do cerrado, buriti (Mauritia flexuosa), em idosos nonagenários

Abstract

The elderly population has been growing in recent years and a concern in the scientific world is to identify strategies that enable healthy ageing, given that this process is marked by various pathophysiological changes that make the elderly more susceptible to various diseases and incapacitating conditions. Among these pathologies that affect this population group is protein-calorie malnutrition, which not only represents a deleterious factor for the body but is also a risk factor for other diseases. Management of this condition involves nutritional advice and the use of food supplements that can be used to prevent and reverse this condition. Among the supplement options on the market, the use of supplements from natural sources, such as buriti (Mauritia flexuosa), a fruit found in the Brazilian cerrado, have been used as viable and accessible alternatives for the population. However, studies evaluating the efficacy of these supplements are still scarce, especially in elderly people such as nonagenarians. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional effects of a buriti-based supplement in nonagenarian elderly people. The study was a randomized clinical trial carried out with 40 elderly people aged 90 or over. All participants or their caregivers signed an informed consent form and the entire study was conducted in accordance with the ethical precepts of human research. The participants were randomly allocated into two groups, one of which used the NutriMulti Cerrado® buriti-based supplement Nutricer Energia Zero-lactose, and the control group used a mix of vitamins and minerals of the same composition as the supplement being tested. The intervention lasted 12 weeks, and before and after this period, the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) questionnaire (short form) was administered, palm grip strength was assessed, anthropometric measurements were taken, and blood counts and total protein, albumin, and globulin levels were measured. In addition, an informational booklet on malnutrition was developed for distribution among caregivers of the elderly. The results showed that the supplement under test promoted an increase in body weight (from 54.38 ± 9.02 to 55.37 ± 9.64; p = 0.037), Body Mass Index (from 22.72 ± 3.06 to 23.35 ± 3.16; p = 0.004), handgrip strength (p < 0.05), and globulins (from 2.22 ± 1.06 to 2.81 ± 0.79; p = 0.002) after the intervention period, which was not observed in the group that used only the vitamin mix. These results suggest that the buriti-based supplement is an effective and viable alternative in the prevention and treatment of malnutrition in the elderly.