Keywords
Functional foods
Health needs
Nutritional interventions
Submitted : 2026-01-27
Accepted : 2026-02-11
Published : 2026-02-26
Abstract
As China’s population ages, health issues among the elderly have gained increasing attention. Functional foods, which meet basic nutritional requirements while offering specific health benefits for certain populations, play a significant role in research on the health and maintenance of the elderly. This paper focuses on the physiological characteristics and health needs of older adults, systematically reviewing the current state of functional food research, its core active ingredients, and their mechanisms of action. It aims to provide theoretical support and practical guidance for advancing functional foods that better serve the health of the elderly and contribute to the implementation of the active aging strategy.
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