Agri-food for Healthy Aging (A-HA)
The Agri-food for Healthy Aging (A-HA) initiative is a new collaborative research group created through the efforts of the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA), the University of Waterloo, the University of Guelph and MaRS Landing.
A-HA aims to be the market leader on the innovative use of food to improve the health and quality of life for the aging population, something which has not yet been done in Canada.
According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's report entitled, Canadian Food Trends to 2020, the aging population is the number one trend to focus on in the next decade. It predicts that by 2020, nearly one in five Canadians will be over the age of 65 for a projected total of 6.5 million senior citizens. The growing number of older adults presents an opportunity for Ontario's agriculture and agri-food sectors to address the challenges associated with aging.
Research and innovation is needed to evaluate nutritional and sensory needs of older adults, while exploring agri-food technologies such as processing, packaging and preparation to meet those needs. There is also opportunity for improved nutritional management of health issues associated with aging, including malnutrition, cognitive degeneration, and chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.
A-HA's researchers hold expertise in the areas of applied nutrition and dietetics, nutritional sciences, food science and human health. Current A-HA research includes the sensory evaluation of a soy-based bread with potential to address malnutrition in long-term care, sensory evaluation of commonly consumed foods enriched with omega-3 fatty acids (DHA/EPA) and the psychosocial dynamics of mealtime in retirement living. To learn more about people and projects, join the A-HA mailing list.
Contact program manager, Jessica Demeter at jdemeter@ria.uwaterloo.ca or 519-571-1873 Ext 126 to receive A-HA research updates and event information.
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