Design and Development of a Functional Plant-based Beverage to Improve Nutritional Status and Immunity for the Early Elderly People to Get Well-healthy Ageing

In 2018, for the first time, the number of people aged 65 and over exceeded the number of children under the age of 5. A rise in ageing societies is coming, and new efforts are needed to ensure that this increase in life expectancy is accompanied by years of health and a good quality of life. The new focus for our ageing society will be an extended healthspan, the period of life spent in good health. This is an important shift, as population ageing is a defining global trend of our time. By 2030, 1 in 6 people in the world will be 60 years and older, according to the World Health Organization. In this sense, the imperative to maintain the health and activity levels of the senior demographic has never been more critical. Advances in healthcare, science, and technology have contributed to increased longevity, yet this does not always equate to improved health. The prevalence of malnutrition or the risk thereof among the elderly living independently in Europe ranges from 13.5% to 29.7%, highlighting a pressing need for nutritional intervention. Addressing this, the pursuit of innovative nutritional sources and the creation of new food products enriched with these sources are essential to bridging the nutritional gap, ensuring healthier aging prospects for this population. The formulation of food products tailored to the elderly must consider their unique nutritional requirements, particularly concerning protein and micronutrient intake. Recent advances in food technology facilitate the development of plant-based beverages that are palatable, nutritionally adequate, and accessible. Moreover, the growing market share of plant-based non-dairy beverages provides a promising alternative, offering opportunities to deliver bioactive compounds with health-promoting properties, appealing to health-conscious and lactose-intolerant consumers. Given the nutritional challenges and health risks faced by the aging population, particularly in relation to protein intake and malnutrit