In this volume, investigators shed light on the relationship of nutrition to the aging process, the specific nutrient needs of the elderly, and the role of nutrition in preventing geriatric diseases. The book begins with overviews of the health statistics and eating habits of older people. The contributors then describe age-related changes in renal, endocrine, and gastorintestinal function, energy metabolism, taste and odor perception, and immune responses, and relate these physiological changes to nutritional status. It examines the energy, protein, fat, vitamin, and trace element requirements of the elderly, discuss the role of nutrition, estrogens, exercise, and fluoride therapy in preventing osteoporosis, explore the relationship of brain mineral metabolism to Alzheimer's disease, and address practical aspects of nutrition of the elderly in the home and the institutional setting.