[Senior Trend] Eat Well for Healthy Longevity...The Dream of K-Jangsu Diet

Many seniors often skip meals on time, saying "I lose my appetite as I get older." Loss of appetite is common among the senior population. This is mostly because their digestive functions are not as good as before, appetite-stimulating hormones decrease, or their sense of smell declines. This is directly linked to health. Eating well is essential for an active lifestyle, which in turn is connected to longevity without illness (無病長壽), so it is necessary to try changes in cooking methods, ingredients, and environment. Fortunately, our food is evolving through continuous new attempts. Highly functional yet tasty and visually appealing products are frequently emerging, ranging from protein foods that help prevent dementia, calcium-fortified snacks for improving bone density, beverages for joint care, to easily digestible single-serving retort (ready-to-eat) meals.

From the 26th to the 28th of last month, the '2023 Agricultural Food Tech Startup Expo (AFRO)' was held in Samseong-dong. It was an event that shared some context with the aforementioned trend changes. Many seniors around their 50s either practice '5 days in the city, 2 days in the countryside' or even move to rural areas because they want to cultivate vegetable gardens for their families. However, they often face difficulties on-site due to lack of experience or know-how, but agricultural machinery that helps automate and simplify farming was available. Also, there was a wide variety of ready-to-eat products that seniors, who find cooking increasingly difficult, can immediately use. More people avoid cooking because dealing with food waste is inconvenient, so products sold in small portions for one or two servings were also diverse. Due to COVID-19, many seniors already use online grocery shopping services, and it was said that services recommending deliveries based on search history and purchase frequency of ingredients are becoming possible. Particularly interesting were the mini devices for growing plants indoors. Early last year, I experienced LG Electronics’ single-container smart home for middle-aged people in Jincheon, Chungbuk. There was a plant-living appliance next to the refrigerator where you could pick herbs and lettuce to eat immediately, which I found fascinating. It seems that robots, appliances, and technologies for humans will continue to emerge endlessly.

Indeed, 'Food Tech' is booming these days. 'Food Tech' is a compound word of Food and Technology, referring to a field where green bio, artificial intelligence, robots, and other technologies are integrated into the food industry. It is a sector where innovative developments occur through production, development, distribution, cooking, sales, delivery, and post-processing of food ingredients. Common examples include alternative meat made from mushrooms, dishes created by 3D printers, robots that fry chicken or make pizza, and AI control devices for smart farms. Although it is a cutting-edge technology field, it has a high relevance to senior business. Methods to directly solve problems such as mobility difficulties or swallowing disorders due to aging are being researched, and related products or services are being launched. Earlier this year, an article went viral about a 45-year-old American billionaire spending $2 million (about 2.5 billion KRW) annually to rejuvenate his body to that of an 18-year-old. The rejuvenation program included exercise and treatments, but eating was also crucial. He followed a dietary regimen and took more than 24 supplements and health products. It is astonishing that food combined with measurement and analysis technology actually rejuvenated his physical functions.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs designated 27 products as senior-friendly excellent foods for the first time in 2021. 'Senior-friendly foods' refer to foods manufactured by adjusting the physical properties of food or processing them into forms or components that are easy to digest or absorb, or by adjusting nutritional components to help seniors with food intake or digestion. Safety certifications like HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) are basic requirements, and they also evaluated whether nutrition, hardness, and viscosity were improved with consideration for seniors. Examples include softer braised dishes that require less chewing, nutritious porridges that are gentle on the stomach, and softly prepared side dishes. There are also protein products beneficial for the brain and calcium drinks good for bone health. From large corporations to startups, all are promoting the strengthening of senior-friendly food brands and expanding product lines. The fields range from health foods and special-purpose foods to meal services for senior towns. As of last year, the domestic senior-friendly food market size is estimated to be about 2 trillion KRW. If food tech is widely applied, it will grow even faster.

According to the AI chatbot service AskUp, longevity diets share common characteristics despite regional and cultural differences. First, they are plant-based, consisting mainly of fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, and nuts. Second, they include healthy fats and proteins such as fish or olive oil. Third, they utilize various cooking methods. Eating raw, boiling, steaming, grilling, and considering taste when supplying nutrition are all important. Korean food culture has traditionally been healthy. However, Japan is famous worldwide for its longevity diet. Its diet mainly uses fish rather than meat, and ingredients like rice, miso, and green tea, with meals enjoyed slowly in small single servings, are very popular. Greece is also widely known for its longevity diet. The Mediterranean diet, loved for its use of olive oil, nuts, and dairy products, is appreciated along with diverse cooking methods.

What about Korean cuisine? Alongside the success of K-pop and K-dramas, interest and affection have broadened beyond bulgogi and bibimbap. After watching the Netflix documentary 'Chef's Table' featuring Venerable Jeonggwan, the head monk of Cheonjinam Temple at Baekyangsa, foreigners have started visiting Korea for healing trips to eat temple food. They are amazed by the diverse flavors despite the absence of the five pungent vegetables (Oshinchae: garlic, green onion, onion, wild chive, and leek). Traditional Korean cuisine includes a variety of seasoned vegetables and fermented foods. Meat dishes are not only grilled BBQ style but also steamed, boiled, or eaten raw. Additionally, one reason for loss of appetite among seniors is that they dislike eating alone. Koreans have long been a people who find happiness in sitting around and sharing food. Isn't it worth dreaming of a global trend like K-longevity diet, just as with K-pop?

Lee Boram, CEO of Third Age