A diet high in protein, particularly animal protein, may
help elderly individuals maintain a higher level of physical, psychological,
and social function according to a study published in the Journal of the
American Geriatrics Society.
Due to increasing life expectancies in many countries,
increasing numbers of elderly people are living with functional decline, such
as declines in cognitive ability and activities of daily living. This can have
profound effects on the health and well-being of older adults and their
caregivers, as well as on health care resources.
Research suggests that as people age, their ability to
absorb or process protein may decline. To compensate for this loss, protein
requirements may increase with age. Megumi Tsubota-Utsugi, PhD, MPH, RD, of the
National Institute of Health and Nutrition in Japan, and her colleagues in
Tohoku University and Teikyo University, Japan, wondered whether protein intake
might affect the functional capabilities of older adults. They designed a study
to investigate the relationship between protein intake and future decline in
higher-level functional capacity in older community-dwelling adults in Japan.
Their analysis included 1,007 individuals with an average age of 67.4 years who
completed food questionnaires at the start of the study and seven years later.
Participants were divided into four groups (quartiles) according to their
intake levels of total, animal, and plant protein. Tests of higher-level
functional capacity included social and intellectual aspects as well as
measures related to activities of daily living.
Men in the highest quartile of animal protein intake had a
39 percent decreased chance of experiencing higher-level functional decline
than those in the lowest quartile. These associations were not seen in women.
No consistent association was observed between plant protein intake and future
higher-level functional decline in either sex.
"Identifying nutritional factors that contribute to
maintaining higher-level functional capacity is important for prevention of
future deterioration of activities of daily living," said Dr.
Tsubota-Utsugi. "Along with other modifiable health behaviors, a diet rich
in protein may help older adults maintain their functional capacity."
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