As we age, we will gradually experience loss of muscles, strength and functions which is known as sarcopenia. Inadequate protein intake can cause this decline to progress quicker.

Eating right and staying active are essential especially when we grow older. As we age, our nutrition needs may differ due to a variety of changes in the body which may include a lowered efficiency in utilizing nutrients.

Nutrition is an important element of health and understanding what constitutes good nutrition helps us to maintain or improve our well-being. Join us in this six-part series where Dietitian Musfirah Albakri from SCH shares the benefits of various nutrients and sources for the elderly!

How does potassium benefit seniors and what everyday foods contain it? Click here to find out. Sources: 1 Mariotti F, Gardner CD. Dietary Protein and Amino Acids in Vegetarian Diets-A Review. doi: PMID: ; PMCID: PMC Protein Consumption and the Elderly: What Is the Optimal Level of Intake?

Protein intake and exercise for optimal muscle function with aging: recommendations from the ESPEN Expert Group. Clin Nutr. Epub Apr Plus, check out other articles on healthy ageing:. Nutritional Needs for the Elderly. Best Exercises for Seniors.

Nutrition and Diet Tips for Seniors. Why Seniors Need to Be Vaccinated. How to Prevent Falls in the Elderly. Please do not disregard the professional advice of your physician.

Font size. In the subgroup analyses, protein intakes greater than the RDA attenuated lean mass loss after [energy restriction] [0. Protein intakes greater than the RDA beneficially influenced changes in lean mass when adults were purposefully stressed by the catabolic stressor of dietary [energy restriction] with and without the anabolic stressor of [resistance training].

The — Dietary Guidelines for Americans 27 encourages older adults to consume a healthy dietary pattern containing a variety of nutrient-dense foods, including animal- and plant-based protein foods. Animal-based protein foods may include lean or low-fat red meats and poultry, eggs, seafood, and dairy.

Plant-based protein foods may include unsalted nuts, seeds, soy products, and fortified soy alternatives to dairy. Rationales for why animal- versus plant-based protein sources might differentially affect muscle anabolism include varied protein quality essential and branch chain amino acids and leucine , bioaccessibility, and bioactivity 6 , Observational studies on the relationship between animal versus plant protein intakes and sarcopenia-related parameters are inconsistent but may favor animal protein.

A review 6 described research showing that higher animal protein intakes were positively associated with muscle mass, muscle mass index, less muscle mass loss, reduced risk of frailty, and reduced loss of handgrip strength.

However, higher animal protein intakes were also negatively associated with fast-paced walking speed. However, higher plant protein intakes were associated with lower muscle mass index in older females, and not associated with muscle mass index or changes in muscle mass among groups of females and males combined.

Importantly, these results from observational research are not suitable to assess or infer cause and effect relationships between protein sources or individual protein-rich foods on these muscle size, strength, and function-related outcomes.

Older adults who consume a variety of high-quality, protein-rich foods as part of a healthy dietary pattern have a lower risk of physical performance decline and possibly developing sarcopenia Unlike glycogen for glucose and triglycerides for fatty acids, protein and amino acids do not have an inactive reservoir Therefore, the protein and amino acids taken with each meal must be incorporated into functional proteins or be oxidized.

Skeletal muscle is the tissue that serves as the major active protein reservoir by incorporating dietary amino acids after the meals and releasing amino acids during fasting and stress. Thus, an adequate anabolic response to each meal is needed for the maximal uptake of dietary amino acids.

Due to the anabolic resistance of aging 32 , the amount of protein consumed at each individual meal has been proposed to be more important than the total daily protein amount to promote skeletal muscle retention in older adults Broadly, these strategies may focus on pulse protein feeding 34 or amino acid supplementation of meals 35 , varied diurnal patterns eg, even amounts of protein at each meal versus skewed meal distributions, protein supplementation before bed, between meal protein supplementation , or protein intake in conjunction with exercise.

A review 36 summarized historical and recent evidence from observational and experimental studies, including acute and chronic feeding trials, on the effects of dietary protein distribution on body composition and muscle-related outcomes.

However, recommending individuals who consume a low-protein diet to balance protein distribution without increasing their total protein intake to become adequate is ill-advised. Among individuals who consume adequate total protein 0. Older adults progressively experience adverse changes in skeletal muscle.

Among medically stable older adults, research supports protein consumption below the RDA exacerbates age-related reductions in muscle size, quality, and function. Observational and acute feeding studies support recommendations for older adults to consume 1. Experimental research conducted with older adults in varied states of metabolic, physiological, hormonal, and physical functional health provides inconsistent evidence on relationships between dietary protein and skeletal muscle.

Protein intakes of about 1. Among older adults with diagnosed medical conditions or acute illness, specialized protein or amino acid supplements that stimulate muscle protein synthesis and improve protein nutritional status may attenuate muscle mass and function losses, along with lengthening survival of malnourished patients.

Observational studies on the relationship between animal versus plant protein intakes and sarcopenia-related parameters are inconsistent but may favor animal protein sources. Muscle-centric recommendations for older adults to consume greater amounts of protein should only be made after considering potential non-muscle effects on health.

Collectively, relationships between protein intake and muscle strength and function in older persons are complex and modulated by amounts and types of protein, timing of protein intake, hormonal status and metabolic state. More targeted research is needed considering these variables to determine precise protein needs of older adults.

Importantly, there is a paucity of, and need for high-quality longitudinal randomized controlled trials designed a priori to assess the effects protein quantity, quality source , and ingestion timing on indexes of skeletal muscle size and strength, along with physical functional outcomes in adults at high risk for or living with sarcopenia or frailty.

This supplement is sponsored by the National Institute on Aging NIA at the National Institutes of Health NIH. Institute of Medicine U. Panel on Macronutrients. and Institute of Medicine U. Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids.

Washington, DC : National Academies Press ; Google Scholar. Google Preview. Campbell WW , Johnson CA , McCabe GP , Carnell NS. Dietary protein requirements of younger and older adults.

Am J Clin Nutr. doi: Lancha AH , Jr , Zanella RJ , Tanabe SG , Andriamihaja M , Blachier F. Dietary protein supplementation in the elderly for limiting muscle mass loss. Amino Acids. Bauer J , Biolo G , Cederholm T , et al.

Evidence-based recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people: a position paper from the PROT-AGE study group. J Am Med Dir Assoc. Deutz NE , Bauer JM , Barazzoni R , et al. Protein intake and exercise for optimal muscle function with aging: recommendations from the ESPEN expert group.

Clin Nutr. Coelho-Junior HJ , Marzetti E , Picca A , et al. Protein intake and frailty: a matter of quantity, quality, and timing.

Moore DR , Churchward-Venne TA , Witard O , et al. Protein ingestion to stimulate myofibrillar protein synthesis requires greater relative protein intakes in healthy older versus younger men. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. Ko GJ , Obi Y , Tortorici AR , Kalantar-Zadeh K. Dietary protein intake and chronic kidney disease.

Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. Stevens LA , Viswanathan G , Weiner DE. Chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease in the elderly population: current prevalence, future projections, and clinical significance. Adv Chronic Kidney Dis. Franzke B , Neubauer O , Cameron-Smith D , et al.

Dietary protein, muscle and physical function in the very old. Castaneda C , Charnley JM , Evans WJ , Crim MC. Elderly women accommodate to a low-protein diet with losses of body cell mass, muscle function, and immune response.

Castaneda C , Gordon PL , Fielding RA , Evans WJ , Crim MC. Marginal protein intake results in reduced plasma IGF-I levels and skeletal muscle fiber atrophy in elderly women.

J Nutr Health Aging. Houston DK , Nicklas BJ , Ding J , et al. Dietary protein intake is associated with lean mass change in older, community-dwelling adults: the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Health ABC study. Jun S , Cowan AE , Dwyer JT , et al.

Dietary protein intake is positively associated with appendicular lean mass and handgrip strength among middle-aged us adults. J Nutr. Beasley JM , Wertheim BC , Lacroix AZ , et al. J Am Geriatr Soc. Mclean RR , Mangano KM , Hannan MT , et al.

Dietary protein intake is protective against loss of grip strength among older adults in the Framingham offspring cohort. Bhasin S , Apovian CM , Travison TG , et al.

Effect of protein intake on lean body mass in functionally limited older men: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Intern Med. Carreiro AL , Dhillon J , Gordon S , et al. The macronutrients, appetite, and energy intake. Annu Rev Nutr. Fluitman KS , Wijdeveld M , Davids M , et al. Personalized dietary advice to increase protein intake in older adults does not affect the gut microbiota, appetite or central processing of food stimuli in community-dwelling older adults: a six-month randomized controlled trial.

Deutz NE , Matheson EM , Matarese LE , et al. Readmission and mortality in malnourished, older, hospitalized adults treated with a specialized oral nutritional supplement: a randomized clinical trial. Deutz NE , Ziegler TR , Matheson EM , et al. Reduced mortality risk in malnourished hospitalized older adult patients with COPD treated with a specialized oral nutritional supplement: sub-group analysis of the NOURISH study.

That said, it's clear that some older individuals don't get enough protein to meet their bodies' needs, especially if they aren't getting enough daily calories, says McManus. So what should you do? Aiming to meet the current recommendations about 7 grams of protein for every 20 pounds of body weight is a good first step.

You may have to do a little sleuthing of the common foods you eat to find out how many grams of protein are in an average serving. Here are some examples:. You can see a more extensive list of the amount of protein in food on the U. Department of Agriculture's National Nutrient Database.

What about the type of protein you eat? Mounting evidence shows that reducing animal-based proteins and increasing plant-based proteins is a healthier way to go. You don't have to replace all of the meat in your diet with plant-based protein. Switching just one serving of red meat per day for poultry, fish, or plant-based protein can make a big difference.

One of the findings of the Chinese study in Neurology was that replacing red meat with other protein sources, such as fish, might reduce stroke risk.

But remember that diet, including protein, is just part of the formula for good health and stroke prevention. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.

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The amino acids can be categorised into two groups:. Proteins are vital nutrients as they provide the building blocks for cells, enzymes and other structural components in the body such as muscles, skin and tendons. The daily recommended amount of protein for the elderly is at least 1.

Individual intake may vary according to their medical conditions. Proteins help seniors to maintain their muscle mass, aid in wound healing and recovery from illness, as well as supports their overall function.

A good guide on a balanced diet to follow is the Health Promotion Board' s HPB " My Healthy Plate ". Dietary proteins can be found in both animal and plant sources. Animal sources like eggs, most meats and dairy products - milk, yoghurt and cheese - are often labelled as high biological value HBV proteins as they contain an adequate amount of essential amino acids that are readily digested by our bodies.

Plant based soy proteins are also a source of HBV proteins. However, other plant based sources such as legumes, grains, nuts and seeds may not contain a full set of amino acids and are then labeled as low biological value protein LBV sources.

Grains also contain some proteins but this does not mean vegetarians will not be able to obtain all the essential amino acids. Different sources of plant-based protein provide different amino acids, therefore mixing a variety of sources such as rice and lentils can lead to adequate intake.

As we age, we will gradually experience loss of muscles, strength and functions which is known as sarcopenia. Inadequate protein intake can cause this decline to progress quicker. Eating right and staying active are essential especially when we grow older. As we age, our nutrition needs may differ due to a variety of changes in the body which may include a lowered efficiency in utilizing nutrients.

Nutrition is an important element of health and understanding what constitutes good nutrition helps us to maintain or improve our well-being. Join us in this six-part series where Dietitian Musfirah Albakri from SCH shares the benefits of various nutrients and sources for the elderly!

How does potassium benefit seniors and what everyday foods contain it? Click here to find out. Sources: 1 Mariotti F, Gardner CD. Dietary Protein and Amino Acids in Vegetarian Diets-A Review. doi: PMID: ; PMCID: PMC Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP The Magazine.

Join Now. That's troubling, since middle-aged and older adults in particular need protein to help build and maintain muscle mass, which starts naturally decreasing as early as your 30s. While you likely won't notice such changes at 35, a few decades later they can pose real risks. As a bonus, the lean muscle that comes from hoisting a five-pound dumbbell makes it easier for us to manage our weight, since muscle is more metabolically active than fat.

So how much protein do you need? The answer depends on whom you ask. The current recommended daily allowance RDA is 0. But many physicians and nutritionists now think that this number may be too low for older adults.

Rodriguez suggests that consuming twice the RDA for protein — which would be 15 to 25 percent of your daily calories — is a good range for maintaining optimal muscle function. You can figure out what your personal daily intake would be by multiplying your weight in pounds by 0.

People who are over age 65 or in poor health may need a little more. Research appears to support the idea of such protein boosting. In a stud y published in the American Journal of Physiology — Endocrinology and Metabolism , people over age 50 who did so were better able to maintain and rebuild muscle compared with those following the current RDA.

A study published in the Journals of Gerontology that tracked almost 3, seniors over two decades found that those who downed the most protein were 30 percent less likely to become functionally impaired than those who ate minimal amounts. AARP® Dental Insurance Plan administered by Delta Dental Insurance Company.

Dental insurance plans for members and their families. Encouraging, for sure. However, some people do need to be careful when upping their protein intake, particularly those with kidney disease or diabetes-induced kidney damage.

Some nutritionists believe that when you eat your protein is every bit as important as how much you're getting. For instance, the typical American's intake is weighted toward the end of the day — say, in a chicken breast or fish at dinner — but this may not be the most efficient way to process the macronutrient.

Older adults need 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal, along with 12 to 15 grams per snack, for optimal muscle health, says Rodriguez.

To bulk up your breakfast, you might opt for plain Greek yogurt with sliced strawberries or a cut-up banana and half a cup of granola about 24 grams of protein or two veggie sausages and a side of scrambled eggs about 29 grams.

Am J Clin Nutr. Chapman I, Oberoi A, Giezenaar C, Soenen S. Rational use of protein supplements in the elderly—relevance of gastrointestinal mechanisms. Boirie Y, Morio B, Caumon E, Cano N. Nutrition and protein energy homeostasis in elderly.

Mechanisms Age Develop. Campbell WW, Johnson CA, McCabe GP, Carnell NS. Dietary protein requirements of younger and older adults. By Sharon Basaraba Sharon Basaraba is an award-winning reporter and senior scientific communications advisor for Alberta Health Services in Alberta, Canada. Use limited data to select advertising.

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Because of the factors above, research supports increasing the recommended intake of protein for older adults by up to 50 percent. That means people over age 65 should strive for 0. Older adults with chronic diseases should get even more protein—0.

Your muscles prefer that you spread your protein out over the day. And note that while most older adults should be able to tolerate adding protein to their diets, this could exacerbate chronic kidney disease, Marian says. Meat, poultry, seafood, and dairy provide protein, as you probably know.

But you can also get plenty from plant sources such as beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, soy, and whole grains. The main difference between animal and plant proteins is the variety of amino acids they contain. Some plant foods, including quinoa and soy, are also considered complete.

Certain others, such as grains and legumes, form complete proteins when eaten in the same meal say, rice and beans or peanut butter on whole-wheat toast or on the same day.

A potential drawback to getting protein solely from plants is that you may have to eat a larger volume of food to get the amount of protein you would from animal sources.

That can be difficult, Lonnie says, especially for older adults whose appetites may be less robust than they once were or who have trouble chewing. In the plant-based food market grew more than 25 percent—double that of the regular retail food market—according to a report from the Good Food Institute.

Can they help you meet your needs? For instance, some high-protein pastas , such as those made from chickpeas or black beans, are healthy. Protein-based drinks and powders, which often contain soy, pea, or whey from dairy proteins, vary in their nutritional benefits.

Some have additives, such as artificial flavors, or a lot of added sugars. Still, these drinks may be useful in certain cases.

Janet Lee, LAc, is an acupuncturist and a freelance writer in Kansas who contributes to Consumer Reports on a range of health-related topics. She has been covering health, fitness, and nutrition for the past 25 years as a writer and editor. She's certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine and Yoga Alliance, and is a trained Spinning instructor.

We respect your privacy. All email addresses you provide will be used just for sending this story. How Older Adults Can Meet Their Protein Needs Close to half of people in this group don't get enough of this vital nutrient.

By Janet Lee. January 15, Why Older Adults Need More. More On Healthy Eating. Source: Wayne Campbell, , campbellw purdue. College of Health and Human Sciences. Note to Journalists : Journalists interested in a copy of the journal article can contact Amy Patterson Neubert, Purdue News Service, at , apatterson purdue.

Assessment of protein requirement in octogenarian women with use of the indicator amino acid oxidation technique. Minghua Tang, George P. McCabe, Rajavel Elango, Paul B. Pencharz, Ronald O. Ball, and Wayne W. Background: Data on the protein requirements of elderly adults are limited because it is impractical to conduct repeated nitrogen balance protocols in these vulnerable humans.

Objective: This study was designed to determine the dietary protein requirement of elderly women by using the recently developed minimally invasive indicator amino acid oxidation IAAO technique. Each woman consumed an adaptation diet for 2 d and on day 3 consumed a complete test diet with a crystalline amino acid mixture containing 1 of 7 protein intakes 0.

A group-based protein requirement was assessed by using a nonlinear mixed model of protein intake and L- [ 1- 13 C] phenylalanine oxidation. The breakpoint, at which there was no further decline in the rate of appearance of 13 C in the breath, was used as an index of the mean protein requirement.

This requirement is 29 percent higher than the current Estimated Average Requirement EAR for adults of 0. The corresponding adequate protein allowance of 1. Conclusions: Notwithstanding uncertainty about the validity of the use of the IAAO technique to assess protein requirements, the results of this study with octogenarian women suggest that the current EAR and RDA for elderly women may be underestimated.

The limitations of this short-term, noninvasive method underscore the need for new research using alternative experimental designs and measuring physiologic, morphologic, and health-related outcomes.

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