Study Shows Older Adults Are Not Eating Enough Of This Crucial Food Group
It's not veggies...
Protein becomes increasingly important as we age. It's essential for maintaining muscle mass and strength, yet getting enough can become harder as appetite, food intake, and calorie needs change.
A new exploratory study 1 of older adults suggests protein intake may be falling short across the board. The gap was largest among vegans, but even omnivores weren't necessarily getting enough. Here's what you need to know.
Researchers wanted to examine the nutrient and protein intake of older adults who had followed vegetarian or vegan diets for decades and compare them with older adults who ate an omnivorous diet.
The study included 26 adults ages 72 to 80: 20 vegetarians and six vegans. The vegetarian participants had followed their diets for a median of 42 years, while the vegan participants had been vegan for about 10 years after previously following vegetarian diets for roughly 31 years.
Participants recorded everything they ate and drank for three days. Researchers then assessed their intake of calories, protein, and several micronutrients. They also looked at protein quality both within individual meals and across the entire day.
Protein intake fell below the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) in 83% of vegans, 40% of vegetarians, and 25% of omnivores.
The gap was particularly pronounced among vegans, who also consumed significantly less total energy than omnivores. Eating less overall can make it harder to get enough protein and other nutrients, particularly when meals are small.
This is especially relevant as we age, when unintentional weight loss and loss of lean muscle can become concerns. Making sure meals contain enough protein and overall energy can help support muscle maintenance and physical function.
It's also worth noting that the RDA of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (about 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight) is not be an ideal target for every older adult. Some experts recommend getting closer to one gram of protein per pound of body weight a day to support healthy aging and help preserve muscle.
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How much protein you eat is important, but where that protein comes from matters, too.
Researchers found that protein quality was an issue among the plant-based groups, particularly when they looked at individual meals. Protein quality takes into account the essential amino acids a food provides and how well the body can digest and use those amino acids.
Animal proteins have some advantages here. Foods such as eggs, dairy, meat, poultry, and fish generally provide all of the essential amino acids in proportions that closely match the body's needs and are highly digestible.
Plant proteins can contribute to a high-quality diet, but getting enough of the essential amino acids may require more intentional food choices. In this study, lysine and methionine were the amino acids most likely to limit protein quality in plant-based meals. Older adults eating mostly or entirely plant-based diets may need to be more intentional about including concentrated protein sources throughout the day.
Protein quality was generally lowest at breakfast, followed by lunch, and highest at dinner. Some vegan breakfasts actually provided high-quality protein, particularly meals containing tofu, soy yogurt, soybeans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.
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Protein wasn't the only nutritional concern. None of the vegan participants met recommended intakes for calcium, iron, zinc, folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin D . Vegetarians generally had adequate iron and folate intake but fell short on several of the other nutrients.
These nutrients become particularly important with age. Calcium and vitamin D support bone health, while vitamin B12, iron, and folate are important for healthy blood cells and neurological function.
Concerned about getting enough protein? Here's how to make reaching your protein goals feel a bit less overwhelming.
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A small study of older adults found that protein intake fell below the RDA in a substantial portion of every dietary group, including 1 in 4 omnivores, with the greatest gap among vegans. The findings also highlight why protein quality, meal composition, and adequate overall food intake deserve attention as we age. Making protein-rich foods a deliberate part of every meal can help support healthy aging.
