Protein is key to the diet once we hit middle age
Health, Beauty and Lifestyle with Denise McNamara
Almost half of Irish adults over the age of 40 believe they either do not eat enough protein or are unaware if they are consuming the required amount, a new national survey has found. Despite advice that middle-aged and older people’s protein requirements increase with age, 50% of over-55s think they should eat the same amount as they get older.
Noreen Roche, a dietician who has worked with 13 All-Ireland winning teams, said the survey of 1,000 adults shows the need for education and awareness for people in their middle years about the importance of increasing protein intake and to include it in all meals.
After middle age, adults lose an average of 3% of their muscle strength every year, limiting their ability to perform many routine activities.
Consumption of protein can ward against and reverse the age-related degenerative condition Sarcopenia – a progressive skeletal muscle disorder involving accelerated loss of muscle mass and function linked to falls, functional decline, frailty and mortality.
Sarcopenia literally means “lack of flesh.” It is a common condition that affects one in ten adults over the age of 50.
Although aging is the most common cause of sarcopenia, other factors can also trigger an imbalance between muscle anabolism and catabolism.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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