Seniors Need More Protein
With age comes wisdom – but also a loss of muscle, which can make it harder to do everything from getting out of bed to lifting groceries and grandchildren. Now, researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have good news: Eating more protein can help seniors slow down muscle loss and stay strong.
Seniors tend to eat less protein than younger people do, and they often don’t get as much as the USDA recommends each day – about 7 grams (g) for every 20 pounds you weigh (so approximately 52.5 g for someone weighing 150 pounds). In fact, as many as 27 percent of older Americans may eat less protein than they need in order to stay healthy.
Although exercise also helps keep muscles strong, the study found that elderly people who were physically active still had about 26 pounds less muscle mass than younger people did – meaning exercise by itself may not stave off muscle loss.
The study found that aging doesn’t make any difference in how your body uses protein to make muscle – the more you eat, the more muscle your body makes. Eating a very high-protein diet for a long time, however, could weaken your bones. Aim to get the recommended daily allowance for best health.
Good Sources of Protein
Here's a quick list of how the recommended numbers for daily protein – 7 g per 20 pounds – translate into real food:
Food Protein
6-ounce (oz.) hamburger 48.6 g
6 oz. roasted chicken 42.5 g
6 oz. fish 41.2 g
1 can tuna (water packed) 40.1 g
1 cup cottage cheese 28.1 g
8 oz. low-fat yogurt 11.9 g
1/2 cup lentils 9.0 g
1 cup skim milk 8.4 g
Recipes to try: Cooking with high-protein quinoa
