A diet rich in animal protein may protect against age-related decline

By Sally Robertson, B.Sc.Mar 13 2014

Elderly individuals who consume higher levels of animal protein may be reducing their risk of physical, social and intellectual decline in the future, show study findings.

The longitudinal study of over a thousand Japanese adults aged an average of 67 years, showed that those who consumed a higher amount of animal protein were significantly less likely to experience a decline in these aspects of functional health than those who ate lower amounts.

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“It is imperative to identify the risk factors and prevent functional decline in elderly adults at an early stage,” say Megumi Tsubota-Utsugi (National Institute of Health and Nutrition, Tokyo) and colleagues.

The rapidly increasing life expectancy among Japanese people has led to significant rises in the number living with functional decline, a factor that has enormous impacts on hospitalization, institutionalization and the economy, they explain.

For the study, the team assessed the participants’ food intake using a validated questionnaire that was administered both at baseline and as part of a seven year follow-up assessment. Three aspects of higher functional capacity, namely social role, intellectual activity and activities of daily living were also assessed using the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence.

As reported in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, multiple regression analysis showed that those in the highest quartile for animal protein intake were 39% less likely to suffer a decline in higher-level functioning compared with those in the lowest quartile.

However, this association only applied to the intake of animal protein, with no such benefit observed for the consumption of plant proteins.

“Animal protein provides all of the essential amino acids and is a source of higher-biological-value protein than plant protein,” write the researchers.

The team concludes that animal protein intake may act as a modifiable indicator for the early detection and prevention of higher-level functional decline in elderly adults.