Protein is a macronutrient that’s a hot commodity these days, particularly its association with muscle growth and weight maintenance. It also plays a key role in keeping older adults healthy and strong as they age. “As an older adult, your needs increase due to a decline in your ability to absorb nutrients,” says Claudia Hleap-Knight, RD, CDCES , a diabetes educator and nutritional consultant based in Philadelphia. “Also, as appetite and taste change, it may become a challenge to get adequate protein and calories to maintain weight and muscle mass.” With age, muscles respond less to protein intake, a phenomenon known as anabolic resistance. This is a contributing factor to sarcopenia, which is the loss of strength and muscle mass in older age, which is why experts may recommend more protein for older adults.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629a0330642-a4a0-4687-a235-1682554d5ce1e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976294ee0216b-9066-4be4-83c2-1eb2231b174f Here’s how to know if your body is getting an inadequate amount of protein (or too much), why that matters, and which foods are the best sources.
Signs You May Not Be Getting Enough Protein Signs You’re Not Getting Enough Older adults, those with chronic illness, and strict vegetarians and vegans may regularly fall short of the recommended amounts of protein. According to Gail Clifford, MD , an internal medicine specialist and medical consultant to Paramount Wellness Retreat in Orlando, Florida, these are the signs you may notice if you’re experiencing a protein deficiency: Brittle Hair and Nails Because these are both made of the protein keratin, chronic protein deficiency may result in hair thinning , slowed growth, and ridges in the nails . This is often the first sign of deficiency.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976297204b9a0-a224-4b00-ada3-a3d47e8211da Edema Edema is the medical term for swelling caused by excess fluid. Low protein intake leads to low albumin (a protein in the blood), causing fluid buildup, often appearing as swelling in the ankles and feet.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976295d95fa1c-3e65-4ebe-8dce-32ae94a565d0 Slow Wound Healing Without adequate amino acids (the building blocks of protein) for collagen production, even minor abrasions or surgical incisions take significantly longer to heal.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762976ee4ca6-97d1-4c3d-99f7-64df57c3266ce60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629ff430a33-2a96-4805-85ca-a1f65b51091d However, these signs can also be caused by other issues. For instance, pregnancy or thyroid disease can also cause edema .e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629c6057cbe-0034-4fed-a333-65a9c5330a41 Meanwhile, a deficiency in zinc can contribute to slow wound healing and hair loss.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629270ddd1e-8b8c-4436-9110-81efcdf39d87 Speak to your healthcare provider if you notice these symptoms to determine the exact causes.
The Takeaway Current dietary guidelines recommend that all adults consume 1.2 to 1.6 g per kg (about 0.5 to 0.7 g per lb) of body weight. However, older adults may need more than younger ones to combat the muscle loss that happens as we age. Insufficient amounts of protein can lead to symptoms like edema, brittle hair and nails, and slower-healing wounds. Eating too much is not recommended for those with chronic kidney disease, and it can lead to digestive issues or unintended weight gain. Older adults should focus on eating foods that are complete proteins, meaning they contain all the essential amino acids. Those include fish, poultry, eggs, dairy, and plant-based options like soy and quinoa.
Risks of Eating Too Much Protein as an Older Adult Risks of Eating Too Much Older adults with chronic kidney disease are at higher risk for consuming too much protein, particularly if you’re in stages 3 to 5. As the disease progresses, it’s often recommended to lower protein intake to help limit the buildup of waste products and slow disease progression.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976299606e761-f1f1-4642-9124-93a066f9ff1b It’s also possible to consume too much protein if you take a lot of supplements or follow a diet that contains a lot of animal protein. Common side effects of excess protein intake include stomach issues like constipation , bloating, and pain.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629dad789ba-75f7-4175-ae10-6e35862a394b Apart from kidney issues or gastrointestinal distress, Hleap-Knight says there are no clear signs that you’re getting too much protein as an older adult. However, if you are overdoing it, you may start to see it affect your waistline in more subtle ways. “Excess protein can lead to an excess calorie intake and, therefore, weight gain,” Hleap-Knight says. “Focusing on excess protein intake can also unintentionally displace other necessary components of the diet, such as getting enough dietary fiber.”
Best Protein Sources for Older Adults Best Protein Sources To meet their protein needs, older adults should seek out complete proteins , which are those that contain all of the essential amino acids your body needs. Typically, animal products are complete proteins and plant-based proteins are not, with the exception of a few plant-based foods that are complete proteins (like soy , quinoa , and buckwheat).e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629d5c150c9-eb86-4144-92a6-e38c2f0d971b However, not all animal proteins are created equal, and many health organizations advise against including too much saturated fat and cured meats in your diet because those foods have long been scientifically linked to heart disease risk.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629ae2f39d4-a3b9-4b93-982f-eeac254957c6 If you are vegetarian or choose to limit meat, focus on eating a variety of plant-based foods throughout the day to ensure your body is getting all nine essential amino acids it needs.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629ba3b3a5a-b915-44e4-914a-b3ae51532b8e Food sources of complete proteins include:e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629a142b25b-2712-4499-ae33-44f9efed8ec1 Fish: 15.5 g per 3-oz fillet of cooked salmone60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762971ca2edc-212f-4959-941d-a64cc1bbe8e9 Chicken: 27.9 g per 3 oz of skinless, boneless chicken breaste60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629c104893b-30a5-4e91-99c1-ce1d8f42046a Eggs: 6 g per one large hard-boiled egge60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976296b9b761e-5165-4384-a8e7-dbccb1df1525 Beef: 13.4 g per 3-oz serving of ground beefe60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976299459f574-df42-4732-bf03-17e9c06848b4 Milk: 8.14 g per cupe60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762923e4cf33-9050-4392-8d39-9d49b7d207a2 Yogurt: 8.5 g per cup of plain, whole-milk yogurte60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629fc81ed80-813b-458f-9cc7-218d6a72cef5 Tofu: 9.2 g per 3 oz of firm tofue60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629862f4e1b-00e6-4fea-ae8e-0e604d4475d9 Quinoa: 4 g per ½ cup of cooked grainse60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976295763dd82-4ec7-4f9e-a746-4dfd4e0f5ec5
How Much Protein Do Older Adults Need? Protein Needs for Older Adults The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that all adults consume 1.2 to 1.6 grams (g) of protein per kilogram (kg) of body weight per day (or about 0.5 to 0.7 g per pound [lb]).e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629e1681fe5-d213-4a8a-b307-f1c800642489 That means if you weigh 150 pounds, you should aim to consume 75 to 105 grams of protein every day. The recommendations for protein consumption don’t differ between older and younger adults, but emerging research does suggest older adults may need more of it.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976294f22cdea-4d22-45ff-8bda-a1f67e222adf “The 1.2 grams of protein is a baseline, but different conditions can facilitate increased needs — including certain chronic illnesses, recovering from surgery, and if one has open wounds,” Hleap-Knight says. On the other hand, those who have chronic kidney disease should keep an eye on protein intake because too much can strain the kidneys. Because every older adult’s circumstances vary, talk to your healthcare provider or a nutritionist to determine an amount that’s right for you. Body size, nutritional status, and kidney health are all important factors to help make that determination.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629c8797596-92d8-494b-aa81-a46f64cb1755