Protein & its role in Healthy Ageing

What is protein?

After water, our body is mostly composed of protein. Indeed, protein is the main component of cells and are essential to life.

Protein has a complex structure: they are made up of many smaller units called amino acids. These are linked together in a chemical bond forming a long chain. Some of these amino acids are called ‘essential,’ meaning they are crucial for life but cannot be produced by the human body and must be gained through one’s diet.

There are many different types of proteins in the body. For example:

• Muscle mass is made of protein
• Collagen which provides strength and structure to tissues (e.g. cartilage)
• Skin, hair and nails which are mainly composed of protein
• Haemoglobin which transports oxygen around the body
• Most hormones which act as your body’s chemical messengers
• Enzymes which regulate all aspects of metabolism; they support important chemical reactions that allow you to digest food, generate energy to contract muscles, and regulate insulin production
• Antibodies which play a role in your immune response

The importance of protein for good health

Protein has many crucial functions. Did you know:

• The fibres of the muscle are made mostly of two proteins: myosin and actin. These slender fibres slide along one another to create movement. When dietary protein intake is too low, the mechanisms for movement can be affected.
• Proteins, like actin and tubulin, trigger essential processes in all living cells. These include cell division, cell shape maintenance and movements, amongst others.

Protein in the diet

Protein can be found in:

• Animal sources, such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy products. These contain the full range of essential amino acids
• Nuts, grains, legumes and tofu, which may lack one or more essential amino acid
• Protein-containing nutritional supplements

Ageing adults’ challenge of getting enough protein

It is common for people to eat less food as they age. Contributing factors can be lack of appetite, changes to smell and taste, living alone, little interest in cooking, or difficulty in eating due to teeth/gum or denture problems. Eating less or eating sub-optimally means that older adults often miss out on getting enough important nutrients, despite their need for many nutrients being higher.

Protein is of particular concern. Although it was found that only 14% of older adults were not meeting the recommened intake for protein¹, studies have shown that a higher intake of protein by older adults helps to reduce muscle loss with ageing^2,3 and therefore helps to maintain muscle strength and function.

How much protein do older adults need on a daily basis?

 The RecommendedDietaryIntake(RDI) of protein for olderAustralians (>70 years) is 81g per day for males (or 1.07g/kg), and 57g per day for females (or 0.94g/kg)⁴. Theserequirements are greaterthan for adultsunder 70 yearsold, due to the need for additionalprotein to help to combat the loss in muscle mass associatedwithageing.

There isevidence to suggestthatrequirementsmaybeevenhigherthanthis, withsome new international guidelines recommending 1-1.2g protein per kg per day for people over 65 years to help maintain and regain muscle mass and function.⁵

To help the body utilise thisprotein, itisrecommended to spread out the intake over the day, ratherthan have it all at once.Research shows thatconsuming 25g of protein at eachmealpromotes optimal muscle synthesis.⁶Following are someexamples of 25g of protein :

• A two-egg omelette with a handful of gratedcheese
• A small tin of bakedbeans on toast with a tub of yoghurt
• A ham, cheese and salad sandwich
• 120g of meat, fish or chickenwithvegetables

Older adults should seek to get enough protein through a healthy and balanced diet, and/or with the support of high quality nutritional supplements.

To learn more, read about Maintaining Mobility and The Allies for Healthy Ageing.