An American study indicates the ideal quantities of vegetable proteins to reduce the risk of fragility
By 2050, according to the OECD, those over 60 will represent around 21% of the world population. To stay healthy, the “silver generation” should follow a varied and balanced diet combined with regular physical activity. Adopting a correct diet represents, in fact, a strategy against frailty and chronic diseases (especially related to advanced age).
An American study highlights that replacing even just 5% of the total calories of the daily diet with vegetable proteins (instead of animal proteins) leads to a 38% reduction in the risk of frailty. Not only that, the study – which involved over 85,871 women over the age of 60 – demonstrated how women who include a greater quantity of vegetable proteins in their daily diet (6.2 g per day versus 3.8 g per day) they record a 14% lower risk of developing frailty linked to the passing of the years.
“Following a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, as well as whole grains and legumes, is an always valid rule and becomes even more important in old age, in order to maintain a general state of health of our organism. The World Cancer Research Fund in fact, it is recommended to consume this type of food daily and to distribute its consumption in at least 5 portions during the day”, suggests Lucilla Titta, nutritional biologist and researcher at the European Institute of Oncology-IEO in Milan, who, on the occasion of the “Veganuary” (month dedicated to the vegan diet) and in collaboration with the plant-based products group of Unione Italiana Food, reminds us of the benefits of a diet richer in plant proteins in old age.
Fruit and vegetables are considered health elixirs, so much so that the WHO recommends consumption of 400 grams per day. The daily consumption of fruit and vegetables allows you to integrate your fiber intake, reduce the energy intake of the meal and provide mineral salts, vitamins and phytocompounds. Vitamin C, beta-carotene and folate are some of the micronutrients contained in fruit and vegetables, of fundamental importance for the well-being of the body and for the prevention of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and obesity. “Vegetables, cereals and legumes are traditional agricultural raw materials, which have always been part of our diet and which are the basis of plant-based products: present on our tables for over 30 years, these products help us bring to the table one of the ingredients, vegetables, which is fundamental in the Mediterranean diet, considered throughout the world one of the most balanced and healthy eating models – says Sonia Malaspina, president of the Uif plant-based products group – Plant-based products are the answer to a precise market demand and are the expression of a sector of excellence capable of dealing with increasingly complex scenarios and which brings together Italian and foreign companies, generating value and related activities for our country”.
According to a cross-sectional study conducted in China on the over 60 population, it has been shown that a plant-based diet helps maintain healthy and strong muscles even in old age. In this study, researchers found that a higher daily intake of mostly plant-based protein — more than 78 grams for men and 68 grams for women — could help prevent muscle loss. During aging, with the same protein consumption in the diet, the formation of muscle proteins is less active. To maintain muscle mass, in addition to physical exercise, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition recommends that those over 60 increase their protein intake, from 0.9 g/kg per day for the general population, to 1.1-1.5 g /kg. However, the type of protein foods consumed is also important, as they must contain an adequate proportion of essential amino acids. In the diet of the elderly, in fact, one essential amino acid in particular should not be missing: leucine, which is important for stimulating protein synthesis in the muscle”, recalls Dr. Titta.
To get a good dose of leucine, in addition to consuming nuts as a snack or for breakfast, it is important to also include legumes in your diet three to five times a week as a source of protein. “Even soy derivatives, such as tofu, count as a portion of legumes; furthermore, another alternative to not always consume them ‘as is’ is to eat them in the form of burgers, such as those based on soya proteins soy or pea. And for those who don’t have time to prepare them, it is now very easy to find them in all supermarkets, given the widespread diffusion and success achieved in recent years by plant-based products.”
October 28 – 11.56am
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED