How to maintain health when older?

Thanh Van

Scientists at the University of Texas School of Medicine have good news for people who want to be healthy in old age: older bodies are as healthy as young bodies in converting protein-rich foods.

A recent study suggests that a moderate diet of high-protein foods such as beef, fish, pork, chicken, milk or peanuts may help slow down the degeneration of muscles in older people. .

The researchers said that the decline in muscle mass in older people is important in maintaining health, independent living independently of others and consuming enough protein needed to create and maintain the muscle. Nutrition studies show that many older people eat less than one average person, so researchers argue that if older people only need to increase their protein intake, they may slow muscle loss - because Old age does not interfere with the ability to make muscle from proteins in food.

(Photo: Oldsouthernbank) 'We want to know if it is reasonable for your grandmother's body, for example, to not stimulate muscle growth when eating the same high-protein meal as you eat. this over time will contribute to losing muscle, 'said associate professor Douglas Paddon-Jones.

The study compared the change in muscle protein synthesis in 10 young volunteers and 10 elderly volunteers after eating a 4-ounce lean beef (more than 1 tael). By analyzing blood and muscle samples, the researchers measured the individual body's level of making a specific protein. During 5 hours after the young and elderly volunteers ate beef, the muscle protein synthesis of both groups increased by 50%.

'We conducted previous studies with specialized drinking water containing amino acids but this is the first time to study a person with real food and his ability to stimulate muscle development in the whole person. old and young, ' said Professor Paddon-Jones. 'What we study is really an encouraging result, because it shows that older people actually benefit from eating a diet high in protein . Now that they are not eating enough - in fact from 16 to 27% of older people eat less than the recommended daily allowance of the US Department of Agriculture ".

Mr. Paddon-Jones added that people can eat less protein for a variety of reasons including price, many foods may not be as good for them as before, chewing hard and appetite decline . He also noted that another factor contributing to muscle loss is lack of exercise. Even for the elderly who volunteered to participate in this study, the people described by Associate Professor Paddon-Jones were more physically active than others in the elderly population.

"One worrying thing is that on average they have 12 kilogram muscle mass compared to the younger ones we tested." That difference, maybe even more in the general population. In other words, compared to a young adult, a normal elderly person lacks the benefits created from more than 12 kilograms of muscle mass, in some cases it will lead to an adult being permanently Bedridden due to injury or illness.

'Most elderly people who have hip fractures or serious injuries never get out of bed, and one of the main reasons is that they quickly lose so much mass and muscle strength that they become so it can't be overcome, ' said Paddon-Jones. 'Sufficiently needed for daily living activities, independent movements and independent lives. It really is a quality of life issue. '