Eat right, live longer: Could a moderate protein diet be the coveted elixir of youth? (25% - 35% of calories)

Medical Xpress / Waseda University / GeroScience ^ | May 31, 2023 | Yoshitaka Kondo et al

[ConservativeMind]

In a new study, a team led by Assistant Professor Yoshitaka Kondo investigated the amount of dietary protein needed to improve metabolic health in mice approaching old age.

The team recruited young (6 months old) and middle-aged (16 months old) male C57BL/6NCr mice who were fed isocaloric diets with varying protein content (5 to 45 %) for two months. After two months, the effect of varying protein diets was assessed based on measurements of skeletal muscle weight, liver and plasma lipid profiles, and self‑organizing map (SOM) cluster analysis of plasma amino acid profiles.

The team observed that the consumption of a low-protein diet led to the development of mild fatty liver, with increased levels of hepatic lipids in middle-aged mice as compared to young mice. In contrast, a moderate-protein diet led to reduced blood glucose concentrations and lipid levels in both liver and plasma. These findings indicate that a moderate-protein diet (25% and 35%) kept both young and middle-aged mice metabolically healthier.

On examining the effect of varying protein diets on plasma amino acid concentrations in mice of both age groups, the researchers observed that the plasma concentration of individual amino acids varied with age and varying dietary protein content. Furthermore, the plasma amino acid profiles revealed using SOM analysis showed the correlation between different protein intake and the varying amounts of hepatic triglycerides and cholesterol levels.

Kondo remarks, "Protein requirements change through the course of life, being higher in younger reproductive mice, reducing through middle age, and rising again in older mice as protein efficiency declines. The same pattern is likely to be observed in humans. Therefore, it could be assumed that increasing daily protein intake in meals could promote metabolic health of people. Moreover, ideal dietary macronutrient balance at each life stage could also extend health span."

[cpdiii]

Evolution gave us flat molars to chew plants and grains for carbohydrates and calories needed for life. Evolution also gave us canine teeth to devour flesh for protein and fats we also need. A vegan diet is stupidity as a total meat protein diet is also stupidity. Both are not good for you. We are not herbivores nor carnivores. We are omnivores and need meat and vegetables and grains.

[HamiltonJay]

[cpdiii]

Evolution gave us flat molars to chew plants and grains for carbohydrates bulk and calories needed for life. Evolution also gave us canine teeth to devour flesh for protein and fats we also need. A vegan diet is stupidity as a total meat protein diet is also stupidity. Both are not good for you. We are not herbivores nor carnivores. We are omnivores and need meat and vegetables and grains.

[sima_yi]

For us humans it's not just protein, but also essential amino acids, which our bodies can not produce.
The best source of these are complete proteins, i.e., eggs, meat, etc.