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Animal protein intake is inversely associated with mortality in older adults: the InCHIANTI study
Tomás Meroño, PhD, Raúl Zamora-Ros, PhD, Nicole Hidalgo-Liberona, MSc, Montserrat Rabassa, PhD, Stefania Bandinelli, MD, Luigi Ferrucci, MD, PhD, Massimiliano Fedecostante, MD, Antonio Cherubini, MD, PhD, Cristina Andres-Lacueva, PhD
The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, glab334, https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glab334
Published: 27 November 2021 Article history

Abstract

In general, plant protein intake was inversely associated with mortality in studies in middle-aged adults. Our aim was to evaluate the long-term associations of animal and plant protein intake with mortality in older adults.
Methods
A prospective cohort study including 1,139 community-dwelling older adults (mean age 75 years, 56% women) living in Tuscany, Italy, followed for 20 years (InCHIANTI study) was analyzed. Dietary intake by food frequency questionnaires and clinical information were assessed five times during the follow-up. Protein intakes were expressed as percentages of total energy. Time-dependent Cox regression models adjusted for confounders were used to assess the association between plant and animal protein intake, and mortality.
Results
During the 20-years of follow up (mean: 12y), 811 deaths occurred (292 of cardiovascular- and 151 of cancer-related causes). Animal protein intake was inversely associated with all-cause (HR per 1% of total energy from protein increase, 95%CI: 0.96, 0.93-0.99) and cardiovascular mortality (HR per 1% of total energy from protein increase, 95%CI: 0.93, 0.87-0.98). Plant protein intake showed no association with any of the mortality outcomes, but an interaction with baseline hypertension was found for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality (p<0.05).
Conclusions
Animal protein was inversely associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in older adults. Further studies are needed to provide recommendations on dietary protein intake for older adults.

Eläinkunnan valttikortteja proteiinilähteenä ovat laatu ja imeytyvyys. Eläinperäinen proteiini sisältää kaikki ihmisen tarvitsemat aminohapot. Kasvisproteiinin kanssa joutuu näkemään vaivaa varmistaakseen laadulliseti optimaalisen aminohappojen saannin. Myös eläinproteiinin imeytyvyys (eli elimistön kyky käyttää hyväkseen) on elänproteiinilla parempi kuin kasviproteiinilla. Esimerkiksi munien proteiini imeytyy täydellisesti, kun taas vaikkapa kauran alle 60-prosenttisesti. "Ravintosisältö"-taulukkoa kannattaa lukea kriittisesti.

Myös ikääntyminen vaikuttaa proteiinien imeytymiseen. Ikääntyessä elimistön kyky käyttää proteiinia heikkenee, mutta tarve pysyy jokseenkin samanlaisena. Vanhusten pitäisi siis syödä proteiinirikasta ruokaa.