What comes to mind when you think about eating protein? A thick, juicy hamburger? A high-protein snack bar? Maybe a glass of milk? You wouldn’t be wrong. All of these may be sources of protein. But as you get older, are these the right sources of protein for an aging body? And why the focus on protein anyway? Well, we’ve previously noted the importance of getting sufficient protein in your diet to keep your muscles strong (thank you, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon!) and support collagen production, valuable for your skin and joints. Protein is also essential for your bones, your digestive tract, and even for supporting your immune system. There is even evidence that the older you are, the more you can benefit from increased protein in your diet. However, it seems many of us are falling short of at least getting the recommended minimum protein requirements. Estimates are that among those 71 and older, 50% of women and 30% of men have insufficient protein in their diets. 

Newly published research in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition makes the case even stronger, especially when it comes to plant-based protein rather than protein from meat or dairy. According to the research results, which followed more than 48,000 women ages 38-59 from 1984 through 2016, those women who ate higher amounts of protein from plant sources had fewer chronic diseases and were healthier as they got older. In fact, they were 46% more likely to remain healthier later in life compared to those who consumed primarily meat or dairy-based protein. This is an important statistic given that we know that close to ⅓ of adults over 65 have multiple chronic health conditions and estimates are that by 2050, the majority of adults over 50 will have at least one chronic health condition, such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer or coronary heart disease. While this study only focused on primarily white women, there is every reason to believe that the consumption of plant-sourced protein would benefit a broader range of adults as well. In fact, one of the interesting aspects of plant-based proteins is that beyond protein, these foods also contain other important nutrients, including fiber and polyphenols.

So what type of plant-sourced foods are we talking about? Many of them can be found when following the Mediterranean Diet, including legumes (lentils, peas, chickpeas, soybeans, beans, etc), nut butters, broccoli, cauliflower, tempeh, quinoa, and hemp seeds. Many Americans resist legumes in particular, as they carry a stigma of making you gassy, and they are not part of traditional American meals (on average, Americans eat 7.5 pounds of beans per year compared to some African countries, where consumption is up to 130 pounds per year) so you need to learn how to cook with them. But from a health, environmental, and economic perspective, using beans to up your protein intake makes a lot of sense. So grab a bag of lentils, and learn how to cook with these and other plant-based proteins by looking here and here.