Here's some important news: To protect against muscle loss and frailty, when you consume protein can be as important as how much.
In a clinical trial reported by Tufts University, healthy people age 55 to 66, who ate protein at breakfast and lunch improved their lean muscle mass. The findings support recommendations to spread protein intake from your diet throughout the day, rather than concentrating on dinnertime.
Meeting a protein threshold of 25 to 30 grams per meal represents a promising dietary strategy to help maintain muscles and function in older adults," says Paul F. Jacques, director of Tufts' HNRCA Nutritional Epidemiology Program.
The gradual loss of muscle is called sarcopenia at Tufts. It's a progressive frailty that affects 15 percent of people older than age 65, and 30 percent of people older than age 80.
The researchers recommend that people, regardless of age, consume .36 grams of daily protein for each pound of body weight. That means a 150-pound person should get 54 grams of daily protein, which should be spread throughout the day.
High protein foods include:
Hamburger patty, 4 ounces 28 grams.
Steak, 6 ounces 42 grams. of protein
Most cuts of beef, 7 grams. per ounce
Chicken, 3 to 4 ounces 35 grams.
Fish fillets or steaks, 3.5 ounces 22 grams.
Tuna, 6 ounces, 40 grams. of protein
Pork chop, average size, 22 grams.
Pork loin, tenderloin, 4 ounces 29 grams.
Ham, 3 ounces serving, 19 grams.
Egg, large, 6 grams. of protein
Milk, 1 cup, 8 grams.
Peanut butter, 2 tablespoons, 8 grams. Almonds, 1/4 cup, 8 grams.
Peanuts, 1/4 cup, 9 grams.
Pecans,1/4 cup, 2.5 grams.
Sunflower seeds, 1/4 cup, 6 grams.
Pumpkin seeds, 1/4 cup, 8 grams.
Flax seeds, 1/4 cup, 8 grams.
