The Impact of Protein Quality and Quantity from a Dairy-Enriched Plant-Based Diet in Older Men and Women

Project Overview

After the age of about 50, we begin to lose muscle mass at a rate of 1-3% per year. This loss can be overcome by consuming larger amounts of high-quality protein; however, many older adults have difficulties simply consuming more protein. 

Currently, Canada's Food Guide recommends, and global trends promote, more plant-based proteins and emphasize the health benefits of vegetarian diets. A vegan diet excludes all kinds of meat and animal-derived products (meat, milk, dairy, eggs). Plant-derived proteins might act differently to stimulate muscle growth when compared to animal-derived proteins. Dairy-derived proteins are considered high-quality proteins and may be important food choices to maintaining muscle health with aging.

The overall objective of this project Is to determine if the quantity and quality of protein, in the diet of older adults, is important to offset muscle mass loss that occurs with aging. 

What Will the Research Team Do?

The research team will undertake randomized controlled trials to compare the current protein recommended daily allowance (RDA) with a higher level within a vegan diet (100% plant-based) and a dairy-enriched plant-based diet in older adults aged 65-75y. 

The specific objectives are to: 

1. Assess the adequacy of protein recommendations by comparing the current RDA at 0.8g/Kg/d vs. 1.2 g/Kg/d. 
2. Assess the impact of protein quality by comparing a vegan diet to a dairy-enriched plant-based diet.