Rethinking protein: Less may be more for healthy aging, study finds
A new study pushes back on the notion that higher amounts of protein help stave off the ravages of aging. The research also comes as shoppers embrace increasing their protein intake and food makers respond by packing protein into more and more products.
The backstory:
Related: New federal dietary guidelines: Avoid processed foods, added sugar
The researchers behind the new study, which was published in the journal Cell Press Blue, also acknowledged that recommendations to increase protein during aging are widespread. They also referenced a 2025 report that found more than 6 in 10 people had increased their protein intake in the previous year, a notable jump from 2019 when that number stood at just under half.
What they’re saying:
Dig deeper:
Knopf and Lamming explain that high-protein diets will activate the molecule mTORC1 in the body, forcing cells into a continuous growth mode and preventing them from doing the cleanup processes that improve metabolic health. The metabolic benefits, they continued, were found in limiting two specific amino acids–methionine and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs)—as opposed to cutting all types of protein.
Knopf and Lamming’s summary also listed studies that linked high-protein diets with an increased risk of diabetes, cancer, and mortality, as well as of dying from a cardiovascular event. They also claim National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data showed eating more protein has a positive correlation with a greater risk of mortality or being diagnosed with an age-associated disease, such as diabetes.
Knopf and Lamming juxtaposed that with a recent study involving a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet that they say may not have been as effective as a moderate-protein diet in terms of lowering blood glucose, improving glucose tolerance, and promoting prediabetes remission.
What you can do:
Older adults, for example, are often told to up their protein intake and exercise to battle sarcopenia and frailty. Knopf and Lamming acknowledge the differing, sometimes contradictory, needs and suggest cycling periods of low protein consumption to mitigate concerns of nutrient signaling and increase cellular cleanup.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from Cell Press Blue. This story was reported from Orlando.
Original source: https://www.livenowfox.com/money
