The ketogenic diet is quickly becoming one of the most popular diets in the U.S.
The principle that underlies the ketogenic diets success says if you eat high fat, and low protein and low carb it’ll help you lose weight and boost your health in many different ways.
And while many people have had great success with the ketogenic diet, the fact of the matter is if you’re going to follow you need to make sure you’re still getting an adequate intake of protein.
The reason this is the case is a new study shows most Americans, especially seniors, are not getting enough protein in their diet and this could be causing some serious health problems.
Most Americans Don’t Get Enough Protein
Researchers recently published findings in the Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging that indicate that most Americans don’t get enough protein in their diet.
Protein is essential at all times of life, but the older a person gets, the need for higher protein intakes becomes more vital.
Unfortunately, many older Americans don’t consume an adequate level of protein. The factors leading to the lower intake are myriad, but researchers believe it probably has to do with lower appetite levels or because of financial limitations
To see if the reduced protein intake could have deleterious effects the researchers studied
Data collected from a 2005–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
The survey contained data points from 11,680 adults who were 51 or older.
They compared the subjects’ intake of protein, their general dietary patterns, and their physical function.
Ana Sandoiu writing for Medical News today said this about the research.
“Overall, their analysis found that up to 46 percent of the oldest participants in the study did not consume enough protein regularly.
A third of them were missing 30 grams (g) of protein from their daily diet, which — for an adult who weighs 160 pounds, or 72.6 kilograms (kg) — is the equivalent of over half of the recommended intake. The United States recommended daily allowance of protein is 0.8 g per kg.
Secondly, participants whose protein intake was lower than the recommended level had a poorer diet overall, as well as “significantly more functional limitations.” These people consumed fewer healthful foods such as greens and beans, dairy, seafood, and plant protein foods.
People who do not consume enough protein, explain the study authors, are less likely to meet the recommended daily allowances for micronutrients that have antioxidant properties or that benefit the immune system, such as zinc, selenium, vitamin E, vitamin C, and vitamin D.”
What Happened When People Don’t Get Enough Protein?
When the subjects didn’t get enough protein in their diet, it affected their mobility as well as their quality of life.
The researchers noted that because protein is essential for building muscle and maintaining functional health a loss in protein consumption has an adverse effect on how a person’s body works.
Their recommendations were that after the age of 50, Americans should continue to monitor their protein intake and shoot for .8g of protein per kg in body weight to maintain adequate levels.
