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Pork Chops for Grandpa

The more protein the elderly eat, the better their bones

By McNamee Neenan

HealthScout Reporter

FRIDAY, April 13 (HealthScout) -- If Grandma's coming for dinner, throw

another steak on the grill. Seniors who eat the most protein keep their bones

the strongest, says a recent study.

The research found that elderly people who ate the amount of protein found in

a 9-ounce steak and a cup of tuna salad daily saw the least erosion of bone

density in their spine and hips.

" Hip fracture is a major problem in elderly populations. It accounts for an

awful lot of hospitalization and recovery in nursing homes, and sometimes

even a long decline into death, " says study author L. Tucker,

associate professor of nutritional epidemiology at Tufts University in

Medford, Mass. About half the people who break their hips end up in nursing

homes, and in the year following the fracture, 20 percent die, says the

National Institutes of Health.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation says 10 million Americans have

osteoporosis, a condition that leads to brittle, weak bones. Another 18

million have low bone mass, which means they're likelier to get osteoporosis.

Tucker tracked 391 women and 224 men, aged 70 to 90, for four years. The

subjects, who were part of the Framingham Osteoporosis Study, were divided

into four groups, based on how much protein they ate daily. The top quarter,

who ate 3 ounces to 5 ounces of protein a day saw the smallest losses in bone

density in their hips and spine. (One large, 13-ounce can of tuna fish

contains about 3 ounces of protein.) Measurements of one area of the hip in

members of that group showed an average density loss of only about 1.5

percent in the four years.

On the other hand, the group that ate the least protein daily, between .5

ounce and 2 ounces, lost about 4 percent of bone mass in the same area of the

hip. (Half a chicken breast contains about 2 ounces of protein.)

The study, published the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, also found

that animal protein -- meat, poultry and fish -- helps maintain bone density.

Tucker says that's probably because it contains all amino acids.

The elderly in the study ate different amounts of protein daily, ranging from

just under half an ounce to more than 6 ounces.

Tucker says sometimes poor health can lead to poor appetite, and often the

elderly live on small, fixed incomes, forcing them to choose between medicine

and food.

Even " getting to the grocery store to get fresh foods can be a problem, "

Tucker says. And some of the healthiest foods are heavy and difficult to

carry, " so they often run out of fruits and vegetables and fresh meats, " she

says.

Also, elderly people often eat alone, and studies have shown that you eat

less alone, says Dr. Heaney, professor of medicine at Creighton

University in Omaha, Neb. And, he says a lot of animal protein is hard to

chew, which can be another problem for old people.

Researchers aren't sure why protein is so important, though they know that

it's needed to make a growth factor that helps maintain and replenish muscle

mass. And weight-bearing exercise, which depends on muscle mass, is critical

for keeping bones dense. Heaney says elderly patients who have broken their

hips recover much faster when put on a high-protein diet.

Some studies suggest that too much protein might leach calcium from bones and

weaken them, a finding which Tucker says is not supported by her study. She

says most other studies looked at short-term levels of protein and calcium,

while her study looked at a long-range period.

Both Heaney and Tucker say the government's Recommended Daily Allowance of

0.021 ounces of protein per 2.2 pounds of person per day is much too low for

the elderly. That's about 1.8 ounces per day of protein for a 180-pound

person, or about the amount in a 7-ounce boneless cooked steak, according to

the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Recent studies have suggested raising the recommendation to between 0.035 and

0.043 ounces per 2.2 pounds for the elderly. Tucker favors the upper end of

that range, based on her study. That would be about 3.5 ounces of protein per

day for a 180-pound person, about the amount in 12 ounces of boneless, cooked

chicken breast.

So is that carte blanche for sirloins? Not if you want to keep other areas of

your body healthy, as well, Tucker says.

" There's all different kinds of animal proteins, " she says. Poultry, fish and

lean cuts of meat are best, she says. Other studies show that fruits and

vegetables also are crucial in keeping bones healthy. And, " You still have to

worry about saturated fats, " Tucker says.

What To Do

The U.S. Department of Agriculture can help you find out how much protein,

and every other nutrient, you're eating at the Interactive Healthy Eating

Index.

For more on osteoporosis, try the National Osteoporosis Foundation. And the

AARP has articles on Eating Well.

Read more about research on osteoporosis, in these previous HealthScout

stories.

SOURCES: Interviews with L. Tucker, Ph.D., associate professor of

nutritional epidemiology, Jean Mayer U. S. Department of Agriculture Human

Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, Mass.;

Heaney, M.D., professor of medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Neb.; May

2000 Journal of Bone and Mineral Research

Copyright © 2001 Rx Remedy, Inc.

Last updated 04/13/01

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