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The Study: Animal protein intake is associated with higher-level functional capacity in elderly adults: the Ohasama study
The Facts:
a. The authors sought to determine if there was a relationship between how much protein consumption and brain function in elderly subjects.
b. The subjects were from Japan. The average age of the subjects when they started the study was 67.4 years.
c. The study lasted 7 years.
d. 24.4% of the subjects declined in “higher-level functional capacity”.
e. Men in the highest quartile animal protein intake exhibited significantly less decline in “higher-level functional capacity” than did those in the lowest quartile. Unfortunately, women did not appear to received similar levels of protection.
f. There was no consistent association between plant protein intake and decline in either men or women.
g. It should be noted that the number of elderly persons in Japan is increasing and the percentage of persons 65 or over almost doubled from 10.3% in 1985 to 20.1% by 2005.
h. Therefore the area of age related decline in brain function is of great importance to Japanese scientists.
i. 412 men and 595 women were the subjects in this study.
Take Home:
Greater intake of animal protein appears to be associated with statistically significant levels of preservation of higher-level functioning in men. This protective effect did not appear to extend to women.
Dr. Lane’s view:
Interesting study. I hope to see more studies in this vein. I was just wondering if the plant proteins were not complete proteins (did not possess the right combination of amino acids in order to be complete proteins) and therefore the elderly subjects needed the more complete animal proteins. But that is just a thought on my part and may not apply at all. But the study is thought provoking.
Reference: Imai E1, Tsubota-Utsugi M, Kikuya M, Satoh M, Inoue R, Hosaka M, Metoki H, Fukushima N, Kurimoto A, Hirose T, Asayama K, Imai Y, Ohkubo T. Animal protein intake is associated with higher-level functional capacity in elderly adults: the ohasama study. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2014 Mar;62(3):426-34.
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