More protein and fewer calories are the key to safe weight loss in the elderly: study

New York: A high-protein, low-calorie diet helps obese seniors lose more weight, maintain muscle mbad, improve bone quality, and eliminate "bad" fats, researchers say. Doctors have long struggled to recommend safe weight loss for the elderly, as losing weight can lead to muscle and bone loss.

"Doctors are reluctant to recommend weight loss for fear of losing muscle or bones, which could cause mobility problems or increase the risk of injury," said Kristen Beavers, badistant professor at Wake Forest University in the United States. -United.

"This study suggests that a high-protein, low-calorie diet can offer seniors the health benefits of losing weight while maintaining the muscles and bones they need to improve their quality of life." as they get older, "added Beavers. The study was conducted on nearly 100 adults over 65 years old.

The results, published in the Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, showed that participants lost about 18 pounds, most of them in fat (87%), and preserved their muscle mbad, while the control group lost about half a pound. . Participants could maintain their bone mbad even when they were losing weight. In fact, the trabecular bone score – a measure of bone quality that predicted the risk of fracture – seemed to improve.

Plus, the fat lost in the stomach, hips, thighs and back, which is important for preventing or controlling cardiometabolic diseases such as diabetes and stroke. The score of participants in the healthy aging index, which measures predictive biomarkers of mortality and longevity, has improved.