
The magic numbers that will boost your health and happiness
Zoe Cottrell, a registered dietitian and nutritionist and creator of Provytl 50+, a protein supplement specially formulated to enhance and extend healthy, active living in the over 50s, says:
“Working on wards in hospitals, often with older people, I spend a lot of time telling people that as we age, we need to increase the amount of protein we eat to stay healthy.
“Recent studies recommend that older adults should be consuming between 1.2g – 1.5g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight (0.6g – 0.7g per pound) – which is nearly twice the current recommended daily amount for adults in general.
“Protein is an essential component of skin, muscle, bone and other tissues. Not eating enough protein leads to muscle loss and an increase in frailty, osteoporosis and an impaired immune response. As we age, our body begins to lose muscle mass and strength at a rate of 5-15% every decade after the age of 50, so we need more protein to compensate.”

“Eating more protein supports the body in rebuilding and repairing muscle tissue – a process which slows down as we age.
“Research also shows that our ability to digest protein-rich foods and absorb the necessary nutrients reduces as we age – a process known as ‘anabolic resistance’.
“Lower bone density combined with muscle loss increases the risk of falls, fractures – and ultimately, mortality.
“Not all proteins are equal: they differ in their nutritional quality. Whey protein has been shown as the most effective protein supplement source and it should be spread throughout the day for maximum benefit.”
Zoe has created a protein calculator to allow anyone to easily calculate their optimum daily protein intake at www.provytl.com/protein-calculator.
Evidence-Based Recommendation for Optimal Dietary Protein Intake in Older People: A position paper from the PROT-AGE Study Group. Bauer et al. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. 14 (2013) 542-559 – example of the research.
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