How can lean pork help older adults get enough high-quality protein?

Older adults need high-quality protein, like lean pork, to help prevent age-related muscle loss, boost immunity and prevent dehydration.

Unfortunately, it can be hard for older adults to consume enough protein, because they could have smaller appetites or difficulty chewing and swallowing, says Dr. Kristen Hicks-Roof, a nutrition researcher with the National Pork Board.

“When you get into older adulthood, you may start to get other (health) complications. You need high-quality protein to help your body build and refuel,” Hicks-Roof says.

The good news is, older adults tend to consume more high-quality protein when their diet includes pork and plants compared to a plant-only diet, according to a new study by South Dakota State University found

Lean pork contains all the essential amino acids, or protein building blocks, our bodies need for health, Hicks-Roof says. 

In comparison, plant-based proteins are often missing essential amino acids.

“Let’s say I gave you a 3-ounce serving of beans, and I gave you a 3-ounce serving of pork,” Hicks-Roof says. “Your body would be able to use every single amino acid in the pork protein, but it can only use 65 to 70% of the amino acids in the beans. It’s not a very efficient protein.”

Also in the study, older adults said they were more likely to stick to the healthy pork and plants diet compared to a plants-only diet, because of meal satisfaction.

“By adding pork to a plant-powered diet, you also have the benefit of it tastes good, and you’re going to want to eat it in the long term,” Hicks-Roof says.