Older individuals need their nutritional requirements met. This includes the need for Vitamin D3 and protein for muscle and bone health.
A new study supports the consumption of the combination of Vitamin D3 and whey protein as a breakfast supplement for older individuals to help them meet their nutritional needs.
Preserving Muscles through a Nutritional Approach:
Loss of muscle tissue due to age can be slowed down through several nutritional regimens, according to scientists. These include the consumption of adequate amounts of protein in every meal and consumption of readily available essential amino acids from high-quality protein.
One particular amino acid that plays an important role is leucine. This amino acid helps stimulate the synthesis of muscle protein. It can be found in whey protein, which also helps stimulate muscle growth. Consuming 25-30 grams of whey protein with each meal helps with muscle growth.
Vitamin D3 supplementation is another nutritional regimen that allows for older individuals to maintain their muscles. This vitamin (actually it’s a hormone) helps in the metabolism of muscle protein. Supplementation of Vitamin D3 in older adults is important as most of them are vitamin D3 deficient.
Muscle Increase in Healthy Older Males:
Researchers conducted a new study on the combination of vitamin D3 and whey protein to help increase muscle mass in healthy older males. The study was published in the Journal of Nutrition, August edition.
The double-blind, six-week trial was done with 24 healthy older males, aged 67-74. The subjects were divided into two groups. One group consumed breakfast supplemented with 21 grams of whey protein combined with 800 IU of vitamin D3. The other group consumed breakfast with a flavored placebo drink.
The muscle protein synthesis was measured through muscle biopsy four hours after the meal. Longer-term changes were also measured with DEXA scans prior to the start of the trial and during the last week.
After the six-week trial period, researchers found that the group who consumed the vitamin D3 and whey protein combination had significantly higher synthesis rates and gained more lean mass compared to the other group.
Vitamin D3, Its Significant Role, and Sources:
There are nearly 1 billion people in the world with severe vitamin D3 deficiency. In the US, research shows that 39 percent of Americans are very deficient in vitamin D3 and 25 percent have insufficient levels of the vitamin. This means that 64 percent of the US population has inadequate levels of this sunshine vitamin.
Vitamin D3 aids in the absorption of calcium and phosphate, which helps in the development of healthy bones and strong muscles. When the body is deficient in vitamin D3, there is a higher risk of bone fracture and muscle weakness. As all cells in the body have vitamin D3 receptors, this means that vitamin D3 also plays a significant role in most of the body functions and processes aside from keeping the bones and muscles healthy and strong.
The body can get vitamin D3 through sunlight exposure. Vitamin D3 supplementation is also another option. Individuals deficient in vitamin D3 can also get it through dietary sources including fatty fish (salmon, tuna), cheese, eggs, red meat, and fortified foods like cereals, soy milk, and some dairy products.