Macro partitioning
Older adults transitioning to vegetarian or vegan diets may face greater challenges in maintaining protein adequacy compared to younger adults.
If you are an older adult switching to a plant-based diet, pay closer attention to your protein intake. You may need to be more deliberate about including high-quality plant proteins like legumes and soy products to ensure you are meeting your increased requirements, as the margin for error is smaller than in younger adults.
We also specifically address this in older adults, where the issues linked to the protein adequacy of vegetarian diets are more complex.
Why this rating
The paper states data is scarce and the situation is 'more complex', implying lower certainty than the general adult population findings.
Source
Dietary Protein and Amino Acids in Vegetarian Diets—A Review
François Mariotti et al. · Nutrients · 2019
DOI 10.3390/nu11112661
More from this paper
- Vegetarian and vegan diets provide sufficient protein and amino acids for adults when they include a variety of plant-based protein sources such as legumes, nuts, and seeds.Good
- Children following vegetarian or vegan diets do not have specific concerns regarding protein adequacy due to their high energy requirements relative to protein needs.Moderate
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