Vegan dieters face struggle for protein, says study

PROTEINS from a vegan diet are not as much help as those from meat and dairy in older age, according to a new study.

Researchers found that, pound for pound, animal protein is more effective than plant protein in preventing muscles wasting away in later life.

The United Kingdom has an estimated 600,000 vegans, with many taking up the diet in recent years, whether for health, animal welfare or environmentally ethical reasons.

But a new study has found they would need to eat a lot more of their favourite grains, pulses, beans and vegetables if they want to get the same kind of benefits that meat, dairy and eggs offer to ageing bodies.

Researchers from King’s College London discovered that, gram for gram, animal protein – which includes meat, dairy and eggs – was more effective in “supporting the maintenance of skeletal muscle mass with advancing age”.

Muscles are kept strong by amino acids, and are bolstered during exercise and from animal proteins, and as the body ages, it needs extra help in preventing muscles from wasting.

Plant-based proteins can do the same but the quantity needs to be a lot higher to have the same effect, said lead researcher Oliver Witard.

While vegans may have ditched meat and dairy for a number of reasons, the study suggests they may be better off balancing their diet with both animal and plant proteins.

Mr Witard and his team conducted tests on volunteers, who were given either animal-based proteins or soyand wheat-based alternatives.

The researchers studied isotopes, blood sampling and muscle biopsies to see how well the muscles were building up from amino acids.

The full findings are due to be presented at a virtual conference of The Physiological Society this week.