1. Introduction
age-related disease
SECONDARY, UNDERNUTRITION, UNDERNUTRITION
These authors contributed equally to this work.Expert groups argue to raise the recommended daily allowance for protein in older adults from 0.8 to 1.2 g/kg/day to prevent undernutrition. However, protein is thought to increase satiety, possibly through effects on gut microbiota and central appetite regulation. If true, raising daily protein intake may work counterproductively. In a randomized controlled trial, we evaluated the effects of dietary advice aimed at increasing protein intake to 1.2 g/kg adjusted body weight/day (g/kg aBW/day) on appetite and gut microbiota in 90 community-dwelling older adults with habitual protein intake <1.0 g/kg aBW/day (NUndernutrition is an important problem in community-dwelling older adults, and associated with higher risk of age-related disease and functional impairment. In Europe, the prevalence of undernutrition ranges from 7–16% in community-dwelling older adults to 18–33% in institutionalized older adults [Protein intake may influence appetite in several ways. It is thought to delay gastric emptying [The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary advice aimed at increasing protein intake on appetite and gut microbial composition in a subgroup of 90 participants from the PROMISS trial. This concerns an ancillary study addressing the secondary outcomes of a large, 6-month, multicenter randomized controlled trial implementing dietary advice aimed at increasing protein intake to the suggested 1.2 g/kg adjusted body weight/day (kg aBW/day) in older adults with habitual low protein intake (<1.0 g/kg aBW/day) [