Vegan Diets Are Effective for Muscle Protein Formation in Older Adults

Sarcopenia, or the loss of muscle mass, is a concern for older adults as it is associated with frailty. A new randomized crossover trial compared the effects of 10 days of a vegan diet with 10 days of an omnivorous diet in people with an average age of 72 years and found no difference in the rate of muscle protein synthesis (the process of building new muscle) between diets. When they followed the vegan diet, they also saw significant improvements in their LDL and total cholesterol levels.