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Protein for adults 65 and over
EFSA keeps 0.83 grams per kilogram of body weight a day at every adult age. Several clinical expert groups disagree and propose 1.0 to 1.2 g/kg for healthy older adults. This page shows both, and says which is which.
Nota de la EFSA en esta fila:La EFSA no fija un valor separado para adultos mayores
Son valores de referencia poblacionales publicados, no un diagnóstico ni una receta. Una ingesta de referencia describe lo que cubre a un grupo sano; no puede decir su propio estado, y ninguna página puede. El embarazo, la enfermedad crónica, los medicamentos y la malabsorción cambian el cuadro: lleve esas preguntas a un médico, una matrona, un farmacéutico o un dietista.
The reference value has not moved
EFSA 2012 opinion set the adult population reference intake at 0.83 g per kilogram of body weight per day and did not derive a separate value for older adults. For a 70 kg person that is about 58 g a day.
That is the number that appears in EU reference tables, and it is the honest answer to "what is the official requirement". It is not the whole conversation.
Why clinicians argue for more
Two observations drive the argument. Older muscle shows anabolic resistance: a given amount of protein stimulates less muscle protein synthesis than it does in a younger person, so more is needed to produce the same effect. And older adults lose muscle rapidly during illness, hospital admission or immobility, and regain it slowly.
On that basis the PROT-AGE study group and the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism have recommended around 1.0 to 1.2 g/kg a day for healthy older adults, with higher figures during illness or rehabilitation. Those are clinical consensus recommendations, not EFSA reference values, and this site keeps the two clearly apart rather than blending them into one number.
Distribution across the day, not just the total
A second theme in that literature is that the total matters less than whether individual meals contain enough protein to trigger muscle protein synthesis. A typical pattern of a light breakfast, a light lunch and a protein-heavy dinner can hit an adequate daily total while leaving two of the three meals below the threshold.
The practical version is unglamorous: put a protein source into breakfast and lunch, not only dinner. Curd or cottage cheese, yogurt, eggs, fish, legumes and milk in porridge all do it. And protein works with resistance exercise rather than instead of it — the muscle response depends on loading as much as on intake.
The exception that has to be stated
Chronic kidney disease changes protein advice completely, sometimes in the opposite direction, and protein restriction is a real part of some treatment plans. Anyone with reduced kidney function should take their protein target from their own clinician or dietitian and disregard both figures on this page.
Cómo se compara esto con cada otro grupo
| Grupo | Valor de referencia | Tipo | Nota |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hombres 19-50 | 0.83 g/kg | PRI | g por kg de peso corporal al día |
| Mujeres 19-50 | 0.83 g/kg | PRI | g por kg de peso corporal al día |
| Hombres 51 y más | 0.83 g/kg | PRI | g por kg de peso corporal al día |
| Mujeres 51 y más | 0.83 g/kg | PRI | g por kg de peso corporal al día |
| Adultos 65 y más | 0.83 g/kg | PRI | La EFSA no fija un valor separado para adultos mayores |
Comida ordinaria frente aun adulto de 70 kg a 0,83 g por kilogramo
Lo alto de esta lista:Chicken breast, 37.2 g in a 120g ración (una pechuga) — 64% of un adulto de 70 kg a 0,83 g por kilogramo. Harían falta unos2de esos para cubrir un día entero de ese único alimento, por eso una dieta real lo reparte en varias filas.
| Alimento | Ración ordinaria | Por ración | Parte del día |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast | una pechuga, 120 g | 37.2 g | 64% |
| Salmon | un filete, 120 g | 30.5 g | 52% |
| Ground beef | una ración, 120 g | 30.1 g | 52% |
| Chicken thigh | un muslo, 120 g | 29.8 g | 51% |
| Cod | un filete, 130 g | 29.6 g | 51% |
| Boneless pork chop | una chuleta, 120 g | 29.6 g | 51% |
| Mackerel | un filete, 120 g | 28.7 g | 49% |
| Trout | un filete, 120 g | 28.6 g | 49% |
| Soybeans | una ración, cocida, 150 g | 27.3 g | 47% |
| Canned sockeye salmon | media lata, 100 g | 23.6 g | 41% |
| Veal liver | una ración pequeña, 100 g | 19.9 g | 34% |
| Canned tuna | una lata pequeña, escurrida, 100 g | 19.4 g | 33% |
Los tamaños de ración son raciones domésticas ordinarias elegidas para esta tabla, no raciones de referencia oficiales, y la lista corta es editorial: alimentos cotidianos de esta región en vez de las entradas más altas por 100 g de la base.Una clasificación cruda por 100 g la encabezarían hierbas secas, polvos de bebida y cereales de desayuno fortificados, lo que responde a otra pregunta.Los datos de composición son estadounidenses, así que donde la práctica de fortificación de EE. UU. difiere de la europea la fila lleva una daga y el motivo.La clasificación completa por 100 g de un nutriente la publica la sección de datos de alimentos de este sitio.
Todo el nutriente, no solo este grupo
The Proteínapágina de ingesta de referencia lleva la tabla completa de edad y sexo, el nivel superior y lo que significa el tipo de valor.
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Fuentes:valores de referencia dietéticos de la EFSA · Reglamento (UE) n.º 1169/2011, anexo XIII · USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy (composición de alimentos) · Panel de la EFSA de productos dietéticos, nutrición y alergias, dictamen científico sobre valores de referencia dietéticos para proteína (2012) · Reglamento (UE) n.º 1169/2011, anexo XIII· comprobado2026-09-06
Preguntas frecuentes
How much protein do older adults need?
EFSA reference intake is 0.83 g per kilogram of body weight a day at every adult age. Clinical expert groups including PROT-AGE and ESPEN have recommended around 1.0 to 1.2 g/kg for healthy older adults, which is a consensus recommendation rather than a reference value.
Why would older adults need more protein?
Because older muscle responds less to a given amount of protein, and because muscle is lost quickly during illness or immobility and regained slowly.
Does it matter when protein is eaten?
The clinical literature suggests spreading protein across meals matters, because each meal needs enough to trigger muscle protein synthesis. A protein source at breakfast and lunch, not only at dinner, is the practical version.
Convertir un valor de referencia en su propia semana
TempoLife suma lo que realmente comió, para ver cómo una semana real queda frente a la cifra de esta página.