Morgan Paul T, Carson Brian P, Witard Oliver C
Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Institute of Sport, 99 Oxford Road, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, M1 7EL, UK.
Department of Physical Education & Sport Sciences, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, V94 T9PX, Ireland.
BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2024 Dec 19;25(1):1030. doi: 10.1186/s12891-024-07945-6.
The rise in interest of plant-based protein foods has been meteoric, often leading to calls to adopt exclusively plant-based diets to reduce the intake of animal-based foods. In addition to impacts on human health, moving to an exclusively plant-based (or indeed animal-based) diet may have detrimental implications in terms of environmental sustainability. The impact of a rapid growth in global population on the sustainability of food systems poses clear consequences for the environment and thus warrants careful consideration at a national and, in some cases, global level. The requirement for high-quality dietary protein in an ageing population to offset chronic disease, such as sarcopenia, is an additional consideration. A reductionist approach to this sustainability issue is to advise a global population switch to plant-based diets. From a dietary protein perspective, the sustainability of different non-animal-derived protein sources is a complex issue. In this review, first we describe the role of dietary protein in combatting the age-related decline in skeletal muscle mass. Next, we explore the efficacy and sustainability of protein sources beyond animal-based proteins to facilitate skeletal muscle remodelling in older age. Taking a holistic approach, we discuss protein sources in terms of the muscle anabolic potential, environmental considerations with a predominant focus on greenhouse gas emissions across the food chain, the relevance of global malnutrition, and nation- and local-specific nutritional needs for dietary protein choices and food systems. Finally, we discuss implications for environmental sustainability and explore the potential of a trade-off between diet quality and environmental sustainability with food choices and recommendations.
植物性蛋白质食品的受关注程度呈迅猛上升趋势，这常常引发人们呼吁采用纯植物性饮食，以减少动物性食品的摄入量。除了对人类健康的影响外，转向纯植物性（或实际上是动物性）饮食在环境可持续性方面可能会产生不利影响。全球人口的快速增长对粮食系统可持续性的影响给环境带来了明显后果，因此值得在国家层面乃至某些情况下在全球层面进行审慎考虑。老年人口对优质膳食蛋白质以抵消诸如肌肉减少症等慢性疾病的需求是另一个需要考虑的因素。对这一可持续性问题采取简化论方法就是建议全球人口转向植物性饮食。从膳食蛋白质的角度来看，不同非动物源性蛋白质来源的可持续性是一个复杂的问题。在这篇综述中，首先我们描述膳食蛋白质在对抗与年龄相关的骨骼肌质量下降方面的作用。接下来，我们探讨除动物性蛋白质之外的蛋白质来源在促进老年人骨骼肌重塑方面的功效和可持续性。我们采取整体方法，从肌肉合成代谢潜力、主要关注整个食物链温室气体排放的环境考量、全球营养不良的相关性以及国家和地方特定的膳食蛋白质选择及食物系统营养需求等方面来讨论蛋白质来源。最后，我们讨论对环境可持续性的影响，并探讨在饮食质量与通过食物选择及建议实现的环境可持续性之间进行权衡的可能性。
