Over 65s in Ireland urged to eat ‘more meat and dairy’
 

The article is copyright protected, so please click on the link above to read

I keep urging my 70 year-old sister to eat more protein. She eats protein bars that say protein on the label but don't actually have much protein. I tell her she should be having meat at least once a day. Blargh... she doesn't listen.

I maintain we don't know anything about aging in our Western societies because people grow up with terrible nutrition, by midlife everyone is on a fistful of damaging drugs to treat the results of the metabolic dysfunctions, and this only accelerates as people move into their senior years. There's more prescriptions and an already bad diet deteriorates.

Age-related fading of smell and taste, general ill health undermining making any effort, and we have our seniors eating junk and sitting around. No wonder we have people living longer... but enjoying it less.

..and no tea drinking during meals
 

The full headline of the article included this little tidbit: "..and no tea drinking during meals."

The reason given is the drinking hot tea with a meal impedes the absorption of iron and zinc.

Does anyone know how strong the evidence for this is? I would have to give up my morning cuppa with breakfast on flimsy evidence.

Thanks.

This is wonderful news and so different from the American and Canadian dietary guidelines.

Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

I have shared the article with my Irish-American friends.

Sadly, so.



Fortunately, my coffee IS my breakfast: I drink it with cream and coconut oil on an empty stomach. Also, I eat a lot of meat.

I'd find out your iron status before panicking.

Thanks for the link WereBear. More meat it is!

I remember back when my mother-in-law was told by her doctor that she should be eating more protein. She asked what he would suggest. Peanut butter on crackers. When she told me that, I asked her, Why not just more meat? Nope. Doc says peanut butter on crackers. Sigh.

I looked up the link and it mentioned several factors that may affect how much the tea or coffee inhibit iron absorption:


So, eat more meat indeed!
Thanks,

Dr Mike Eades (Protein Power) says we can accumulate too much iron in our systems and the only way to ge rid of it is through menstruation or donating a pint of blood periodically. For this reason he recommends a multivitamin that contains no iron.

So if my coffee or tea blocks iron - fine!
I can no longer get rid of my accumulated iron stores.
I don't need any more.