The Effect of Culinary Medicine to Enhance Protein Intake on Muscle Quality in Older Adults

Muscle Composition with Bioelectric Impedance Analysis (BIA) Tanita MC-780U Scale,Height in Inches,Weight in Pounds,BMI in (lb/in^2)*703

Aging is associated with a decline in muscle mass, strength, and physical function, leading
 to sarcopenia and frailty. This deterioration of muscle and physical capabilities impacts an
 individual's functional independence and quality of life. Dietary protein stimulates muscle
 protein synthesis. Therefore, nutritional interventions that recommend higher protein intakes
 may enhance muscle protein synthesis. Food intake, including protein-rich foods such as red
 meat, has been shown to decline with age. Barriers to consuming protein-rich foods include
 reductions in taste and smell, dentition and dexterity, and changes in living situations.
 Therefore, nutritional interventions that can effectively improve eating behaviors and diet
 quality while stimulating muscle protein synthesis in older adults are necessary to help
 prevent, manage, and promote recovery of sarcopenia. To reduce potential barriers of red meat
 consumption in community-dwelling older adults, an additional beneficial strategy may be the
 use of cooking demonstrations, or culinary medicine, by imparting knowledge about healthy
 cooking to improve the dietary habits of individuals who are at risk of sarcopenia. In this
 approach, people will be educated about age-appropriate, healthy eating behaviors and
 equipped with basic cooking skills to incorporate nutritious food into their daily diet. A
 systematic review concluded that culinary interventions such as cooking classes effectively
 improved attitudes, self-efficacy, and healthy eating in children and adults. A recent study
 using cooking videos to encourage the consumption of calcium-rich foods showed that the
 subjects gained knowledge and were motivated to consume calcium-rich foods, and video
 demonstrations were accepted as an effective communication channel to impart cooking skills.
 Additionally, it is suggested that cooking at home improves adherence to healthy nutrition,
 thereby reducing chronic illness risks. Older adults may not be aware of their changing
 nutrient needs and therefore may lack the skills to prepare nutritionally adequate foods
 properly. Thus, cooking demonstrations can be a novel strategy to improve diet quality in
 older adults and promote and augment at-home cooking. Culinary medicine is an evidence-based
 field that combines skills of preparing, cooking, and presenting food with the science of
 medicine to accomplish potential improvements in eating behaviors and health outcomes. The
 goal of culinary medicine is to help people improve their diet quality which assists them in
 their medical regimen to produce an effective treatment.