Validated treatments and therapeutic perspectives regarding nutritherapy

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Nutritional Science
• Preventive Medicine

Background:

• Sarcopenia, a decline in muscle mass and strength, affects the elderly, increasing fall and fracture risks.
• Nutritherapy utilizes nutritional supplements to prevent or manage diseases.
• Maintaining muscle mass and strength is crucial for the older population's health and mobility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review nutritherapy's potential in preventing or improving sarcopenia.
• To evaluate nutrients' role in maintaining muscle mass and strength in aging individuals.
• To assess the impact of nutritional interventions on falls and fractures in the elderly.

Main Methods:

• Review of evidence from randomized-controlled trials.
• Focus on vitamin D supplementation and its effects on strength, falls, and fractures.
• Examination of increased protein intake's efficacy and limitations.
• Assessment of other micronutrients and macronutrients for sarcopenia management.

Main Results:

• Vitamin D shows compelling evidence from double-blind randomized controlled trials for strength gain and fall/fracture prevention.
• Increased protein intake shows potential, but longer-term data on clinical endpoints is limited.
• Currently, no consistent data supports other micronutrients or macronutrients in combating sarcopenia.

Conclusions:

• Vitamin D is a promising nutritherapy strategy for mitigating sarcopenia-related issues in older adults.
• Protein supplementation requires further investigation for long-term efficacy in sarcopenia.
• Consistent evidence for other nutritional interventions against sarcopenia is lacking.