Optimal Protein Intake in Healthy Children and Adolescents: Evaluating Current Evidence

Abstract

High protein intake might elicit beneficial or detrimental effects, depending on life stages and populations. While high protein intake in elder individuals can promote beneficial health effects, elevated protein intakes in infancy are discouraged, since they have been associated with obesity risks later in life. However, in children and adolescents (4–18 years), there is a scarcity of data assessing the effects of high protein intake later in life, despite protein intake being usually two- to three-fold higher than the recommendations in developed countries. This narrative review aimed to revise the available evidence on the long-term effects of protein intake in children and adolescents aged 4–18 years. Additionally, it discusses emerging techniques to assess protein metabolism in children, which suggest a need to reevaluate current recommendations. While the optimal range is yet to be firmly established, available evidence suggests a link between high protein intake and increased Body Mass Index (BMI), which might be driven by an increase in Fat-Free Mass Index (FFMI), as opposed to Fat Mass Index (FMI).

Postprandial Glucose Variability Following Typical Meals in Youth Living with Type 1 Diabetes

“…Thus, to address this, our analyses mainly assessed macronutrients and postprandial glycemia within participants versus between participants. While protein intake was scaled for body mass in our study, which is customary for growing youth [ 25 ], carbohydrate and fat intake were not. We also acknowledge that we only included grams of fiber as a potential confounder in our models versus examining for any glycemic effects of fiber per se.…”

Associations between High Protein Intake, Linear Growth, and Stunting in Children and Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…While previous studies have primarily focused on body weight, body composition, and related outcomes such as body mass index or fat mass index [10], our study specifically examined linear growth and its association with protein intake. Our findings contradict two earlier cross-sectional studies that reported a positive association between dietary protein intake and linear growth [21,22].…”

“…Interestingly, current evidence suggests that the protein intake levels in most developed countries exceed their dietary protein recommendations [8,9]. This trend is even more pronounced among children and adolescents, with their protein intakes being 2-to 3-fold higher than the recommended levels in many developed countries [10]. In China, for instance, 52.4% of children and adolescents have daily protein intakes that meet or exceed the dietary protein recommendations.…”

Anthropometric Indices in Predicting the Risks of Occurrence and Outcomes of Diseases at Present Stage

“…Однако недостаточно данных, касающихся детей и подростков (4-18 лет), оценивающих влияние высокого потребления белка в более позднем возрасте, несмотря на то, что потребление белка в развитых странах обычно в 2-3 раза превышает рекомендации. В обзоре M. Garcia-Iborra и E. Castanys-Munoz [19] были пересмотрены имеющиеся данные о долгосрочных последствиях потребления белка детьми и подростками в возрасте от 4 до 18 лет, а также предложены новые методы оценки белкового обмена у детей, что предполагает необходимость переоценки текущих рекомендаций. Имеющиеся данные свидетельствуют о связи между высоким потреблением белка и увеличением ИМТ, что может быть обусловлено увеличением безжировой массы, в отличие от ожирения.…”