Loss of Muscle Mass

Your muscles are your body's greatest protein storage facility. When nutritional protein is scarce, the body prefers to extract protein from skeletal muscles in order to sustain more vital tissues and activities. As a result, a protein deficiency causes muscle atrophy over time. Even mild protein deficiency can lead to muscle atrophy, especially in the elderly.

One research of aged men and women discovered that individuals who ingested the least quantity of protein lost the most muscle. Other studies have found that increasing protein consumption may decrease the muscular deterioration that occurs with aging.