GOP fights Biden’s plant-based food guidelines


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Protein is foundational for childhood growth, brain development, and immune function. Yet according to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data in 2015-16, nearly 15% of American children 9 to 14 and 30% of teens 15 to 19 didn’t meet the government’s median minimum protein standard.

As people age, their muscles become less responsive to protein, making it harder to build muscle mass, avoid osteoporosis and fight illness. But there are no separate protein guidelines for older adults, many of whom don’t even clear the current bar. A 2019 study of nearly 12,000 adults age 51 and older found that nearly half of those over 70 weren’t meeting recommended daily protein levels.