Life Doesn't Stop at Twenty

There are countless factors that influence how quickly we age. Genetics, health habits, medical history, lifestyle, and environment all play a role.

You’ve probably noticed that when we’re younger, we seem to recover faster, even from minor injuries. We’re less tired, have more energy throughout the day, sleep better, and ideally don’t deal with chronic illnesses. Everything just feels easier.

Without delving into the psychological reasons, it’s common to see people retreat inward as they age. We start giving up on things, goals, and dreams, often blaming our health. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

If we don't pay enough attention to nourishing our bodies, it will catch up with us sooner or later. And don't think it's something you can put off until you're 70. The first signs often appear much earlier—if we just take the time to notice.

As We Age, Nutrient Deficiencies Can Increase

All human proteins are made up of amino acids. There are twenty different types of amino acids, twelve of which our bodies can produce on their own. However, the remaining eight must come from our diet, and these are called essential amino acids. They’re not called essential because they’re more important than the other twelve, but because it’s our responsibility to ensure we get enough of them.

The proteins we consume are broken down into amino acids through a multi-step digestion process. Our cells then use these amino acids to build all the proteins they need. But if we don’t have enough of these building blocks, we’re out of luck. If even one of those twenty amino acids is missing, the protein that depends on it simply can’t be made.

How Digestion Changes as We Age

As we get older, our abilities naturally decline—we can't do as much, we tire more easily. This applies to our internal systems too, including our ability to digest protein. The biological reason for this is that as we age, our bodies produce less stomach acid and fewer protein-digesting enzymes.

Research shows that most people over 40 have a reduced capacity to break down protein, meaning the digestion of protein into amino acids becomes incomplete.

Of course, there are other factors that affect digestion in old age, such as tooth decay or loss and decreased saliva production. But for now, let's focus specifically on the breakdown and absorption of protein.

It's a Real Catch-22 Situation

Every protein-digesting enzyme is itself a protein. Just imagine the situation where digestion worsens because the pancreas can't produce enough protein-digesting enzymes to break down enough protein, which would provide the necessary amino acids to make more digestive enzymes, and so on... It's a bit like a snake eating its own tail.

Many nutrition experts agree that people over 60 need more protein than younger individuals. However, it's more accurate to say that an older person's digestive system struggles to produce the same amount of amino acids from the same amount of consumed protein as a younger body would.

Slower Regeneration

Our bodies strive to restore their original state during the healing process, whether it's from a simple illness or recovering from an injury. To do this, we need hundreds, if not thousands, of different proteins at any given moment. For example, antibodies that fight off viruses or fibrin, the protein that helps close wounds.

As we've mentioned before, digesting protein becomes harder over time. For those who truly struggle with this, consuming essential amino acids can be the solution, as they don’t need to be digested and won’t break down further in the digestive tract. This means that within about 25 minutes of consumption, they enter the bloodstream and reach their destination—your cells. There, they can be used to build any protein the body needs.

“We believe that it’s never too late to change and make a difference.”

If you're curious about how essential amino acids could benefit you, give Amino Primo a try!