People aged over 65 are recommended to eat a more protein-dense diet as part of updated recommendations offered by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) this week.

In a new report designed to "enable people over 65 live life optimally to their individual potential", the FSAI recommends foods such as meat, poultry, fish, dairy and eggs as part of more protein-dense diets to prevent frailty.

The 10 nutrients examined with a full set of recommendations are protein, carbohydrate, fibre, fat, B vitamins (folate, vitamin B12, vitamin B6 and riboflavin), vitamin C, vitamin D, calcium, iron and zinc.

Key recommendations from the report include:

Dr. Pamela Byrne, FSAI chief executive, stated that it is important to ensure robust science underpins the development of food-based dietary guidelines that include healthy eating and nutritional recommendations tailored specifically for this cohort.

According to Ita Saul, chair of the FSAI’s Public Health Nutrition Subcommittee, there is a noticeable difference in functional ability of older adults alive today compared even with 30 years ago.

Continuing, she added it is common sense to support older people living healthy productive lives through health strategies based on changing nutritional needs as we all get older.