The DOI matches its Crossref record; 215 of the 231 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Impact of aging on the digestive system related to protein digestion in vivo
Open accessAbstract
For the current aging population, protein is an important macronutrient to counteract the development of sarcopenia. Protein digestion is influenced by the capacity of the digestive system. The current evidence is reviewed about the impact of aging on the human digestive system and related to protein digestion in vivo. Aging changes the digestive organs which impacts protein digestion. Dentition decreases and mastication changes, potentially affecting particle size reduction. Stomach gastric acidity is unchanged, gastric emptying is delayed, while total transit time remains unchanged. Production of enzymes by the pancreas is decreased, but any changes in the small intestine remain unresolved. Animal studies showed decreased fecal protein digestion in older compared to young animals. Human studies showed decreased postprandial peripheral plasma appearance of ingested amino acids and increased splanchnic extraction. The findings suggest that the deteriorating digestive system with aging results in decreased protein digestion. Interpretation of the results should be taken with caution because of interindividual differences in the aging process, and because studies on protein digestion in aging humans are scarce. More information is needed on healthy aging and its relation to the digestive tract and protein digestion, several methods including in vitro experiments are valuable in this perspective.
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Metadata
- Authors
- Hinssen, F., Mensink, M., Huppertz, T., & van der Wielen, N.
- Affiliations
- Wageningen University & Research (NL)
- FrieslandCampina (Netherlands) (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Hinssen, Fenna
- Venue
- Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2024-11-27
- Volume
- 65
- Issue
- 28
- Pages
- 5829-5845
- ISSN
- 1040-8398 (ISSN-L)
- 1549-7852
- OpenAlex
- W4404756344
- Cited by
- 17
- References
- 231
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 7
- FWCI
- 0.97
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Topconsortium voor Kennis en Innovatie
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology (medical) › Nutrition and Health in Aging
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Muscle metabolism and nutrition
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Animal Nutrition and Physiology
- Keywords
- aging, protein digestion, digestive system, sarcopenia, gastric emptying, gastric acidity, mastication, dentition, healthy aging
- MeSH terms
- Aging, Amino Acids, Animals, Dietary Proteins, Digestion, Digestive System, Gastric Emptying, Humans, Gastrointestinal Tract
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