Good quality protein is essential as we age as it is the glue that holds us together. Good quality protein is essential in nutrition but even more so is the absorption of protein. This is one of the many reasons why we put a huge emphasis on the digestive system. If the digestive system is not functioning efficiently, we cannot absorb protein (as well as all other vitamins and minerals). This can be seen in all ages and all different types of body environments. For an athlete they can train extremely hard and have a good healthy diet but their muscle structure never grows or becomes firm as it should be. This is normally due to poor absorption of protein. There can be several factors as to why protein is not being absorbed or broken efficiently. Hydrochloric acid has gone weak in the stomach, low production of digestive enzymes, drinking with food and also poor food combinations. The storage of protein in the muscle tissue supports the joints and keeps them protected. You will often see people achieve great weight loss but they often lose a lot of protein during this process, this is not good for your health and also it leaves the person with weak muscle, hanging skin and no support for the joints. In the ki health steps approach, when people are losing inches/weight we ensure that they are consuming and digesting adequate protein so that their body can firm up and support itself. We tell people to ignore the scales and instead look at inch loss and tone and condition. This is much healthier and visually looks better for the person. In an older person, adequate protein being digested and absorbed ensures that they will continue to produce growth hormone which will keep them structurally strong as they age. We use our unique blend of calcium casein (pro cal) as part of this process as it is an alkaline protein and is the only protein that can build muscle and tone the body without exercise.