During the second Precision Nutrition Industry Conference held in Harbin from August 21 to 23, 2026, under the theme "Precision Protein Nutrition, Empowering Health Across the Full Lifecycle," Yang Yuexin, President of the Chinese Nutrition Society, highlighted critical gaps in the nation's protein intake.

Yang noted that while the overall protein consumption of Chinese residents is sufficient and maintains a reasonable proportion of energy intake, there is a significant imbalance in the ratio of animal to plant protein. "Urban populations generally consume excessive meat, leading to an overly high proportion of animal protein, which requires moderate reduction and an increase in high-quality plant proteins like legumes. Conversely, rural residents rely too heavily on plant protein and urgently need to supplement with quality animal protein to achieve a balanced combination," she explained.

She emphasized that the core of protein nutrition lies in quality adaptation, and dietary optimization cannot be applied uniformly across different regions and populations. Precisely adjusting protein structure and enhancing protein intake quality are essential to improving the nation's protein nutrition status.

On the research front, Yang pointed out that current studies on protein nutrition are often one-dimensional and lack depth, outlining future priorities for scientific research. Past studies have focused primarily on total protein content and basic amino acid composition, overlooking the differentiated functions of proteins from various sources and the combined effects of proteins with fats and small molecules. "Whether animal, plant, or dairy protein, the small-molecule structures, functional characteristics, and complementary mechanisms of different types deserve in-depth exploration," she stated, calling for intensified research into the relationship between protein structure and function, leveraging theories of protein complementarity and structure-function to explore synergistic utilization and adaptive supplementation mechanisms.

Addressing the gaps in life-cycle nutrition research, Yang specifically focused on elderly nutrition and proposed targeted development recommendations. She noted that domestic nutrition research has long prioritized infant growth and development, with well-established systems for essential amino acids and special nutritional needs, while research on elderly populations has lagged significantly, with clear gaps in methodology, mechanistic studies, and practical application.

"As population aging intensifies, how to leverage precision protein nutrition to support healthy longevity and reduce chronic disease incidence in the elderly is the most urgent research topic in the nutrition field today," Yang concluded.