New study found that leafy vegetables can improve muscle function. Just one cup per day may do the trick.
Eating one cup of leafy greens every day can improve muscle function, according to a new study published in The Journal of Nutrition. The study, led by Dr Marc Sim, from the Institute for Nutrition Research at Edith Cowan University (ECU), found that vegetables like spinach, kale or beetroot provide the most benefits. According to the authors of the study, these benefits steam from the intake of dietary nitrate, found in these vegetables.
About the study
The new study analyzed data from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity, and Lifestyle Study (AusDiab), a national population-based study of Australian adults aged 25-85 years. Data from a total of 3,759 participants from the AusDiab study, who completed detailed questionnaires over a period of 10 years, were used by Dr Sim and his team.
After analyzing this large dataset, a key finding was that participants who consumed the most nitrate had 11 per cent stronger lower limb strength, compared to participants with the lowest nitrate intake level.
“Our study has shown that diets high in nitrate-rich vegetables may bolster your muscle strength independently of any physical activity,” Dr Sim said in a press release. “Nevertheless, to optimise muscle function we propose that a balanced diet rich in green leafy vegetables in combination with regular exercise, including weight training, is ideal. This is especially important for older individuals to prevent falls and fractures” he added.
A need for greens
Australians are not big fans of green leafy vegetables. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, less than 4% of adults and less than 1% of children regularly consumed the minimum recommended number of serves of vegetables and legumes/beans.
The findings of this new study highlight the importance of following a vegetable-rich diet, in line with previous finding linking vegetable consumption with heart health.
“We should be eating a variety of vegetables every day, with at least one of those serves being leafy greens to gain a range of positive health benefits for the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular system,” Dr Sim said in the press release. “It’s also better to eat nitrate-rich vegetables as part of a healthy diet rather than taking supplements. Green leafy vegetables provide a whole range of essential vitamins and minerals critical for health,” he added.
Now, Dr Sim and his team are looking into ways to increase vegetable consumption among the general Australian population. “We are currently recruiting for the MODEL Study, which examines how knowledge of disease can be used to prompt people in making long-term improvements to their diet and exercise,” Dr Sim said.
For more information on the MODEL study please contact: themodelstudy@ecu.edu.au.