One serving of leafy green vegetables every day may make our muscles stronger, according to new research from Edith Cowan University in Australia.
The researchers looked at data from 3,800 Australian men and women collected over 12 years. The results showed that the leg muscles used to extend the knee were 11% stronger among participants with the highest nitrate intake, a median of 91 milligrams a day, compared to those who ate the least, a median of 47 milligrams. Participants with the highest nitrate intake were also found to have up to 4% faster walking speeds.
Most of these nitrates came from leafy green vegetables. Spinach — which is very nitrate rich — had the biggest benefits according to the study, along with cabbage, lettuce and even beetroot.
"We should be eating a variety of vegetables every day, with at least one of those [servings] being leafy greens," said lead researcher Dr. Marc Sim.
To get the most out of our muscles, Sim suggests a balanced diet rich in leafy greens and doing regular exercise, including weight training. However, Sim said that less than one in 10 Australians eat the recommended five to six servings of vegetables a day. He also said eating real vegetables is better than taking supplements.
Strong muscles are critical for our health, especially as we get older, because having weaker muscles has been linked to a higher risk of falling and fracturing bones.
"With around one in three Australians aged over 65 suffering a fall each year, it's important to find ways to prevent these events," said Sim.
Sim said the researchers now want to look at ways to increase leafy green consumption among the general population.
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