Salad, cabbage, broccoli, spinach, watercress, lettuce… Eating green leafy vegetables can stimulate muscle function independently of any physical activity.
- High Nitrate Concentration in Green Leafy Vegetables Helps Build Muscle
- Muscle function is important for maintaining good general health and in particular maintaining strong bones
Eat spinach and get strong like Popeye! Remember this sailor who suddenly became super muscular after eating supposedly iron-rich spinach, with his biceps swelling into the shape of two anvils? Spinach actually contains very little iron but helps to inflate the muscles thanks to a high concentration of nitrates. In a study published on March 24 in the Journal of NutritionAustralian researchers from Edith-Cowan University (ECU) show that eating green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, daily stimulates muscle function.
Strengthen the bones
Researchers looked at data from 3,759 volunteers collected over a 12-year period through the study AusDiab of Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute from Melbourne. They found that those with the highest regular nitrate intake had 11% stronger muscle strength than those with the lowest nitrate intake. They even showed up to 4% faster walking speed. All without additional physical activity. “These findings provide important evidence for the role diet plays in overall health.concluded Dr. Marc Sim who works at ECU’s Nutrition Research Institute and the study’s principal investigator. Our study showed that diets high in nitrate-rich vegetables can boost your muscle strength independent of any physical activity.”
Muscle function is important for maintaining good general health and especially bone strength later in life. In particular, it helps to avoid the risk of falls and fractures. “To optimize muscle function, we suggest that a balanced diet rich in green leafy vegetables be combined with regular exercise, including strength training”, advises Dr. Marc Sim.
Eat it daily
Green leafy vegetables appear to be the richest in nitrates. “Although green leafy vegetables are among our least favorite vegetables, they might be the most important.”, continues Dr. Sim. These vegetables include lettuce, spinach, kale, broccoli, watercress, arugula, endives and even beets. “We should eat a variety of vegetables every day, with at least one of these servings of green leafy vegetables to achieve a range of musculoskeletal and cardiovascular system health benefits.”, advises the researcher.
The researchers point out that it is best to avoid taking nitrate supplements. “It’s also better to eat nitrate-rich vegetables as part of a healthy diet than to take supplements.they write. Green leafy vegetables provide a range of vitamins and minerals essential for health.”
