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Eating just one cup of leafy green vegetables a day is enough to improve and build muscle strength, according to a new study. The results were published in the recent issue of Nutrition Journal.
Researchers at the Australian Edith Cowan University (ECU) looked at twelve years of health data from more than 3,700 participants in the AusDiab study at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne.
Improved muscle strength
According to the researchers, leafy greens high in nitrates, including spinach, kale, chard and a range of lettuce, were associated with increased muscle performance. Those who consumed the highest levels of nitrates on a daily basis showed 11% more leg strength compared to those who consumed the least. Frequent greens eaters also walked faster than those who didn’t eat as many greens – up to four percent faster than the low-eating group.
Lead researcher Dr Marc Sim of the ECU’s Nutritional Research Institute says the findings underscore the benefits of consuming leafy green vegetables daily.
“Our study showed that diets high in vegetables high in nitrates can build muscle strength independent of any physical activity,” he said.
“Nevertheless, to optimize muscle function, we suggest that a balanced diet rich in green leafy vegetables in combination with regular exercise, including strength training, is ideal.”
The many benefits of leafy greens
A diet high in plant-based foods, especially leafy greens, has been linked to a number of health benefits. The USDA recommends at least three one-cup servings of dark leafy green vegetables per week, but a growing body of research points to the benefits of eating more than the recommended minimum.
A 2010 study found that a one-and-a-half-cup serving of leafy greens per day reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes by 14%.
The new research also highlights the link between vegetables and heart health. ECU researchers recently looked at the benefits of cruciferous vegetables and blood vessel health in this study.
Another study, in 2017, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, examined seven decades of health and diet data. This research found a strong correlation between the consumption of leafy greens and improved and lasting health.
In this research, ten servings of fruits and vegetables per day is the sweet spot. The USDA recommends between five and 13 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables per day.
“Less protects you from illness and premature death,” says Ocean Robbins, CEO of Food Revolution Network. “People who reached the magic number of 10 were 31% less likely to die, throughout education, than those who ate little or no food at all.”
The research results, according to Robbins, prevent seven million premature deaths per year.
“And not only would we live longer, but we would also have a dramatically improved quality of life,” he says.
There is other research linking longevity and diet. Recent research points to the benefits of a plant-based diet on gut health, which has been linked to longer lifespan. He found biomarkers of various gut microbiomes in healthy people over the age of 80, which was indicative of a diet rich in plant-based foods.
Reprogram your diet to eat more green vegetables
The problem, of course, is that too many people prefer to eat fries and vegetable pizza. There is also research on why this happens – processed foods are more likely to trigger addictive reactions than healthy foods.
But you can reprogram your preferences. Diet apps like Noom can help. But perhaps the easiest way to eat healthy is to keep doing it.
“[If] you’re trying to figure out how to eat more vegetables, and you don’t really care, your best strategy is to just keep eating them, ”says Robbins. “It might seem like a double bind – to love vegetables you have to eat vegetables you don’t like – but in practice it’s quite doable. And change can happen quite quickly. “
There is data to back it up. Studies have shown that early and frequent exposure to healthy foods – even in the womb – can make healthy foods more palatable to children, even if the mother has stopped consuming these foods while breastfeeding. This study found that repeated exposure was more effective in acclimating children to healthier foods than the promise of a reward like ice cream for eating healthier options first.
Greens and bone health
Dr. Sim’s research also highlights the need for strong muscle function to prevent falls and bone fractures, especially in aging populations. There is also another advantage. Leafy greens high in calcium can also help prevent osteoporosis.
While milk is often touted as a necessity for bone health and osteoporosis prevention, leafy green vegetables like kale contain more calcium per serving than whole milk. (250 mg kale to 110 mg dairy per 100 g serving.)
“Although many people consider the calcium in the diet to be good protection for their bones, that is not the whole story at all,” according to the Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). “In fact, in a 12-year Harvard study of 78,000 women, those who drank milk three times a day actually broke more bones than women who drank milk infrequently. Likewise, a 1994 study of older men and women in Sydney, Australia, found that higher consumption of dairy products was associated with an increased risk of fracture. Those who consumed the most dairy products had about double the risk of hip fracture compared to those who consumed the lowest, ”notes the group.
“The healthiest sources of calcium are green leafy vegetables and legumes, or ‘greens and beans’ for short,” says PCRM. “Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, kale, mustard greens, swiss chard and other green vegetables are loaded with highly absorbable calcium and a host of other healthy nutrients.
“We should eat a variety of vegetables every day, including at least one leafy green vegetable, in order to achieve a range of musculoskeletal and cardiovascular health benefits,” says Dr. Sim.
“It is also better to eat vegetables rich in nitrates as part of a healthy diet rather than taking supplements. Green leafy vegetables provide a range of essential vitamins and minerals essential for health.”
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