If you want to stay healthy and fit as you age, you’ll want to eat the kind of diet that will keep your bones strong while also doing the same for your muscles.
To do the latter, you’ll want to make sure you get enough protein in your meals. However, it turns out that there is one type of protein that is better than others when it comes to keeping muscles strong as we age.
TO study which was published in Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle He took a look at data on more than 85,000 women who were over the age of 60 and noted who among them was experiencing a higher “risk of frailty,” which includes “low strength.” The result was apparently protein bound.
Related: The #1 Best Juice to Drink Every Day, Science Says
Although meat was the main way that study participants got protein, the researchers found that eating plant proteins, as opposed to animal or dairy proteins, had better results when it came to reducing the risk of frailty.
“Among the general population, diets lacking animal protein are often met with unfounded skepticism,” sad bettera registered dietitian at Balance One Supplements, an environmental health specialist, and an adjunct professor of nutrition, says Eat this, not that!“While I know that a plant-based diet will have better health outcomes than a primarily animal-based diet, these findings around frailty are still very interesting to hear.”
Best also points out that it makes sense for a plant based diet rich in vegetable protein would produce positive results in these areas. The main difference between animal and plant proteins is the amino acids that most contain, she says.
According to the MedlinePlus from the National Library of Medicine“When proteins are digested or broken down, amino acids remain.”
When this happens, our bodies use amino acids to make proteins to help the body do various things, like repair body tissue. Muscle tissue is among the four main types of tissue in our body that surely benefits in this way.
“Protein is made up of 20 amino acids, nine of which must be ingested through external sources, as the body cannot produce them on its own,” says Best. “Animal proteins contain these nine essential amino acids, while most plant proteins do not, although there are some.”
However, this is not too worrisome considering some intentional combinations of vegetable food can make a complete protein (a protein that contains all nine essential amino acids).
“For example, hummus and pita chips and beans and rice can be combined to make a complete plant protein,” says Best.
To learn more about how your diet can keep your muscles in tip-top shape, be sure to read The 25 Best Foods To Eat To Define And Tone Muscle.
Subscribe to our newsletter!
