Fruit a day keeps muscles in top shape in old age
Wednesday December 16 2020
older people who eat plenty of vitamin C - commonly found in citrus fruits, berries and vegetables - have the best skeletal muscle mass. PHOTO | SHUTTERSTOCK
By SARAH OOKO
Summary
For physical strength and ability, the body relies on skeletal muscles, which exist throughout the body. These are the only type that people can voluntarily control.
According to new research conducted by scientists from the University of East Anglia (UEA), older people who eat plenty of vitamin C - commonly found in citrus fruits, berries and vegetables - have the best skeletal muscle mass.
Vitamin C can preserve muscle mass in people over 50
A new study reveals that older people who eat plenty of vitamin C –commonly found in citrus fruits, berries and vegetables- have the best skeletal muscle mass. This is important because people tend to lose skeletal muscle mass as they get older.
According to researcher Prof Ailsa Welch, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, people lose skeletal muscle mass and strength as they age. “People over 50 lose up to one per cent of their skeletal muscle mass each year, and this loss is thought to affect more than 50 million people worldwide. It’s a big problem, because it can lead to frailty and other poor outcomes such as sarcopenia, physical disability, type-2 diabetes, reduced quality of life and death.”