According to a new study published by Edith Cowan University (ECU) in the Journal of Nutrition, nadeating just one cup of leafy green vegetables per day could boost muscle function significantly due to the nitrates content. Specifically, people who consumed a nitrate-rich diet had significantly better lower limb function, which is associated to a reduced risk of falls and fractures, and is considered a key indicator of general health and wellbeing.
 
Researchers examined data from 3,759 Australians taking part in Mebourne’s Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute AusDiab study over a 12-year period. They found those with the highest regular nitrate consumption had 11% stronger lower limb strength than those with the lowest nitrate intake. Up to 4% faster walking speeds were also recorded, the authors of the study said.
 
“Our study has shown that diets high in nitrate-rich vegetables may bolster your muscle strength independently of any physical activity,” Dr. Marc Sim, lead researcher from ECU’s Institute for Nutrition Research, said. “Nevertheless, to optimize muscle function we propose that a balanced diet rich in green leafy vegetables in combination with regular exercise, including weight training, is ideal.”
 
“With around one in three Australians aged over 65 suffering a fall each year, its’ important to find ways of preventing these events and their potentially serious consequences,” Sim continued.
 
According to the authors, while lettuce, spinach, kale, and beetroot are among the least favored vegetables by Australians, they provided the greatest health benefits in the study. “Less than one in ten Australians eat the recommended five to six serves of vegetables per day,” Sim said. “We should be eating a variety of vegetables every day, with at least one of those serves being leafy greens to gain a range of positive health benefits for the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular system. It’s also better to eat nitrate-rich vegetables as part of a healthy diet rather than taking supplements. Green leafy vegetables provide a whole range of essential vitamins and minerals critical for health.”
 
Sim said that the next step of his research will be exploring strategies to increase leafy green vegetable consumption in the general population.
 
“We are currently recruiting for the MODEL study, which examines how knowledge of disease can be used to prompt people into making long-term improvements to their diet and exercise,” Sim said.