For individuals past 50 years of age looking to add muscle, Vitamin C could be the key to a study by the University of East Anglia. Senior gym enthusiasts can now consider adding vitamin C to their shopping list, helping them have strong and healthy skeletal muscle mass.
Older adults can prevent muscle loss by consuming vitamin C
As one gets old, loss of muscles and power is one of the common aspects of wrinkles and gray hair. Sometimes the loss of muscles can result in medical conditions like sarcopenia, frailty as well as low quality of life. The study established that older individuals that consume food rich in Vitamin C, such as berries, citrus fruits, and vegetables, are likely to have better skeletal muscle mass.
The lead researcher stated that as people get older, Professor Alisa Welch stated that they lose skeletal muscle strength and mass. Seniors lose around 1% of skeletal muscle mass every year, affecting close to 50 million people globally. Alisa explained that this is a big problem that can result in frailty and other poor outcomes like sarcopenia, type 2 diabetes, physical disability, poor quality of life, and even death.
Vitamin C prevents radical substances from cells and tissues
He continued to state that vitamin C is connected to skeletal muscle mass as it helps in defending tissues and cells, thus making the body free from harmful radical substances. If unopposed, free radicals can result in muscle destruction, which speeds up age-related deterioration. To date, there have been few studies in the role of vitamin C in older people. Alisa added that this study sought to establish a correlation between more Vitamin C consumption and skeletal muscle in individuals above 50 years.
The study evaluated 13,000 individuals between 42 and 82 years who took part in the European prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Norfolk Study. Results suggested that dietary vitamin c intake is vital in preventing skeletal muscle loss in older people.