Researchers Say Plant-based Foods Helps Offset Loss of Muscle Mass

Ask any body builder about their diet, and they’re likely to give you a three-word response: protein, protein, protein.

Granted, the protein found in lean beef, poultry, fish and soy is an absolutely critical part of the body builder’s diet, as protein serves as the “building block” the body needs to repair and redevelop the muscles that get broken down through life’s experiences, particularly weightlifting. But weightlifters – and society in general – would be wise to put   more vegetables on their plate than protein if they’re at all interested in preserving those hard-earned muscles.

According to research that was recently published in the March 2008 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, plant-based foods high in potassium helps preserve muscle mass, which invariably decreases as one ages.

The research, spearheaded by nutrition specialist Bess Dawson-Hughes from Tufts University, was three years in length and involved 400 men and women aged 65 or older. Each of the volunteers had several things measured at the start and conclusion of the study, such as their height, weight, lean body mass, and urinary potassium content. Volunteers also provided the researchers with information on how much physical activity they performed on average. In between that time, the volunteers were charged with keeping track of their daily eating habits and reporting back to the researchers after 18 months.

At the study’s conclusion, the researchers found that volunteers’ diets the richest in potassium had 3.6 pounds more lean body mass tissue compared to those whose diets were lower in potassium. As the researchers note in their study, the amount of lean body mass of those with diets rich in potassium nearly offsets the average amount of muscle mass men and women lose in the course of a decade after the age of 65: about 4.4 pounds.

What explains this? Well, the researchers believe that the potassium found in plant-based foods helps offset the acid that break down the body’s muscles, the acid coming from acid-producing foods like meats, cheeses, beans, nuts and grains (various fruits and vegetables are acid-producing as well; oranges and grapefruits not included, believe it or not). Potassium-rich foods contain high amounts of alkaline, which is believed to be the thing that helps neutralize the acid that eats away at muscle mass as we age.

So, what plant-based foods are high in alkaline? The list is long, but a handful of some of the most commonly eaten vegetables includes broccoli, tomatoes, lettuce, celery, mushrooms, cabbage, spinach, onions and cauliflower. For fruits, try bananas, oranges (while acidic, they have alkalizing effects when metabolized), grapefruit (same goes for grapefruit), apples, apricots and strawberries.

Acid-producing foods include noodles of various varieties (spaghetti, macaroni, etc.) beef, blueberries, winter squash, bran, cashews, haddock, salmon, and shrimp.

As you can see, acid-producing foods include those that any one with half a brain would advise you eat, not avoid. So this finding is not to suggest that you swear off acid-producing foods. After all, too much alkaline isn’t good either.

Just remember that preserving muscle mass is not relegated to consuming enough protein. Based on the researchers’ results, it’s also about piling your plate with potassium-rich, alkalizing foods, primarily found in certain fruits and vegetables.