Another fun fact of getting older…it gets harder to open pickle jars. Your muscles naturally get weaker—atrophy—as you age. Weaker muscles make it’s difficult for you to perform simple daily tasks or take care of yourself.
But maintaining muscle during aging is vital. Decreased mass and strength can leave you weak and even at risk for falling and breaking a bone. While exercise is the best way to build muscle mass, you can keep them from wasting by eating a common fruit.1
This fruit is already known for its antioxidants and anti-aging benefits. Researchers have found it also contains a natural chemical that blocks muscle atrophy.
The researchers looked at the muscle gene activity in older people suffering from atrophy. They figured out which genes were turned on or off in a study published in the journal Cell Metabolism. They then used that information to find chemicals in the fruit that can block the deterioration of muscle.
They tested the chemical from the fruit on animals. It protected them from muscle atrophy caused by both fasting and nerve damage.
| Want to look younger? Control your blood sugar with an apple. Even though they have carbohydrates, the polyphenols in apples lower the rate of sugar absorption. So you avoid sugar spikes that cause the inflammation and cell damage that leads to advanced aging. |
Even better, it increased both the size and strength of their muscles.
The natural chemical researchers found is called ursolic acid. It’s found in this powerhouse fruit…
Apples. This active compound is concentrated mostly in the peels. It helps your muscles by enhancing two hormones: insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and muscle insulin.
These are your muscle-building and “youth” hormones. They slow down aging and repair your tissues.
The ursolic acid helps increase muscle weight without increasing total body weight. In fact, the study showed it actually reduced body fat and lowered cholesterol. High cholesterol affects your hormones—including your growth hormone.
Make sure to eat the entire apple to get the biggest benefit. Among fruits, apples have the highest level of pesticides.2 So always buy organic.
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References:
1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21641545
2 http://www.nbcnews.com/id/37986527/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/t/it-worth-it-buy-organic/