At the KAHN CENTER, we teach a whole food plant-based diet using healthy recipes, preferably home made. Patients read and listen to posts by doctors saying "you have to eat muscle to build muscle" and queston if they should add in animal flesh to avoid muscle loss (sarcopenia).
A new study investigated the association between adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet (plant-based) and the prevalence of sarcopenia as well as sarcopenic obesity in adults.
The study included 9,672 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The researchers developed an EAT-Lancet score based on 24-hour dietary recall data and grouped the participants according to the quartiles of this score.
Among the 9,672 participants, 910 (9.4%) were identified with sarcopenia, and 607 (6.3%) were identified with sarcopenic obesity.
After adjusting for potential confounders, the risk of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity in those most adherent to the EAt-Lancet diet were 28% and 42% lower, resepectively, than those in the least adherent group.
highest quartile groups were 0.72 (0.54–0.95) and 0.58 (0.42–0.82), respectively, compared to those in the lowest quartile group. Every increment of increased adherence to the diet (plant-based), the reduced the risk of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity observed.
The study indicated that adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet was associated with a lower risk of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity, with this association partially mediated by inflammatory biomarkers.
Sarcopenia is the age-related loss of muscle mass, strength, and function, leading to a decline in physical ability and an increased risk of falls. It is most commonly caused by aging and physical inactivity, but other factors like chronic diseases, poor nutrition, and hormonal changes can also contribute. The condition can be managed and potentially reversed through a combination of resistance exercises and an optimized diet, especially focusing on high protein and vitamin D intake.
It is reassuring to know that the EAT-Lancet diet pattern stressing whole plant foods, protects patients from loss of muscle mass and strength. The diet, also known as the Planetary diet, recommends:
