Washington: Good news for vegetarians who wish to enhance muscles mass! As a study reveals that eating legumes, nuts and kale may provide the same strength as a meat-eater gets.
The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The results suggested that swapping meat and eggs for lentils, nuts, cereals, beans and soya could add years to someone’s life and substantially reduced death rates.
According to researchers from University of Massachusetts, animal-based proteins provide the same effects for maintaining muscle strength.
“High protein diets do benefit most individuals. It can be beneficial to maintaining muscle mass and strength – particularly as we age,” said study author Dr Kelsey Mangano.
They investigated 2,986 people about their diets and found that 82 percent of participants were getting the recommended daily amount of protein.
Their diets fell into one of six patterns: fast food and full fat dairy, fish, red meat, chicken, low fat milk, and legumes.
Muscle mass, strength and bone density were then assessed to see if dietary patterns had an impact.
Those who consumed the most protein had the most muscle mass and stronger quadriceps, the muscle in front of the thigh were stronger.
The most protein was the equivalent of 4oz (126g) for a 70kg – while the lowest was around 2oz (52g).
But, the results did not change based on someone’s dietary pattern.
Someone getting a large amount of protein from red meat was benefiting as much as a person eating just legumes.
Mortality from heart disease fell 12 per cent, and deaths from all causes fell by 10 per cent, Massachusetts General Hospital researchers found. (ANI)