Packaging our diet with leafy greens is nothing new to us. Kale alone provides benefits such as promoting healthy digestion, providing nutrients like iron and vitamin K, and supporting liver health, while spinach is indeed a source of even better of iron, magnesium, and folate than his trendy sibling.
But in the case of this study, it is a different combination that may be linked to supporting lower body muscle activity: nitrates. “Our study has shown that diets high in nitrate-rich vegetables can independently boost muscle strength from any physical activity,” explained lead researcher Marc Sim, Ph.D., of the Institute of Nutritional Research Edith Cowan University In addition to these classic greens, the researchers noted that beets can be a major source of a healthy diet nitrates.
Notably, in their study data from 3,759 Australians who participated in the 12-year study, those with the highest levels of dietary nitrates had 11% lower limits than those with the in- take the lowest nitrate – but it is important to note that these decisions seem to be based not solely on diet.
Sim further explains: “To make the most of muscle activity we recommend a balanced diet full of green leafy vegetables in conjunction with regular exercise, including weight training, on very appropriate. “