According to research published online on March 24, 2021, in The Journal of Nutrition, eating lots of veggies can enhance leg strength as well as heart health.
Over the course of 12 years, researchers collected dietary data from 3,759 participants (average age 48 years), including the types and amounts of food they consumed on a daily basis. The researchers concentrated on nitrate-rich meals, which have been related to improved vascular and muscular performance.
Leg strength and walking speed were tested at the conclusion of the 12-year period. A knee extension test was used to assess leg strength. The time it took participants to rise from a chair, walk eight feet, and return to the seated position was used to assess walking speed.
The researchers discovered that those who ate a high-nitrate diet of about 90 mg of nitrates per day, mostly from green leafy vegetables had stronger leg muscles and walked than those who ate half that amount.
Nitrates may assist with muscular strength and power by increasing blood flow and eliminating waste that causes discomfort, according to the study. The most healthy greens were lettuce, spinach, arugula, and kale, according to the findings. In a cup of leafy greens, there is around 75 mg of nitrates.
