Fresh Fruit (photo by Christine, courtesy of morguefile.com)

Just in case you needed another reason to eat more fruits and veggies, a newly released study by Agricultural Research Service-funded scientists suggests plant foods may help preserve muscle mass in older men and women. As an article about the study from the USDA points out, it is already well known that, “Fruits and vegetables contain essential vitamins, minerals and fiber that are key to good health.”

The new study was led by physician and nutrition specialist Bess Dawson-Hughes at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts.

According to the USDA article:

The typical American diet is rich in protein, cereal grains and other acid-producing foods. In general, such diets generate tiny amounts of acid each day. With aging, a mild but slowly increasing metabolic "acidosis" develops, according to the researchers.

Acidosis appears to trigger a muscle-wasting response. So the researchers looked at links between measures of lean body mass and diets relatively high in potassium-rich, alkaline-residue producing fruits and vegetables. Such diets could help neutralize acidosis. Foods can be considered alkaline or acidic based on the residues they produce in the body, rather than whether they are alkaline or acidic themselves. For example, acidic grapefruits are metabolized to alkaline residues.

If you’d like to read the USDA article cited above go to: Plant Foods for Preserving Muscle Mass