Research suggests that eating three tablespoons of peanut butter per day can help increase muscle strength in older adults. Researchers in Melbourne Australiafound that those who ate 43g daily were able to complete the sit and stand test faster than those who stuck to their regular diet. Peanut butter eaters increased their energy and unsaturated fat intake but did not gain weight during the six-month study.
Study leader Dr Sayen Tan, Associate Professor and Nutrition Researcher at Deakin University, said: “Being able to complete tests faster means improved muscle strength. Strength allows older people to perform daily activities such as climbing stairs and getting up from a chair. Increased strength also reduces the risk of falls, which are a common cause of loss of independence, poor quality of life and even premature death.”
The study involved 120 independently living adults between the ages of 66 and 89. The sit-to-stand test asked participants to rise from a chair as quickly as possible with their arms crossed over their chest.
Those in the peanut butter group performed better on this test. However, similar improvements were not seen in the walking speed test, the stepping test, or the test of getting up from a chair, walking around the cone, and sitting down again.
The researchers, writing in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, said this suggests that the benefits of increased peanut butter intake are limited to improving muscle strength.
They wrote: “Evidence shows that muscle strength declines faster and more significantly with age than muscle strength or muscle mass.
“Our findings regarding muscle strength are also clinically important, as low relative muscle strength is an indicator of limited mobility and is associated with a higher likelihood of self-reported walking difficulties.
“Recent study results further indicate that the dynamic nature of muscle strength is more important for survival and independence than maximal strength. Therefore, the improvements in muscle strength recorded in our study are clinically important.”
Dr Tan said it is possible to consume peanut butter regularly alongside strength training to increase muscle strength.
He added: “A naturally rich source of nutrients, including protein and healthy fats, peanut butter can be an accessible, affordable, and delicious alternative to commercial oral nutrition.” supplement.
“More importantly, peanut butter is familiar to most people, including older adults, and the butter’s shape also makes it suitable for people with dental problems who have difficulty eating whole nuts.”
This study received funding from the Peanut Butter Institute Foundation, which had no role in study design, conduct, analysis, or data interpretation.
