Filling our diet with vegetables is nothing new for us. Kale alone provides benefits such as promoting healthy digestion, providing nutrients like iron and vitamin K and supporting liver health, while spinach is actually an even better source of iron, magnesium and folate than its fashion brother.
But, in the case of this study, it is a different compound that may be related to the support of the muscular function of the lower part of the body: nitrates. “Our study showed that diets high in nitrate-rich vegetables can increase your muscle strength regardless of any physical activity,” explains researcher Marc Sim, Ph.D., of the Nutrition Research Institute at Edith Cowan University. In addition to classic vegetables, the researchers noted that beet can be an important source of healthy dietary nitrates.
Specifically, in their survey data of 3,759 Australians who participated in a 12-year study, those who had the highest dietary nitrate intake in general had 11% stronger lower limbs than those with the lowest nitrate intake, but it is important observing these findings is probably not just based on diet.
Sim further explains: “To optimize muscle function, we propose that a balanced diet rich in green leafy vegetables in combination with regular exercise, including weight training, is ideal.”