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A recent report that the mineral selenium may have some role to play in muscle strength. I doubt this would result in any one chaning there diet here (given that tuna, salmon are extremely rich in it, and oats, eggs, and other meats are good sources of it), but I'd add the article anyway. Brazil nuts are the best source, but I can't say I know what they taste like
Mineral for muscle strength
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August 23, 2007 - 3:41PM
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AdvertisementOlder adults with low levels of the mineral selenium may be lacking in muscle strength, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that in a group of men and women age 65 and up, those with the lowest blood levels of selenium were at greatest risk of poor muscle strength around the hips, knees and hands.
People commonly lose muscle mass and strength as they age, which contributes to falls, injuries and illness in elderly adults. The new findings, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggest that low selenium levels may be one of the reasons for age-related muscle weakness.
It's too soon, however, to recommend selenium supplements for stronger muscles, according to the researchers. More studies are needed to see whether extra selenium benefits older muscles, they conclude. Food sources of selenium include grains, certain nuts, like Brazil nuts, and some meats and seafood, such as beef and tuna.
"To our knowledge, this is the first study to show an association between plasma selenium concentrations and poor muscle strength in older adults," write Dr. Fulvio Lauretani, of the Tuscany Regional Agency in Florence, Italy, and his colleagues.
Selenium is a mineral that people require in only small amounts. The body incorporates it into proteins called selenoproteins, which act as antioxidant enzymes; antioxidants, in turn, help protect body cells from damage.
According to Lauretani's team, older adults with low selenium may have 'suboptimal' selenoprotein activity in their muscles, contributing to deteriorations in strength.
The findings are based on 891 older adults who gave blood samples and went through a series of muscle-strength tests. In general, the one quarter of participants with the lowest selenium levels were twice as likely to have poor muscle strength as the quarter of adults with the highest selenium levels.
Selemium level is one of a range of other factors, like chronic disease, overall calorie intake and weight, which must also be taken into account, according to the researchers.
"It is unclear," they write, "whether a higher dietary intake of selenium will improve or maintain muscle strength in older community-dwelling adults with low plasma selenium concentrations."
Future studies, they add, should look at whether selenium supplements slow age-related declines in muscle strength in older adults deficient in the mineral.
Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, August 2007.
Mineral for muscle strength
Email Print Normal font Large font New York
August 23, 2007 - 3:41PM
Advertisement
AdvertisementOlder adults with low levels of the mineral selenium may be lacking in muscle strength, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that in a group of men and women age 65 and up, those with the lowest blood levels of selenium were at greatest risk of poor muscle strength around the hips, knees and hands.
People commonly lose muscle mass and strength as they age, which contributes to falls, injuries and illness in elderly adults. The new findings, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggest that low selenium levels may be one of the reasons for age-related muscle weakness.
It's too soon, however, to recommend selenium supplements for stronger muscles, according to the researchers. More studies are needed to see whether extra selenium benefits older muscles, they conclude. Food sources of selenium include grains, certain nuts, like Brazil nuts, and some meats and seafood, such as beef and tuna.
"To our knowledge, this is the first study to show an association between plasma selenium concentrations and poor muscle strength in older adults," write Dr. Fulvio Lauretani, of the Tuscany Regional Agency in Florence, Italy, and his colleagues.
Selenium is a mineral that people require in only small amounts. The body incorporates it into proteins called selenoproteins, which act as antioxidant enzymes; antioxidants, in turn, help protect body cells from damage.
According to Lauretani's team, older adults with low selenium may have 'suboptimal' selenoprotein activity in their muscles, contributing to deteriorations in strength.
The findings are based on 891 older adults who gave blood samples and went through a series of muscle-strength tests. In general, the one quarter of participants with the lowest selenium levels were twice as likely to have poor muscle strength as the quarter of adults with the highest selenium levels.
Selemium level is one of a range of other factors, like chronic disease, overall calorie intake and weight, which must also be taken into account, according to the researchers.
"It is unclear," they write, "whether a higher dietary intake of selenium will improve or maintain muscle strength in older community-dwelling adults with low plasma selenium concentrations."
Future studies, they add, should look at whether selenium supplements slow age-related declines in muscle strength in older adults deficient in the mineral.
Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, August 2007.
