Red and Green Apples (Photo : Reuters)
A new study has discovered that an apple's and green tomato's peel can help to prevent muscle weakening and loss of mass in senior citizens. Researchers discovered that eating the fruits' skin for two months can transform an elderly person's atrophic muscles into those of a young adult.
The study was conducted by medical researchers at the University of Iowa. Their findings were published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Apples' and green tomatoes' peels can both jump-start the muscle tissue. That is due to their chemical properties.
Researchers hope that their breakthrough discovery could benefit senior citizens' lives. They could stay fit and physically active longer.
Muscle loss in old age is due to a protein called ATF4 that changes genetic structures, stealing proteins that muscles need to stay strong. This leads to muscle loss and then strength.
The study's researchers discovered two natural compounds that lower ATF4 activity, according to Daily Mail. One is ursolic acid, which is contained in apple peels. The other is tomatidine, which is found in green tomatoes.
Muscle weakness and loss is a major problem as humans become older. It can also be devastating on people's health and quality of life.
In early tests researchers used ursolic acid and tomatidine to treat muscle weakness and loss due to old age. The chemicals boosted muscle mass by 10 percent and muscle "quality" by 30 percent. It took just two months.
The chemicals in apples' and green tomatoes' skins lower ATF4 activity, according to Daily Times Gazette. This reverses aging's effects on skeletal muscle.
The loss of muscle tissue frequently starts in men during their 20s. Meanwhile, atrophy often begins in women in their 40s.
