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. 2024 Dec 27;14(1):43.
doi: 10.3390/foods14010043.

The Health Effects of Dietary Nitrate on Sarcopenia Development: Prospective Evidence from the UK Biobank

Jigen Na  1   2 , Yuefeng Tan  1   2 , Yanan Zhang  3 , Xiaona Na  1   2 , Xiaojin Shi  1   2 , Celi Yang  1   2 , Zhihui Li  1   2 , John S Ji  1   2 , Ai Zhao  1   2
Affiliations

The Health Effects of Dietary Nitrate on Sarcopenia Development: Prospective Evidence from the UK Biobank

Jigen Na et al. Foods. .

Abstract

Nitrate is abundant in natural foods, especially plant-based foods, having the potential to enhance muscle function. However, its relationship with sarcopenia in the context of daily diet remains unexplored. This cohort study investigated the associations between dietary nitrate intake and sarcopenia, as well as related symptoms, using data including 28,229 participants with a mean follow-up of 9.37 years from the UK Biobank. Dietary nitrate intake was estimated using a comprehensive nitrate food database. Adjusted logistic regression models suggested potential inverse associations between total nitrate intake and risks of sarcopenia plus pre-sarcopenia (Sarc-Presarc), low hand grip strength (HGS), and low walking pace. Similar results were primarily observed for nitrate from plant-based foods. With higher intake, females appeared to have higher HGS and a decreased risk of Sarc-Presarc, while males exhibited a reduced risk of low walking pace. The inverse association between nitrate intake and low skeletal muscle mass index was more evident in individuals aged 65 and above. These associations seemed independent of antioxidants, though higher antioxidants might augment the protective effect against low walking pace. Mediation analyses indicated that protein homeostasis and blood pressure might mediate these associations. These findings suggested that a higher dietary nitrate intake from plant-based foods could contribute to sarcopenia prevention, though further research is needed to confirm these observations.

Keywords: UK Biobank; cohort study; diet; nitrate; nutrient; sarcopenia.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart of inclusion and exclusion (Abbreviation: SD, standard difference).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Sources of dietary nitrate. (a) Proportion of dietary nitrate from different foods. (b) Proportion of dietary nitrate in different food groups.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Differences in regression results of dietary nitrate from different sources (Abbreviation: CI, confidence interval; HGS, hand grip strength; OR, odds ratio; Sarc-Presarc, sarcopenia plus pre-sarcopenia; SMI, skeletal muscle mass index).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Differences in regression results of different sex, age, and CDAI groups (Abbreviation: CDAI, composite dietary antioxidant index; CI, confidence interval; HGS, hand grip strength; OR, odds ratio; Sarc-Presarc, sarcopenia plus pre-sarcopenia; SMI, skeletal muscle mass index).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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