Older adults gain muscle power with daily servings of everyday snack, study finds

A daily helping of one food in particular may help boost muscle power in older adults, according to a new study.

Adults 65 and older who consumed about three tablespoons of peanut butter for six months improved their performance on a key lower-body function test compared to a control group, researchers at Deakin University in Australia found.

The study, published last month in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, followed 120 older adults who were living alone and at risk of falls. 

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While walking speed did not improve, those who ate natural peanut butter were able to sit and stand up from a chair five times in a row at a rate of about 1.2 seconds faster than those who did not.

"In this trial, we measured different aspects or dimensions of physical function, such as mobility, balance, muscle power and muscle endurance," lead researcher Dr. Sze-Yen Tan, associate professor of nutrition at Deakin University’s Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, told Fox News Digital.

"Peanut butter intervention had a positive effect on muscle power, which is important for activities such as getting out of a chair and climbing the stairs — but it did not help older people walk faster," Tan said.

The five-times sit-to-stand test is an indicator of lower-body muscle power and functional independence, according to the researchers.

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"An improvement of 1.23 seconds may appear to be small, but previous studies suggest that a difference of 1 second is clinically meaningful and can potentially be associated with lower physical disability in the future," Tan said.

Muscle power — the ability to generate force quickly — is especially important for preventing falls, experts say.

"Many real-world tasks that prevent falls, such as catching oneself during a trip or rising quickly from a chair, depend heavily on rapid force production," said Dr. Sam Setareh, a cardiologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; he was not involved in the research.

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Participants in the peanut butter group also increased their protein and healthy fat intake without gaining weight over the six-month period.

Despite the encouraging results, Setareh cautioned that the improvement is modest.

"A change of this magnitude is small, but potentially relevant," he said. "From a clinical standpoint, it is encouraging but not practice-changing."

The study did not measure actual fall rates, fractures or hospitalizations, and found no improvements in overall strength.

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Researchers say further studies are needed to determine whether the improvements in muscle power translate into fewer falls, and whether frailer or protein-deficient seniors might see greater benefits.

Tan emphasized that peanut butter should not be viewed as a cure-all.

"Eating 43 grams per day over six months was found to be effective in increasing protein intake and better muscle power," she said. "It can be part of the habitual diets of older adults."

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Peanut butter is an affordable and familiar option for most older adults, she noted, and can be easy to eat for those with dental issues.

However, pairing protein intake with resistance and balance training is critical, Setareh added.

"The optimal strategy for fall prevention combines adequate protein intake with progressive resistance and balance training," he said.

The trial was funded by The Peanut Institute, a nonprofit based in Georgia — though Tan said the group was not involved in the study’s design, analysis or publication decisions.