Muscles are part of the locomotive system and, as they are organs of active movement, need nourishment. Knowing which foods to prefer or to avoid is essential in order to have healthy muscles and to preserve and boost their strength and growth.
In the human body there are about 450 muscles, and they constitute 40% of the total body weight.
Our body needs muscles to carry out any action, such as breathing, smiling, walking, lifting weights, eating and so on.
Which are the right foods to eat in order to have healthy and strong muscles?
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12 Foods to Prefer:
#1 – Veal: veal is extremely rich in essential amino acids and creatine, which is a protein useful to boost muscle mass.
#2 – Eggs: thanks to their lecithin content, eggs help synchronize muscle and nervous systems activity. In addition to lecithin, eggs are among those foods rich in vitamin D, which is essential to healthy tendons.
#3 – Chicken: eating chicken is helpful to the formation of muscle tissue.
#4 – Dairy foods: are precious sources of organic calcium, responsible for nervous impulses transfer. Eating dairy products may also be helpful in case of muscle pain.
#5 – Vegetables and green salads: Broccoli, asparagus and different kinds of green salads – all of them are rich in magnesium, which is extremely helpful in case of muscle fatigue.
#6 – Mackerel: is extremely rich in omega-6 and omega-3 fats – precious sources of energy for our muscles.
#7 – Pine-apple: this fruit is rich in bromelain, which is an enzyme involved in the digestion of proteins and their transformation into muscle mass. Bromelain, moreover, protects muscles from fatigue and inflammation.
#8 – Green tea: not only is this beverage rich in antioxidants, but it also helps muscle resistance.
#9 – Turmeric: this spice has proven to help regenerate muscle tissues.
#10 – Buckwheat: it is extremely rich in those amino acids essential to muscle mass growth.
#11 – Almonds: they contain a large amount of vitamin E, and help muscles regenerate, especially after traumas.
#12 – Red pepper: it is extremely rich in Vitamin C. Red peppers contain much more of this vitamin than lemons and blueberries. Vitamin C has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and stimulates the formation of collagen – one of the most important proteins in our body, and the main stringy element in our tendons and muscles.
5 Foods to Avoid for Healthy Muscles:
#1 – Sugar: if you want to keep your muscles healthy, you have to limit the intake of those foods rich in sugar, such as sweets, biscuits, brioches, candy etc.
#2 – Fat-rich foods: eating extremely fat foods may stop calcium absorption, essential to the proper functioning of our muscles.
#3- Fried foods: The toxic substances which are given off during the process of frying foods may irritate nervous fibers, causing a reduction in the production of muscle cells.
#4 – Alcohol: it blocks calcium absorption; drinking too much alcohol may lead to muscle tissues decline.
#5 – Preservatives : they impair digestion and nutrients absorption, thus affecting the health of our muscles.
Thank you for reading and if you find the article The best foods for healthy muscles – foods to prefer and foods to avoid useful, please comment below and share it so other people can benefit from it as well!
Marina,
Good post, I liked how you organized the foods and focused on the positives of what is good to eat versus a list of things not to eat. I think my favorites were the pineapple and tumeric. Each both have anti-inflammatory properties which are good since I have celiac disease (an auto-immune disease of the small intestines) so I fight inflammation a lot. But these natural foods can help calm down those areas.
Thanks for sharing! ~ Johanna
Hi Johanna, I like pineapple too. Thanks for your comment.
Yes, high-quality, nutrient-dense unprocessed foods are so much better for overall health and muscle building!
Hi Sara, you are absolutely right. Thanks a lot for your feedback.
Very informative! Nutrition is at the top of my priorities in 2018.
Hi Jamie, I am glad you liked it. Thanks for your feedback.
Always good to read articles like this as reminders of the importance of taking foods that can improve our healthy. Keeping this for future reference. Thanks.
Improving one’s health is a must, at any age! Thanks for your comment, John.