From today we have a new ally to protect muscle mass and counteract the risk of sarcopenia, rosemary. In fact, rosemary leaves, thanks to their active ingredient, carnosol, have been shown to stimulate muscle growth. This emerged thanks to a very recent scientific research published in the journal Nutrients by a French team (Morel et al, Nutrients, 2021).
Loss of muscle mass and the risk of sarcopenia
Skeletal muscles, which are the muscles connected to the bones, represent about 40% of all the mass of our body. These muscles are essential for movement, posture and breathing. However, some conditions such as a sedentary lifestyle, diabetes and disease can cause a reduction in muscle mass, which in turn paves the way for sarcopenia. Sarcopenia, exacerbated by advancing age, is the loss of muscle mass, strength and functionality with an impairment in the quality of life and an increased risk of developing diseases. Moderate physical activity and a diet that includes essential amino acids are currently the best tools to prevent muscle loss. That's why science is continually researching which foods, herbs and spices can help protect muscle mass. Well, from today we know that an extra ally is added to the fight against sarcopenia, rosemary!
Rosemary stimulates the formation of new muscles
The researchers carried out experiments in the laboratory in which they tried to understand the action of rosemary leaf extracts on muscle cells. Well, what has emerged is that rosemary, thanks to its active ingredient, carnosol, is able to stimulate muscle growth, or hypertrophy. In fact, the health of our muscles is given by the correct balance between hypertrophy, or synthesis of proteins starting from muscle fibers, and atrophy, or degradation of proteins. In conditions of sarcopenia there is a prevalence of the atrophy phase. What the researchers observed is that rosemary extracts are able to stimulate hypertrophy and therefore the formation of proteins with subsequent muscle growth.
Conclusions
Rosemary is therefore an additional ally to protect muscles from the risk of sarcopenia. However, it should be emphasized that like any food, aromatic herbs and spices rosemary should be integrated into a varied and balanced diet without excess.
