Muscle atrophy typically occurs at a rate of 1 percent annually in people aged 50 or older, but can be mitigated by eating more chicken, John Tung Foundation nutritionist Sheu Hui-yu (許惠玉) said.
Sarcopenia — gradual muscle loss that occurs with age — affects 23.6 percent of men and 18.6 percent of women in Taiwan, Sheu said.
However, eating chicken can help mitigate the effects of the condition due to its high content of the amino acid arginine, as it relaxes blood vessels and improves circulation, she said.
Chicken is also easier for older people to chew, as it is less fibrous than red meat, she said, adding that it also contains less saturated fats.
Muscle atrophy is of growing concern in Taiwan, due to the nation’s aging population, Sheu said, adding that sarcopenia is often accompanied by osteoporosis and other bone-related conditions.
Bone injuries often heavily affect an older person’s mobility even after recovery, as being bed-ridden for five days causes up to 1kg of muscle to deteriorate, she said, citing research published in the Netherlands.
Between the ages of 30 and 60, the average person loses about 230g of muscle mass per year, while gaining 450g of fat, which might lead to sarcopenic obesity, Sheu said.
“Those with muscle atrophy tend to eat fatty meat, less meat overall and more soft, starchy foods. They also tend to eat at irregular times,” she said.
Especially older people with chewing problems should eat more protein-rich foods and eat a sufficient number of calories, Sheu said.
Dispelling a common myth, Chen Yi-cheng (陳億乘), a professor at National Taiwan University, said that farms generally do not add growth hormones to chicken feed, as this would not be cost-effective.
Good breeding and nutrition, as well as a good farm environment, cause chickens to grow fast, he said.
Another myth is that it is unhealthy to eat meat from chickens that have been fed antibiotic additives, but this is untrue as chickens metabolize the antibiotics quickly, he said.
Meanwhile, the Council of Agriculture said that starting next year, it would introduce new labeling regulations for chicken meat, allowing people to make informed decisions when making purchases.
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