Peanut butter study helps older adults

Muscle power is the quick force older adults use to rise from a chair, climb stairs, or catch themselves during a stumble. A Deakin University trial found that a daily serving of natural peanut butter improved that measure over six months in older adults at risk of falls. (onlinelibrary.wiley.com) (ipan.deakin.edu.au) The study enrolled 120 community-dwelling adults age 65 and older, with participants ranging from 66 to 89 years old. Researchers randomly assigned 60 people to eat 43 grams of natural peanut butter a day and 60 to continue usual care. (onlinelibrary.wiley.com) (ipan.deakin.edu.au) That 43-gram serving works out to about 1.5 servings of nuts, with about 250 calories, 10 grams of protein, and 20 grams of fat, most of it unsaturated. The trial ran for six months, and researchers were blinded to group assignment even though participants were not. (news-medical.net) (onlinelibrary.wiley.com) The main test the researchers cared about was 4-meter gait speed, a short walking test often used to track physical function in aging. That primary endpoint did not improve, which means the study did not show a clear overall mobility gain from peanut butter alone. (news-medical.net) (onlinelibrary.wiley.com) But one lower-body test did move: participants in the peanut butter group completed the five-time sit-to-stand test faster than the control group. That test tracks how quickly someone can stand up from a chair five times, a practical sign of lower-body muscle power. (ipan.deakin.edu.au) (onlinelibrary.wiley.com) Researchers also reported gains in muscle protein, and Deakin said the extra protein and unsaturated fat did not lead to weight gain over the six months. That matters because calorie-dense foods can be a hard sell in older adults if they raise concerns about added weight. (ipan.deakin.edu.au) (news-medical.net) Falls are a major reason older adults lose independence, and muscle weakness is one of the biggest contributors. The Deakin team positioned peanut butter as a food-based add-on to strength and resistance training, not a replacement for exercise programs. (ipan.deakin.edu.au) (news-medical.net) The researchers also argued that peanut butter solves a practical problem: many older adults struggle with expensive oral nutrition supplements or with chewing whole nuts. Peanut butter is familiar, soft, and widely available, which makes it easier to fit into daily meals. (ipan.deakin.edu.au) (news-medical.net) The paper was published in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle as the COINS trial, short for Capacity of Older Individuals after Nut Supplementation. Deakin said the next step is testing whether nuts paired with resistance training can improve broader physical function. (onlinelibrary.wiley.com) (ipan.deakin.edu.au)