Muscle loss a concern for ageing folk
KUCHING: Malaysia is expected to be an ageing nation by 2035, according to the Department of Statistics.
A study published in the Medical Journal of Malaysia in 2015 found that one in five or 19.1 per cent of those aged 60 and above had experienced falls.
Losing strength can be a sign of muscle loss as a person ages.
In fact, research shows that from the age of 40, people start to lose up to 8 per cent of muscle mass each decade.
After the age of 70, the rate of loss almost doubles per decade.
Many ageing adults do not notice the signs of muscle loss as the signs increase gradually when people age.
Some of them may even dismiss the signs of muscle loss as simply part of ‘’getting older’ and do not realise there are ways to prevent and reduce the loss.
While ageing is a natural process, muscle loss is preventable through maintaining a balanced diet and by exercising particularly focussing on resistance exercises that work on muscle mass and strength.
Nourishing the muscles with the right nutrition is important to staying healthy and ageing well.
Protein plays a major role in the body, from building, repairing, and maintaining tissues to making important hormones and supports normal immune function.
Vitamin D is commonly thought of as important for bones, and it also supports muscle health.
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with decreased muscle strength in older men and women, and supplementation reduces the risk of falling.
A more unique ingredient that most people may not be familiar with is hydroxymethylbutyrate ( HMB), which helps to maintain strength, muscle mass and physical functionality.
Ensure Gold is a complete and balanced nutrition supplement, scientifically formulated with HMB, triple protein blend, calcium, vitamin D and a total of 28 vitamins and minerals to help improve strength in as early as eight weeks.
The 20 per cent more protein helps in muscle tissue growth; three times higher vitamin D helps to reduce the risk of falling associated with postural instability and muscle weakness; Omega-3, 6 and 9 with no trans-fat and low cholesterol; and prebiotics to promote the growth of good bacteria and help maintain a healthy digestive system.
Ensure Gold is collaborating with Sunlight Pharmacy to hold free strength health tests and give out new user’s discount vouchers on Ensure Gold at all Sunlight Pharmacy outlets until Oct 31 this year.
The strength health test includes the hand grip test that allows individuals to find out their overall muscle strength level and blood glucose test.
Ensure Gold with HMB is currently available in vanilla, wheat, and green tea flavours, and comes in two sizes – 400g and 850g.
For more information about Ensure Gold nutritional supplement, visit https:// a b b o t t n u t r i t i o n . c om. my/products/ensure-gold.