Connect with us

Health

World Egg Day: How Eating Eggs Help Older People Fight Sarcopenia-May Ikokwu

Published

on

Save Our Heritage Initiative (SOHI) has advised older people to eat eggs to check sarcopenia.

News Rain Nigeria gathered that an Abuja-based NGO, Save Our Heritage Initiative (SOHI), has advised older people to eat eggs to check sarcopenia.

In a recent interview in Abuja to commemoration World Egg Day, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the group, Ms. May Ikokwu, said egg consumption by older persons would help to curb Sarcopenia, the loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength as a result of aging.

World Egg Day: Eating Eggs Help Older People Fight Sarcopenia-May Ikokwu

She said: “older people should include eggs in their diet as part of healthy living, in addition to some physical activities to help them maintain their muscle strength and function.

“Eggs are inexpensive and widely available and easily digestible source of high-quality protein and contain a significant proportion of leucine, an amino acid that is important for muscle synthesis, as well as many other nutrients of significance for older people, including vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids.

“For many older people, eggs are familiar and acceptable protein food at breakfast and other meals, thereby preserving their functional capacity and reducing morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs associated with sarcopenia.”

Ikokwu described Sarcopenia as a threatening health issue for older people that were closely linked to malnutrition.

She also explained that Sarcopenia had the capacity to significantly reducing both health and quality of life for those affected. According to her, Sarcopenia can start as early as the fourth and fifth decades of life.

“Maintaining regular exercise throughout older age remains key to the treatment of sarcopenia, likewise the intake of adequate nutrients, including high-quality protein and vitamin D.

“A significant proportion of older people fail to meet the recommended requirements for protein.

“Adequate intake of protein at each meal is required to optimize muscle synthesis in older people.” She said

Recall that World Egg Day is celebrated on the second Friday in October. It was founded by the International Egg Commission (IEC) at a conference held in Vienna in 1996.

The idea behind the day was to raise awareness about the importance of eggs in human nutrition across the world.