Association of nut consumption and sarcopenia in Chinese older adults

Sarcopenia emerges as a predominant health concern among the older adults, it makes the identification of relational factors crucial. Nut, a universally consumed dietary component, is posited to confer benefits to the musculoskeletal system. This study aimed to elucidate the association between nut consumption and sarcopenia in Chinese older adults. Data concerning nut consumption and sarcopenia were sourced from the 2018 wave of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). The analysis incorporated 14,281 participants furnishing valid responses. This research employed logistic regression to investigate the association between nut consumption and sarcopenia. A total of 14,181 older adults (mean age = 84.86 ± 11.47 years and 55.08% were female) were included in this study. This study found an inverse association between nut consumption and sarcopenia in Chinese older adults, with higher nut consumption associated with a lower prevalence of sarcopenia, even after controlling for confounders. Compared with the nut consumption group of occasionally/rarely or never, the adjusted ORs of sarcopenia for at least once per month, at least once per week, and almost every day were 0.78 (95% CI: 0.66, 0.91), 0.81 (95% CI: 0.69, 0.95), and 0.62 (95% CI: 0.51, 0.77), respectively. Moreover, the result also displayed there is a significant interaction of nut consumption with gender (P-value = 0.016). This study identified an inverse association between nut consumption and sarcopenia. Introducing nut into the dietary regimen might present an accessible approach to bolster musculoskeletal health among the older adults.