Korea Food Research Institute Researcher
While Korea is predicted to become a super-aged society with more than 20% of the total population aged 65 or older around 2025, concerns and interest in diseases of the elderly are growing along with the aging population. In particular, the diagnosis and treatment of sarcopenia, which is a decrease in muscle mass and muscle strength that occurs during the aging process, is attracting attention. Just a few years ago, degeneration of muscle function was taken for granted as an aging phenomenon, but now it is recognized as a formal disease. Starting with the assignment of the sarcopenia diagnosis code of the US International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10-CM in 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially listed the sarcopenia disease code in 2017, and Korea also in January 2021 Korea Through the 8th revision of the Standard Classification of Diseases (KCD), a disease code for sarcopenia was assigned.
Muscle mass begins to decrease in young adults (30s), regarding 30% of the muscle in the 60s and regarding 50% in the 80s. Sarcopenia accompanies an increase in body fat and induces various complications such as diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and obesity. In addition, it is known as a major cause of falls, osteoporosis, and behavioral disorders in the elderly, and causes death and quality of life in the elderly. Therefore, in order to greet the age of a healthy centenary in the upcoming super-aged society, improvement of sarcopenia must be given priority above all else.
In order to prevent and improve sarcopenia, it is necessary to know the cause of its occurrence. Although there are individual differences, poor nutrition and lack of exercise are known to be the main causes of sarcopenia. In fact, research results have been reported that sarcopenia can be alleviated through exercise and proper nutritional intake (protein and vitamin D, etc.). However, there is a limit to the prevention and improvement of sarcopenia with only the method so far, and an effective treatment for sarcopenia has not yet been developed. In other words, research on the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia can be said to be in the beginning stage.
Recently, research results on natural substances (Ursolic Acid, Curcumin, Tomatidine and Urolithin A, etc.) showing potential as a treatment for sarcopenia have been reported. They say that muscle aging and muscle function decline can be prevented by improving the function of mitochondria in muscles. Interestingly, these natural substances are contained in large amounts in foods such as apples (Ursolic Acid), curry (Curcumin), tomatoes (Tomatidine), and pomegranates (Urolithin A), so interest in preventing and improving sarcopenia through food intake and new sarcopenia Expectations for improved foods are very high.
Food research to improve sarcopenia is rapidly progressing in Korea as well. The Korea Food Research Institute, the only government-funded research institute in the food sector in Korea, is researching ways to control sarcopenia through food in order to contribute to the improvement of people’s health and quality of life. We are conducting research to discover functional food materials for sarcopenia control and to investigate the mechanism through research on nutritional metabolism and healthy life span control by food. In particular, we are conducting research on discovering food materials that can fundamentally prevent and improve sarcopenia caused by aging by identifying the essential causes of life aging and using them in reverse.
Research on these foods for improving sarcopenia should ultimately lead to the development of a diet for improving muscle health that prevents muscle loss and reduces body fat. However, since food is not a single compound, but a combination of numerous functional compounds, research on the new physiological activity control function created by the combination of functional food materials and personalized dietary models considering individual metabolic function and physiological activity differences are needed. Research on this should be done concurrently.
If these studies come to fruition, we will find answers to ‘how to live healthily’ (quality of life) beyond ‘how to live long’ (quantitative aspect of life), and in the near future, eating three meals a day will make a difference. By preventing sarcopenia, you will be able to live a healthy 100-year-old life.
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