Has the fountain of youth been found?

Has the fountain of youth finally been discovered? A recent article on FoxNews.com reports that a joint team of British-American researchers have discovered a protein which causes atrophy in muscles as a result of age. And when they blocked that protein in studies with mice, the researchers managed to stop muscle deterioration.

“The average loss of muscle mass for the 80-year-old male is 40 percent,” one of the study’s authors, Andrew Brack of the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Regenerative Medicine, told the news source.

According to Brack, while people are, in general, living longer than they ever have before, advanced age still brings frailty and decreased muscle tone, which can both cause falls and lower the chances of recovery.

If muscle depletion can be reversed or slowed down, that could mean big healthcare savings, because more muscle strength keeps seniors out of hospital, Brack said.

He told FoxNews.com that one of the main goals of his research isn’t to increase lifespans, but rather to ensure that older people stay healthy and strong longer. And whether they live in assisted living communities or at home, seniors who have stronger muscles will certainly live healthier lives- and possibly happier lives, too.

In the meantime, the best way to strengthen your muscles is by staying active and trying out stretches for the elderly.