Hi Reader,

I was reading a new study this week and I was so excited to share it with you 📚.

People with sarcopenia, meaning low muscle strength and/or low muscle mass, had about a 30% higher relative rate of dementia. Interestingly, having obesity as well did not seem to increase the risk much further.

If you’ve been here a while, you’ll know I’m always talking about how important muscle is for metabolism, strength and independence as we age. But this study gives me another reason to shout about it from the rooftops: muscle may matter for brain health too.

And if you are actively trying to lose weight, this is especially worth paying attention to.

Rapid weight loss, whatever the method, tends to come with a disproportionate amount of muscle loss alongside fat loss, and this includes people using GLP-1 medications. The goal is not just a lower number on the scale. We also want to hold on to as much muscle and strength as we can along the way.

So what can we do?

If you go to the gym, you might simply notice whether the weights and reps you use for a few regular exercises are staying steady or improving over time.

If you do not go to the gym, everyday life can give you clues too. Does carrying your shopping, getting up from a chair or climbing the stairs feel noticeably harder than it used to?

And if you like numbers, you can also track grip strength, which simply means how hard you can squeeze with your hand. What matters most here isn't hitting some universal target, it's comparing your own number over time. A hand-grip dynamometer like this one on Amazon gives you a number you can track for yourself.

Keeping muscle: the basics

The basics are pretty simple: use it and feed it.

Resistance exercise helps us maintain muscle and strength, and eating enough protein helps support that muscle too.

That does not mean you need protein shakes, regular food works too!

If you want some easy ideas, I have lots of high-protein recipes on the blog here.

For me, the big reminder is simply this: do not let muscle become an afterthought. 💛

Want to read the study?

It followed 489,972 adults for a median of 13.6 years and was published in Clinical Nutrition in 2026. Because it was observational, it can show an association, but it cannot prove that maintaining strength prevents dementia.

​Read the study here​

Talk soon,

Maria 💛

My Current Protein Sweet Treat 🤍 Snickers Yogurt Cups give you that sweet, salty, chocolatey combination while packing in nearly 20 grams of protein. Get the recipe ->

Stay happy & healthy! -Maria, Registered Dietitian x

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