ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutritional Epidemiology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1663996
The relationship between watermelon consumption and sarcopenia in an elderly general population: findings from the Tianjin Chronic Low-grade Systemic Inflammation and Health (TCLSIH) study
Provisionally accepted
- 1Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Taiyuan, China
- 2Wuhan University Renmin Hospital, Wuhan, China
- 3Ningbo No 2 Hospital, Ningbo, China
- 4Huazhong University of Science and Technology Tongji Medical College Tongji Hospital, Wuhan, China
- 5Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
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Abstract Background Sarcopenia, a progressive skeletal muscle disorder characterized by accelerated loss of muscle mass, strength, and function, affects 10-16% of elderly individuals globally, posing a significant public health challenge. Nutrition is crucial in mitigating sarcopenia progression, with research increasingly focusing on whole foods rather than isolated nutrients. Watermelon emerges as a potentially beneficial functional food due to its high content of L-citrulline, which may support muscle health through various biological mechanisms. Methods This population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Tianjin, China, and analyzed 3,733 elderly participants. Sarcopenia was diagnosed using Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia criteria. Watermelon consumption was assessed using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire, categorizing participants into three groups: "almost never", "≤1 time/week", and "≥2-3 times/week". Multiple logistic regression models adjusted for demographic factors, lifestyle variables, medical history, and dietary patterns. Results Sarcopenia prevalence was 12.6% among participants (median age: 65.8 years). Compared to non-consumers, participants consuming watermelon ≤1 time/week had 28% lower odds of sarcopenia (odds ratio [OR] = 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.54-0.95), while those consuming ≥2-3 times/week had 51% lower odds (OR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.29-0.79), showing a significant inverse dose-response relationship (p<0.001). Conclusions Higher watermelon consumption was associated with lower sarcopenia prevalence
Keywords: Citrullus, Sarcopenia, Aged, Citrulline, Muscle, Skeletal
Received: 11 Jul 2025; Accepted: 18 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wang, Yang, Yin, Fang, Mei and Niu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Kaijun Niu, nkj0809@gmail.com
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