A new study shows that Popeye had it all wrong, we shouldn’t be reaching for the spinach to build muscle but heading straight for the mustard.

The steroid homobrassinolide, found in the mustard plant, increases muscle mass, the size of muscle fibres and appetite, according to new research.

How many of you are wondering whether you have some in the cupboard at home?

However, as much as this study might prove that muscle can be built by eating mustard, don’t discard of the spinach just yet. There have been plenty of studies over the years proving just how beneficial spinach is for you, take a look at this article to see why.

Maybe this is where Jodie Marsh’s new muscles have come from – have you seen her lately?

The study was conducted on rats and after being fed homobrassinolide they were found to have gained more weight and were increasing their food intake. The results also showed an increased grip strength.