Christmas day stroll could help fight festive fat

London: Going for a walk after a heavy Christmas dinner could be a great healthy tradition for families, researchers say.

Scientists asserted that exercise helps in clearing harmful fatty food molecules from the bloodstream. The study, which took into consideration12 overweight and obese men on treadmills, found that activity apparently altered the structure of lipid blood fats. Lipids are vital to good health, but high levels of some types can cause illness. “We can think of the level of lipids in our blood as being like the level of water in a bath,” the Daily Mail quoted Study leader Dr Jason Gill, from the University of Glasgow, as saying. “To reduce the water level you can either turn off the tap, or increase the size of the plughole to let it drain out. For blood lipids this is equivalent to producing less, or breaking them down more.” “Our research suggests that exercise works at the ‘plughole’ end of the process, increasing the body’s ability to break down the fats faster. We think this might occur through structural changes to the lipid particles making them more amenable to clearance from the blood.” According to Professor Jeremy Pearson, from the British Heart Foundation, tis was a small study, and further research is needed to confirm its findings, but it does gives a clue about how some of the benefits of exercise might take place. “What’s in no doubt is that being active has very real benefits to our health.” “During the Christmas period many of us indulge more than usual, so it’s vital to balance that with healthy habits - the festive walk is a great healthy tradition for many families.” “And as the short term drop in lipids lasts for a day or two after exercise, even the last minute dash for presents on Christmas Eve has its benefits.” The study has been recently published in the American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology and Metabolism. ANI