High-fat foods may not be so bad for our body if we go in for physical education shortly after eating, say Japanese researchers at Kyoto Prefecture University.
The results show that walking and light exercise an hour after eating fatty foods lower the level of triglycerides in the blood, which, as a rule, appear after eating fat. Moreover, exercise after eating is more effective in lowering triglycerides than exercise before eating.
The study involved only 10 people, men and women, in whom scientists measured triglycerides after they ate fatty foods (about 38% fat). On the first day, people engaged in physical education an hour before meals, on the second day - an hour after. On the third day, study participants only ate.
On a day spent without exercise, two hours after lunch, their triglyceride levels increased from 66 mg / dl (milligrams per deciliter) to 172 mg / dl. The normal level is 150 mg / dl and lower (on an empty stomach).
When people did exercise before lunch, their triglyceride levels increased to 148 mg / dl. When they did exercise after meals, their triglyceride levels increased to 131 mg / dl.
Six hours after eating fatty foods, the triglyceride levels of all participants were approximately the same, regardless of whether they were exercising on that day or not. However, according to the researchers, even a temporary increase in triglycerides after eating fatty foods can lead to cardiovascular disease over time.
Exercise after fatty foods speeds up the body’s absorption of fats, thereby lowering triglycerides, the researchers say. And this is a good reason to go for a walk after a plentiful feast.
