You probably know that working out is good for keeping fit and healthy. But did you know that exercising at a young age can improve your gut health?
How exercise affects your gut health
A research team from the University of Colorado Boulder found that exercising as young as possible can boost the health of the 100 trillion microorganisms that live in your gut. Pretty incredible, right?
And all that exercise over the years can "promote healthier brain and metabolic activity over the course of a lifetime".
Published in Immunology and Cell Biology journal, the study discovered that rats that opted to exercise each day developed an improved microbial structure and more beneficial gut flora. It also found that exercise sparked a greater expansion of probiotics in the gut. This was noted in comparison to sedentary rats.
What does this mean for humans?
Senior study author Monika Fleshner said, "Exercise affects many aspects of health, both metabolic and mental, and people are only now starting to look at the plasticity of these gut microbes. That is one of the novel aspects of this research."
Microbes in the gut are greatly influenced by exercise and nutrition. And the new study also found that exercise, which improves gut bacteria health, can in turn boost brain function and even ward off depression!
Graduate researcher at the university, Agnieszka Mika said, "Future research on this microbial ecosystem will hone in on how these microbes influence brain function in a long-lasting way."
Originally published on Jan 25, 2016
