Bieganie częściowo naprawia to, co psują fast foody
- Running can counteract some negative effects of an unhealthy, Western-style diet, according to researchers from University College Cork.
- The study found that exercise restores key metabolites linked to mental well-being and balances crucial hormones disrupted by a diet high in sugar, fat, and processed foods.
- Rats fed high-calorie “cafeteria diet” foods showed major disturbances in gut metabolism, with 100 out of 175 metabolites significantly altered; running partially restored balance, especially for anserine, indole-3-carboxylate, and deoxyinosine.
- Physically active rats on the same poor diet had normalized levels of insulin and leptin compared to sedentary ones, showing exercise helps regulate hormonal balance.
- The body activated compensatory hormonal mechanisms, such as changes in GLP-1 and PYY levels, to stabilize metabolism under poor dietary conditions.
- The study also linked exercise to improved neurogenesis (formation of new neurons) in the hippocampus, but only when paired with a healthy diet—junk food appeared to suppress this regenerative effect.
- Despite running’s benefits, researchers emphasized that good nutrition remains essential for full brain health and mental performance.
- The findings offer insight into how exercise may protect mental well-being even amid widespread consumption of processed foods.