A mediterranean diet It is considered the best diet to follow, due to its many health benefits, such as reducing the risk of diabetes, dementia, depression and cancer. A new study suggests that this eating style can also bring benefits to intestinal health, especially when associated with physical activity.
The findings were published at the end of February in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and showed changes in the intestinal microbiota of people who strictly adhered to the Mediterranean diet and exercised, compared to those who only followed the diet. Furthermore, those who combined diet and physical activity had a greater reduction in body weight.
To reach this conclusion, the researchers followed the 400 participants between 55 and 75 years old who were at risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Before the research, information was collected on diet, body measurements, blood and fecal samples for microbiota analysis using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. At the end of the study, the same information was collected again.
Participants were divided into two groups, with 200 participants each. One of them followed a low-calorie Mediterranean diet and received an individual training plan and monthly visits from researchers. The other group was considered a control and did not receive training, following the diet on their own and with only two visits from the researchers throughout the year.
Those who received the training were instructed to take brisk walks for 45 minutes every day and perform specific strength, balance and flexibility exercises. The second group received recommendations to follow a Mediterranean diet throughout the year, without receiving guidance on physical activity.
After a year of intervention, the researchers found changes in the levels of four metabolites in stool samples belonging to the group that practiced physical activity. Furthermore, a reduction in microbes was observed Eubacterium hallii It is Dorea in these people's intestines.
According to scientists, these changes are also associated with changes in cardiovascular risk factors, as they increase the production of bacteria that can be beneficial to health and reduce the presence of microbes that can be harmful.
Source: CNN Brasil
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