A new study published in Scientific Reports has shown that a combination of healthy eating and exercise decreases inflammation, visceral fat, and risk of heart disease in women.
The population-based, cross-sectional study included 124 middle-aged women. Participants had their healthy behaviors assessed using a questionnaire that measured their self-reported sleeping, eating, and physical activity behaviors. Then, their low-grade inflammation was measured using a biomarker, and their visceral adipose tissue was measured using bioimpedance. Visceral adipose tissue, or fat stored centrally in the body, is linked to inflammation and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Fat distribution tends to change as women age, and the goal of this study was to see how healthy behaviors might affect fat storage and inflammation in older women.
The results showed that higher levels of visceral fat were linked to higher rates of inflammation, which was expected based on the results of previous studies. Both disordered eating behaviors and lower levels of physical activity were associated with greater levels of visceral fat, which correlated with higher levels of inflammation. The greatest effects came from a combination of high levels of physical activity with eating a healthy diet, which significantly lowered visceral fat and led to less inflammation.
The authors noted that high levels of physical activity had less of an effect on visceral fat if the individual also displayed disordered eating. For optimal results, high levels of physical activity must be combined with healthy eating patterns. One important takeaway from this study was that visceral fat can be reduced with diet and exercise, even as people age. Reducing visceral fat leads to lower inflammation and a lower risk of developing metabolic and cardiovascular disease.
Sources: Scientific Reports, Science Daily
