A brisk walk is truly the secret to a long life, we have often read this. But why is this so? It seems that this type of physical activity is able to keep away aging, degenerative diseases, abdominal fat, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis… not bad really! All this emerges from a very interesting scientific research published a few days ago in the International Journal of Molecular Science thanks to the work of a team from the University of Verona, Italy (Dalle Carbonare et al, Int J Mol Sci, Sep 2023).
Why walking briskly is good for your healthThe study took place in the laboratory on specimens of zebrafish, which are taken as a human model given their genetic similarity, and on human beings. The aim was to analyze the role of a molecule, called miR-146b, on health and aging processes. Previous studies had already shown that an increase in this molecule in the blood is connected to the progression of various types of cancer, such as colon and thyroid. Not only that, miR-146b is also associated with renal and cardiovascular diseases. The study we are talking about today has shown that this molecule is also a valid marker of biological age, since it tends to increase with age, also making the accumulation of visceral fat, arthrosis and osteoporosis more likely. Therefore, from now on, in research dedicated to aging and methods to prevent it, it will be possible to use this valid indicator. But it doesn’t end there, Italian research has made further progress and has made it possible to understand a way to counteract aging, namely a brisk walk. In fact, three sessions a week, for 4 weeks, of 30 minutes of brisk walking made it possible, in the volunteers, all women with median age of 53 years, to reduce the levels of the miR-146b molecule, thus effectively counteracting diseases and aging processes. Not only that, after this month of training sessions, it was possible to observe that both the formation of adipose tissue and the degeneration of cartilage were reduced, with an increase in cartilage and an improvement in joint mobility.ConclusionsThe research is very interesting due to its double value. In fact, for the scientific world it offers a way to measure aging, through the levels of miR-146b, and for us it offers a tool that allows us to combat aging, diseases, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and abdominal obesity in a clear and accessible way to all: a brisk walk! This is just the beginning, further research will follow to find other strategies to combat aging, which can now also be measured in a simple and objective way.
