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Regular Exercise Offers Protection From Heart Disease In The Masai
December 12, 2010: 6 comment(s)
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Why do some populations have higher or lower rates of
heart disease? Do genetics or diets provide protection?
Some studies have shown that diet helps more than
genetics. A recent study led by Dr. Julia Mbalilaki
determined that the healthy, lean bodies of the Masai in
Tanzania and Kenya, is not due to genetics or nutrition, but
to regular exercise.
She said, “Bearing in mind the vast amount of walking they
do, it no longer seems strange that the Masai have low waist
measurements and good blood lipid profiles, despite the
levels of animal fat in their food.”
Combining efforts with researchers from Norway and
Tanzania, Dr. Mbalilaki compared lifestyle, diet and heart
disease risk factors of 985 Tanzanian adults. The group
included 371 farmers, 484 urbanites and 130 Masai. They
found that although the Masai ate significantly more animal
fat and very few carbohydrates, their cardiovascular health
was better than the other two groups. This rules out
genetics and diet and suggests lifestyle. The Masai walk so
much each day that they burn several times more calories
than the other groups, approximately 2,500 over basic
requirements. Essentially, you and I would have to walk
about 13 miles a day to equal this.
Of course it’s not practical or desirable to walk half a
marathon each day but the take home message for us is
that exercise greatly impacts our health and provides some
measure of protection against the number one cause of
death in America, heart disease.
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Comments (Scroll to the end to leave a comment)
naynay
01/04/11 03:43
Are the genes of the Masai like all other Tanzanians tested? If the Masai are a distinct ethnic group, and no Masai were tested living in a non-nomadic life (but still eating the typical Masai diet), how can genetics be ruled out?
PPARKER
01/07/11 12:29
Interesting fact that walking can be so significant in reducing the effect animal fat has on the system.
Fran Whynot
01/24/11 06:30
I have taken this quiz
I HAVE to know this guy!
09/29/11 02:28
very interesting, although walking/running a half marathon a day seems like very good exercise.
5800801428708
12/22/11 05:35
I think, the artical was interesting. I like to exercise when I was young-but now I am so tire-it is I am old.
DDOG
09/04/12 01:07
U would be a half marathon maniac(: Good article
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