Here’s a fitness tip for all those exercise enthusiasts out there. Consuming superfoods like watercress may dampen the negative effects of excessive workout, claim scientists from the University of Ulster and the Edinburgh Napier University.
For those not clued in as yet, excessive physical exertion is known to damage the DNA. This is precisely because the body needs to be fueled by a substantial amount of energy during heavy exercises. Therefore, we see many fitness centers advising regular and moderate exercise.
Study leader Dr Mark Fogarty, from Edinburgh Napier’sSchool of Life, Sport and Social Sciences, shared “Although we are all aware of how good exercise can be for our bodies, pounding the treadmill, lifting weights, or doing high-levels of training can take its toll.”
As part of the trial, 10 healthy males aged 23 years on an average were examined. For a span of 8 weeks, they consumed about 85 grams of watercress and indulged in heavy treadmill sessions. As compared to the controls, those who consumed this leafy vegetable seemed to experience less DNA impairment. Moreover, those who ate watercress just 2 hours before exercising apparently encountered beneficial effects like those who ate it for 8 weeks.
The authors conclude that drinking lots of water and exercising optimally holds the key to fitness. Apart from these, having this green leafy vegetable should boost the activity. The study is published in the British Journal of Nutrition.