| From Nutrition Newsbytes Your link to nutrition discoveries IN THE NEWS EXERCISE TO PREVENT GALLSTONE SURGERY A Harvard School of Public Health study showed women who exercised the most were more than 30 percent less likely to have gallstone surgery than the least active women. The study showed that even a moderate amount of exercise was linked to a significant decline in the risk for gallbladder surgery. Even two to three hours of recreational exercise weekly appeared to reduce the risk about 20 percent. This remained true even after researchers accounted for other factors. Researchers studied more than 60,000 women ages 40 to 65 years old beginning in 1986. Every two years, the women completed a questionnaire on how much time they spent jogging, swimming, biking, aerobics, and walking. During the 10-year study, 3,257 women underwent surgery to remove their gallbladders. Physical activity is not only beneficial for weight control, but has also been shown to "make the gut move more rapidly," which may prevent gallstones from forming, according to Dr. Michael F. Leiztmann, the study's lead author. Exercise may also reduce levels of triglycerides, which play a role in gallstone development. The study appeared in the Sept. 9 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. Reprinted with permission; Copyright 2000 Enzymatic Therapy. (Enzymatic Therapy manufactures and distributes more than 200 nutritional |