The researchers from Duke University in the US studied laboratory rats who were made to breathe the highly polluted air of Beijing.
The results revealed that the pollution-breathing rats that were pregnant had increased tissue inflammation as well as heavier lungs and livers.
These rats not only had respiratory issues, but they also gained weight and had higher levels of LDL cholesterol, as well as triglycerides and higher total cholesterol.
Also, the insulin resistance level, which is a precursor of Type 2 diabetes were higher in the rats exposed to polluted air as compared to the ones who were breathing clean air.
Rats exposed to polluted air also weighed 10 to 18 percent more at the end of the test even though the diet of both the rats was the same. The results also revealed that long-term exposure to polluted air has more devastating effects on one’s body as compared to exposure for a brief period.
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These findings are alarming in a world which is already battling obesity. Significant steps need to be taken to keep the rising air pollution in check. The study was first published in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.
Image Credit: cleantechnica.com