We know exercise is good for us , but scientists are still figuring out why, at the most fundamental and molecular level. A new small but long-term study may have yielded a crucial answer, identifying the metabolite betaine as a key driver of the benefits of exercise.

Betaine, a small molecule found in foods like sugar beets and spinach, has previously been linked to improved health, but it hasn't been connected to exercise before.

In this study, a team led by researchers from the Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University in China found that long-term exercise boosts levels of betaine in the body, via the kidneys.

What's more, betaine can mimic some of the beneficial effects of exercise, especially the slowing of biological aging (aka geroprotection). It may be that this molecule

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