A new study suggests that walking for 20 minutes can help the body get rid of inflammation.

The research involved 47 people who were asked to use the treadmill at an accelerated pace for 20 minutes. Before and after the exercise, blood samples were collected from the participants revealing that the activity cut down the markers of inflammation in their bodies.

"Each time we exercise, we are truly doing something good for our body on many levels, including at the immune cell level," Suzi Hong, a researcher from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, said. "The anti-inflammatory benefits of exercise have been known to researchers but finding out how the process happens is the key to safely maximizing those benefits."

The scientists revealed that 20 minutes of walking could reduce the number of TNF-producing immune cells by five percent. Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) cells are involved in the systemic inflammation of the body.

According to the findings, exercise produces hormones including norepinephrine and epinephrine, which both play a role in the activation of beta-2 adrenergic receptors that help in the reduction of TNF.

Hong, who is also the associate director of the Integrative Health and Mind Body Biomarker Lab, said that the study would be beneficial to approximately 25 million Americans suffering from autoimmune diseases by "knowing what sets regulatory mechanisms of inflammatory proteins in motions."

The authors added that an individual does not have to workout a lot to achieve its anti-inflammatory benefits as "twenty minutes to half an hour of moderate exercise, including fast walking, appears to be sufficient." However, they advised that "patients with chronic inflammatory diseases should always consult with their physician regarding the appropriate treatment plan."

This study published in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity is limited to on anti-inflammatory benefits of treadmill walking. The authors clarified noted that other types of exercises with different intensities were not analyzed.