Blueberries May Help Reduce Belly Fat and Diabetes Risk
Blueberries May Help Reduce Belly Fat and Diabetes Risk |
 A new University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center study suggests eating blueberries could help get rid of belly fat; A blueberry-enriched diet can actually help curtail the conditions that lead to diabetes. The new research, presented April 19 at the Experimental Biology convention in New Orleans, gives exciting clues to the potential of blueberries in reducing risk factors for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. The beneficial effect is due to the high level of phytochemicals, the naturally occurring antioxidants that blueberries and other berries contain. The study suggests blueberries may be protective against two health conditions that affect millions of Americans, and more research will be done. The researchers studied the effect of blueberries (freeze dried blueberries crushed into a powder) that were mixed into the diet, as part of either a low- or high-fat diet. In all, after 90 days, the subjects that received the blueberry-enriched powder, measured as 2 percent of their diet, had less abdominal fat, lower triglycerides, lower cholesterol, improved fasting glucose and insulin sensitivity, which are measures of how well the body processes glucose for energy. While regular blueberry intake reduced these risks for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome, the health benefits were even better when combined with a low-fat diet. In addition to all the other health benefits, the group that consumed a low-fat diet had lower body weight, lower total fat mass and reduced liver mass, than those who ate a high fat diet. An enlarged liver is linked to obesity and insulin resistance, a characteristic of diabetes. A high percentage of Americans suffer fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome as a result of high-fat diets and obesity. Metabolic syndrome is a group of health problems that include too much fat around the waist, elevated blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, high triglycerides. Together, these conditions increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes and diabetes. The researchers questioned if the health benefits were a result of losing abdominal fat, or something else? By studying fat muscle tissue, they concluded that blueberry intake affected genes related to fat-burning and storage. Looking at muscle tissue, the team observed altered genes related to glucose uptake. The benefits of eating fruits and vegetables has been well-researched, but these new findings in regard to blueberries shows the naturally occurring chemicals they contain, such as anthocyanins, show promise in mitigating these health conditions. |
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