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Once you’ve whittled down your body fat, you never want to see it again. Ever. A new study hints that blueberries—or a supplement made from them—could help prevent new fat from forming.
The study found that polyphenols in blueberries inhibit fat accumulation within mouse tissue cells by up to 73 percent in laboratory tests, explains researcher Shiwani Moghe, a graduate student at Texas Woman’s University. However, more research needs to be done to see how, and if, the findings are applicable to humans.
“I’d love to see that blueberry polyphenols can induce lipolysis—the breakdown of fat—and help reduce the obesity epidemic,” Moghe says. “But the research is just in its early stages.”
It’s not clear whether people would just need to devour the whole fruit, or if the polyphenols could be isolated and put into a pill. (ETA for annoying web ads marketing this as a miracle weight loss supplement: end of the week.) We should also note that the research doesn’t show the ability for the polyphenols to destroy current fat cells—only ward off new fat formation—and Moghe couldn’t comment on how polyphenols might work to do that.
That said, blueberries are still a fine addition to your morning smoothie. The antioxidant-rich fruit is known for improving vision, protecting against Alzheimer’s disease, fighting colon cancer and relieving constipation (thanks to its high fiber content).
The study found that polyphenols in blueberries inhibit fat accumulation within mouse tissue cells by up to 73 percent in laboratory tests, explains researcher Shiwani Moghe, a graduate student at Texas Woman’s University. However, more research needs to be done to see how, and if, the findings are applicable to humans.
“I’d love to see that blueberry polyphenols can induce lipolysis—the breakdown of fat—and help reduce the obesity epidemic,” Moghe says. “But the research is just in its early stages.”
It’s not clear whether people would just need to devour the whole fruit, or if the polyphenols could be isolated and put into a pill. (ETA for annoying web ads marketing this as a miracle weight loss supplement: end of the week.) We should also note that the research doesn’t show the ability for the polyphenols to destroy current fat cells—only ward off new fat formation—and Moghe couldn’t comment on how polyphenols might work to do that.
That said, blueberries are still a fine addition to your morning smoothie. The antioxidant-rich fruit is known for improving vision, protecting against Alzheimer’s disease, fighting colon cancer and relieving constipation (thanks to its high fiber content).
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