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Blueberries could play a role in reducing obesity
Blueberries have shown potential to have a positive effect on everything from ageing to metabolic syndrome. Recently, a researcher from Texas Woman's University examined whether blueberries could play a role in reducing one of the world's greatest health challenges: obesity.
Shiwani Moghe decided to evaluate whether blueberry polyphenols play a role in adipocyte differentiation, the process in which a relatively unspecialised cell acquires specialised features of an adipocyte, an animal connective tissue cell specialised for the synthesis and storage of fat. Plant polyphenols have been shown to fight adipogenesis, which is the development of fat cells, and induce lipolysis, which is the breakdown of lipids/fat.
'I wanted to see if using blueberry polyphenols could inhibit obesity at a molecular stage,' said Moghe. The study was performed in tissue cultures taken from mice. The polyphenols showed a dose-dependent suppression of adipocyte differentiation. The lipid content in the control group was significantly higher than the content of the tissue given three doses of blueberry polyphenols. The highest dose of blueberry polyphenols yielded a 73% decrease in lipids; the lowest dose showed a 27% decrease. 'We still need to test this dose in humans, to make sure there are no adverse effects, and to see if the doses are as effective. This is a burgeoning area of research. Determining the best dose for humans will be important,' said Moghe. 'The promise is there for blueberries to help reduce adipose tissue from forming in the body.'
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