Blueberries can ‘switch on fat-burning mode’ in muscle cells, study finds
Eating blueberries could help you to lose weight, a study has found.
Researchers in Japan have found that a compound in blueberries, pterostilbene, a polyphenol that protects cells from damage, could cause muscles to burn more energy.
In a lab test, researchers exposed the compound to muscle cells from mice.
They found that it caused the cells to start breaking down ectopic fat, a type of fat that builds up in muscle cells in a condition called myosteatosis, raising the risk of conditions such as diabetes.
Researchers said this happened because it triggered a pathway in cells that causes them to begin to break down more fats.
‘Our findings establish a scientific framework for developing functional foods and nutritional supplements that target muscle fat metabolism,’ Dr Takakazu Mitani, lead study author, said.
‘However, beyond the potential of pterostilbene itself, this work provides an experimental framework for identifying other natural compounds that [could also burn fat].’
Much more research is needed, but researchers say they are hopeful that, in the future, the compound could be used in medications to help boost weight loss.
A compound in blueberries may prevent fat accumulation in muscle cells, a study suggests
Previous research in animals has already suggested pterostilbene can trigger weight loss, including in the liver.
Scientists say the compound needs to be tested in humans, however, to determine whether it could help to fuel weight loss.
In the latest study, there was no information on how much of the substance muscle cells were exposed to to trigger weight loss.
In a 2014 study where rats lost weight, the rodents were fed 15 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. That’s equivalent to more than 20,000 blueberries per kilogram, with each one-gram berry containing up to 520 nanograms of the compound.
The new study, published in the journal Food Bioscience, evaluated pterostilbene and four other compounds commonly found in grapes, peanuts, rhubarb, red wine and cranberries.
In the lab, the researchers first exposed skeletal-muscle cells from mice to drugs that caused them to accumulate fat.
Then, they exposed each to one of the five compounds and tracked the reaction.
The study found that pterostilbene increased the activity of a receptor called the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ (PPARδ), which is used to break down fat cells.
This process reduced the amount of fats that accumulated within the muscle cells, which may reduce body fat and lower the risk of obesity, diabetes and insulin resistance.
Scientists also found that the compound may promote muscle cell growth, which improves exercise performance and recovery.
‘We currently lack approved treatments specifically targeting myosteatosis,’ Mitani said. ‘This critical gap led our team to screen food-derived compounds for natural, dietary interventions.
‘During the screening, we identified pterostilbene and focused our investigation on uncovering its precise mechanism of action.’
Fueled by high-calorie and high-fat diets, aging and a sedentary lifestyle, ectopic fat can interfere with normal muscle function and lead to long-term conditions such as type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance.
The team noted that while further studies are needed to determine pterostilbene’s effects on humans, pterostilbene may be an important compound contributing to a lower risk of diabetes, obesity and boosting metabolism with age.
