A tasty purple drink could be the answer to weight loss, according to new research. A study revealed that consuming this fruit juice regularly could help regulate blood sugar levels and improve the body’s ability to burn fat, while also promoting beneficial gut bacteria.
Researchers from Washington State University in the US discovered that drinking elderberry juice for one week resulted in significant improvements to how the body processes sugar and burns fat. As part of the study, which was published in Nutrients journal, 18 overweight participants experienced one week where they drank elderberry juice every day and another week where they consumed a placebo drink.
Between these two weeks was a three week “washout” period to ensure there were no carry over effects. They consumed 355 grams of drink a day split between one drink in the morning and one in the evening.
After just one week of elderberry juice consumption, it was found that participants showed a 24 percent reduction in blood sugar response following a high-carbohydrate meal challenge. And participants burned more fat both while resting and during exercise when consuming elderberry juice.
Researchers concluded that those drinking elderberry juice burned 27 percent more fat compared to when they drank the placebo. Moreover, this increased fat-burning also happened during a 30-minute moderate-intensity walking test.
Patrick Solverson, an assistant professor in WSU’s Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, commented: “Elderberry is an underappreciated berry, commercially and nutritionally. We’re now starting to recognize its value for human health, and the results are very exciting.”
On top of the weight loss benefits, drinking the juice was found to improve gut health. After examining stool samples the team discovered that elderberry juice promoted the growth of beneficial bacterial species while reducing less desirable ones. As reported by Study Finds, it increased levels of bacteria known for producing beneficial compounds called short-chain fatty acids that are vital components in metabolism and gut health.
Part of what makes elderberries so powerful is their anthocyanin content. These are water-soluble pigments that give fruits and vegetables their red, purple, and blue colour.
They are thought to have anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and antimicrobial properties. Elderberries have far higher amounts of anthocyanins compared to other fruits such as blackberries, blackcurrants, and strawberries.
Solverson added: “Food is medicine, and science is catching up to that popular wisdom. This study contributes to a growing body of evidence that elderberry, which has been used as a folk remedy for centuries, has numerous benefits for metabolic as well as prebiotic health.”