Blueberries May Inhibit The Development of Fat Cells!

Blueberries May Inhibit Development of Fat Cells The health benefits of regular blueberry consumption have been demonstrated in several nutrition studies, more specifically the cardio-protective benefits derived from their high polyphenol content. Blueberries have shown potential to have a positive effect on everything from aging to metabolic syndrome. With this new study, nutrition research scientists believe blueberries could play a major role in reducing obesity. The research team from Texas Woman's University (TWU) in Denton, TX wanted to evaluate whether blueberry polyphenols play a role in adipocyte differentiation. It is the process in which an unspecialized cell acquires specific features of an adipocyte, a connective tissue cell specialized 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 and fat. They wanted to see if using blueberry polyphenols could inhibit obesity at a molecular stage. The study was performed in tissue cultures taken from laboratory subjects. 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" they said. "The promise is there for blueberries to help reduce adipose tissue from forming in the body." These preliminary results contribute more items to the laundry list of benefits related to blueberries, which have already been shown to mitigate health conditions like cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. Story Source: Experimental Biology 2011 meeting for the American Society for Nutrition on April 10 Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (2011, April 11). Blueberries may inhibit development of fat cells. Editor's Note: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.