A new study led by researchers at Washington State University has found that elderberry juice may be a “powerful tool” for weight management and improving metabolic health.
The study, published in the journal Nutrients, found that consuming 12 ounces of elderberry juice daily for a week led to positive changes in the gut microbiome, a Washington State University publication said. .
“Elderberry is a commercially and nutritionally undervalued berry,” says Patrick Solverson, assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology at WSU's Elson S. Floyd School of Medicine. Solverson is one of the study's corresponding authors.
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He said the findings were “very exciting” and scientists were “starting to realize” the value of elderberries for human health.
Elderberries are small, dark purple fruits that grow on the elderberry tree, which is native to Europe. They have long been promoted as a way to improve the immune system, according to a statement from Washington State University.
Elderberries grow on the elderberry tree, which is native to Europe. (St. Petersburg)
The research findings suggest that elderberry may have other potential medicinal uses, the university said.
“Food is medicine, and science is catching up to that conventional wisdom,” Solverson said.
“This study contributes to a growing body of evidence that elderberry, which has been used as a folk medicine for centuries, has many metabolic and prebiotic health benefits.”
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This study tested the metabolic health of 18 overweight adults.
During the experiment, participants drank either 12 ounces of elderberry juice each day or a placebo colored to look and taste like elderberry.
“Food is medicine, and science is catching up to that conventional wisdom.”
Their diets were otherwise unchanged, according to Washington State University.
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After the experiment, the researchers found that people who consumed elderberry juice had “significantly increased amounts of beneficial gut bacteria, including Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, and decreased amounts of harmful bacteria, such as Bacteroidetes.” ” I discovered that.
Study participants consumed 12 ounces of elderberry juice daily for one week. (St. Petersburg)
People who drank elderberry juice had improved metabolism, the statement said.
“Results showed that elderberry juice lowered participants' blood sugar levels by an average of 24%, indicating a significantly improved ability to process sugar after carbohydrate ingestion,” Washington State University said.
Additionally, those who drank elderberry juice had a 9% reduction in insulin levels.
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Elderberries may also increase your ability to burn fat, the release states.
Washington State University said, “Participants who consumed elderberry juice showed significantly increased fat oxidation, or the breakdown of fatty acids, after a carbohydrate-rich meal and during exercise.”
According to Washington State University, people (not pictured) who drank elderberry juice during the experiment had improved metabolism. (St. Petersburg)
Elderberries are rich in anthocyanins, which are “plant-based bioactive compounds with a variety of health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and antibacterial properties.”
These anthocyanins are theorized as to why elderberries have this effect on people, the release states.
Although other berries and foods contain anthocyanins, elderberries contain particularly high concentrations of anthocyanins.
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“To get the same amount of anthocyanins found in 6 ounces of elderberry juice, you would need to consume 4 cups of blackberries per day,” Solverson said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Washington State University for further comment on the study.
