Study finds berries could stimulate ‘anti-obesity’ bacteria in gut, and help people lose weight

Berries the key to weight loss?0:31

New research shows consuming as little as half a cup of berries could help you shed the kilos.

Eating about a cup of berries a day could help you to lose weight.


EATING berries might be the secret to losing weight, new research has found.

The study will be published in the prestigious international journal GUT this month and found that cranberry extract could decrease weight gain.

Professor Yves Desjardins told that the study focused on phenolic compounds found in cranberries, but the compound was also found in blueberries, strawberries, apple peel and wine.

The compound modifies the bacteria in the stomach and increases the “good bacteria”, which is good for inflammation and can help prevent heart disease.

When the compound was given to obese mice they got thinner.

“We have specifically shown that cranberry extract can stimulate the colonisation of a specific species of bacteria called Akkermansia municiphila that has been shown to be present in the gut of lean mice and not in those of obese mice,” Prof Desjardins, a member of Canada’s Institute of Nutrition and Functional Food, said.

Pretty delicious way to lose weight.

Pretty delicious way to lose weight.Source:News Limited

A world specialist in the health effects of berry fruits, Prof Desjardins will present the findings of his research in Brisbane on Thursday at the International Horticulture Congress.

He said clinical trials were currently being done to prove the effect in humans but a previous study of 30 overweight men given a cup of cranberry juice a day, found they lost about 1cm of waist girth.

“At the time we could not explain this effect, now we believe it stimulated their anti-obesity bacteria,” Prof Desjardins said.

“I think the point is, eat berries, they may modify positively your bacteria and you may lose weight.”

While it is not yet clear how much people would have to consume to get the health effects, Prof Desjardins said the amount of cranberry extract given to the mice was roughly equivalent to about half a cup, possibly up to one full cup of berries each day.

“So it’s easily reachable, it’s a reasonable amount,” he said.

He said it was also possible to get the benefit from cranberry and blueberry juice but not apple juice.

The compound could also decrease visceral obesity, improve insulin sensitivity and prevent metabolic endotoxemia.

“Our findings provide strong evidence that we can favour the development of a beneficial gut

microbiota by consuming berry polyphenols and that these useful bacteria may improve metabolism in obese and type 2 diabetic patients.”

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