Chokeberry Extract May Lower Diabetes and Heart Disease Risk
Lee Swanson Research Update
Animals supplemented with chokeberry juice, a rich source of anthocyanins, experienced less weight gain than non-supplemented animals and had lower levels of fat—abdominal in particular—according to findings presented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture at the Experimental Biology 2010 meeting in Anaheim, CA.
The researchers noted that human studies are needed to support the efficacy of chokeberries and their extracts, but the USDA’s Bolin Qin and Richard Anderson said their study "provides evidence that the chokeberry extract inhibits weight gain in insulin-resistant animals and that it modulates multiple genes associated with adipose tissue growth, blood glucose regulation and inflammatory pathways." The researchers fed 18 male rats a fructose-rich diet for six weeks to induce insulin insensitivity, or to make the animals pre-diabetic. The rats were then randomized to continue drinking either pure water or water supplemented with low or high levels of chokeberry extract for a further six weeks.
The weight of the chokeberry-supplemented animals was found to be less than that of the controls, and the body fat was also lower in the berry extract-fed rats, said the researchers.
Furthermore, the chokeberry-supplemented group was found to have lower blood glucose and reduced levels of plasma triglycerides, cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, compared with the control animals.
At a genetic level, changes to the expression of genes linked to inflammation were noted, and in particular a gene coding for the pro-inflammatory interleukin-6 (IL-6). Over-expression of such compounds, or a lack of control of the normal protective mechanism, can lead to chronic inflammation, which has been linked to a range of conditions like heart disease, osteoporosis, cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s, type 2 diabetes and arthritis.
Further studies, particularly those in humans, are needed to confirm these potentially metabolic benefits.
May 2010