Consuming elderberry juice daily for one week (12 ounces of juice daily) significantly increases the gut microbial community associated with health benefits, according to a new randomized, placebo-controlled study. Compared to placebo, elderberry juice significantly increased Firmicutes and Actinobacteria and decreased Bacteroidetes. At the genus level, elderberry juice increased. FaecalibacteriumRuminococcaceae , and Bifidobacterium Bacteroidetes and lactic acid-producing bacteria decreased.
Elderberry is a small dark purple fruit that grows on the elderberry tree, which is native to Europe. Image credit: TheOtherKev.
More than 70% of adults in the United States are overweight or obese. The latest estimates indicate that 42% of adults suffer from obesity, and this is expected to increase to 48-55% by 2050.
Obesity has myriad and multifaceted causes. Proactive dietary management of obesity-related cardiometabolic complications includes dietary patterns that incorporate food sources rich in bioactive food components, such as the Mediterranean-style diet.
These dietary patterns include 5 to 10 daily servings of fruits and vegetables, which are rich sources of polyphenols that promote human health and longevity.
Anthocyanins are a diverse subclass of flavonoids that have been widely studied for health-promoting properties, including metabolic changes associated with obesity, such as diabetes, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular disease.
Furthermore, research results ranging from translational studies in rodents to large prospective cohort studies show that anthocyanin-rich berries have a protective effect against obesity-related morbidity and mortality. It's proven.
The mechanisms of action of anthocyanin benefits include preventing the intestinal absorption of monosaccharides, promoting cellular metabolism in adipose and muscle tissue, and modulating the gut microbiome.
“We have previously shown that consuming 600 g of blackberries per day for one week increases insulin sensitivity as evidenced by dietary challenge testing and decreases in respiratory quotient by 24-hour indirect calorimetry. “We demonstrated that fat oxidation also increases.” Dr. Patrick Solverson and colleagues at Washington State University.
“The aim of this human study was to determine whether the metabolic benefits observed with other anthocyanin-rich berries also apply to elderberry.”
Researchers tested elderberry's effects on metabolic health in a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of 18 overweight adults.
While maintaining a standardized diet, participants consumed either elderberry juice or a placebo with a similar color and flavor specifically designed by North Carolina State University's Food Innovation Lab.
Post-intervention clinical trials showed that participants who consumed elderberry juice had significantly increased amounts of beneficial gut bacteria, such as Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, and decreased amounts of harmful bacteria, such as Bacteroidetes. It was shown that
In addition to positive changes in the microbiome, elderberry intervention improved metabolism.
The results showed that elderberry juice lowered participants' blood sugar levels by an average of 24%, significantly improving their ability to process sugar after ingesting carbohydrates. Results also showed that insulin levels were reduced by 9%.
Additionally, the results suggested that elderberry juice may increase the body's ability to burn fat.
Participants who consumed elderberry juice showed a significant increase in fat oxidation, or the breakdown of fatty acids, after a high-carbohydrate meal or during exercise.
“Food is medicine, and science is catching up to that conventional wisdom,” Dr. 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 benefits for metabolic as well as prebiotic health. .”
“Other berries also contain anthocyanins, but usually in lower concentrations,” he added.
“To get the same amount of anthocyanins found in 6 ounces of elderberry juice, you would need to consume 4 cups of blackberries a day.”
of findings appear in the diary nutrients.
_____
Christy Teets others. 2024. A 1-week elderberry juice intervention enhances fecal microbiota and suggests improved glucose tolerance and fat oxidation in a randomized controlled trial. nutrients 16(20):3555;doi: 10.3390/nu16203555
Source: www.sci.news
