This ‘underrated’ berry can help with weight management, says new study: ‘Different health benefits’
A new study led by Washington State University researchers found that elderberry juice could be a “powerful tool” for weight management and improving metabolic health.
The study, published in the journal “Nutrients”, found that a week of consuming 12 oz elderberry juice every day leads to positive changes in the gut microbiome, Washington State University said in a press release.
“The elderberry is an underappreciated berry, commercially and nutritionally,” said Patrick Solverson, assistant professor in WSU’s Elson S. Floyd Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology. Solverson is one of the study’s corresponding authors.
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The study results are “very exciting,” Solverson said, and scientists are “beginning to recognize” the value of elderberries for human health.
Elderberries are small and dark purple berries which grow on elder trees, which are 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 are found on the elder tree, which is native to Europe. (iStock)
The results of the study suggest that there may be other potential medicinal uses for elderberry, the university said.
“Food is medicine, and science is catching up with that popular wisdom,” Solverson said.
“This study adds to the growing body of evidence that elderberry, which has been used as a folk remedy for centuries, has numerous metabolic and prebiotic health benefits.”
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The 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 that was colored to look and taste like elderberries. Their diet was otherwise unchanged, Washington State University said.
After the experiment, researchers found that those 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.”
The study had participants drink 12 ounces of elderberry juice every day for a week. (iStock)
Those who drank elderberry juice had a better metabolism, according to the press release.
“The results showed that elderberry juice reduced participants’ blood glucose levels by an average of 24%, indicating a significantly improved ability to process sugar after consuming carbohydrates,” Washington State University said. Furthermore, those who drank elderberry juice experienced a 9% reduction in insulin levels.
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Elderberries can also improve a person’s ability to burn fatit is stated in the press release.
“Participants who took elderberry juice showed significantly increased fat oxidation, or the breakdown of fatty acids, after a high-carbohydrate meal and during exercise,” Washington State University said.
Those who drank elderberry juice during the experiment had an improved metabolism, Washington State University said. (iStock)
Elderberries are rich in anthocyanins, which are “plant bioactive compounds that have a number of health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and antimicrobial effects.”
These anthocyanins are thought to explain why elderberries have such an effect on humans, the statement said.
While other berries and foods contain anthocyanins, elderberries have a particularly high concentration of these compounds.
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“A person would have to consume four cups of blackberries a day to achieve the same dose of anthocyanin as six ounces of elderberry juice,” Solverson said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Washington State University for further comment on the study.
