14 DAY TRIAL // It took them decades to do it, but now they finally have and it all sounds too good to be true. Yes, we're talking about the fact that scientists have at long last found the absolute best fat-torching trick anyone could ever hope for.
Not to beat about the bush, it appears that the trick to burning more fat is indulging in a glass of red wine every now and again. Don't worry, teetotalers didn't get left out of this conversation.
On the contrary, Oregon State University researcher Neil Shay and colleagues say that, when it comes to compelling the body to burn more fat than it normally would, evidence at hand indicates that red grape juice works just as well as red wine does.
How red wine tricks the body into burning more fat
In a paper in The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, the scientists behind this investigation explain that, as part of this research project, they exposed both human liver and human fat cells to four chemicals that are naturally occurring in Muscadine grapes.
Of these chemicals, one in particular caught their eye. The compound in question goes by the name of ellagic acid, and the reason the researchers took a special interest in it is that, apparently, it can limit the growth of fat cells.
What's more, evidence at hand indicates that this one compound can also prevent the formation of new fat cells and even help liver cells have an easier time metabolizing fatty acids. In a nutshell, this so-called ellagic acid seems to hold the key to encouraging the body to burn more fat.
In fact, specialist Neil Shay and fellow researchers say that, in a series of laboratory experiments, they successfully used another variety of red grapes, i.e. Pinot noir, to help plump mice stay healthy. Thus, the grapes limited the accumulation of fat in the rodent's liver and lowered their blood sugar.
Using grapes to help overweight and obese people
Now that they know that the ellagic acid found in red grapes and in red wine can compel the body to burn more fat than it normally would, the specialists who conducted this investigation are thinking about using it to help overweight and obese people stay healthy.
More precisely, researcher Neil Shay and his colleagues imagine using this compound to make it easier for guys and gals to manage their weight, maybe even treat some of the disorders that plague those who are overweight or obese. For instance, the compound could help manage fatty liver disease.
“If we could develop a dietary strategy for reducing the harmful accumulation of fat in the liver, using common foods like grapes, that would be good news. If you’re out food shopping, and if you know a certain kind of fruit is good for a health condition you have, wouldn’t you want to buy that fruit?” says specialist Neil Shay.