A new study led by researchers at Washington State University 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 one week of consuming 12 ounces of elderberry juice each day led to positive changes in the gut microbiome, according to a release from Washington State University.
“Elderberry is an underappreciated berry, commercially and nutritionally,” said Patrick Solverson, assistant professor in the department of nutrition and exercise physiology at WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. Solverson is one of the study’s corresponding authors.
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The study results are “very exciting,” he said – and scientists are “starting to recognize” the value of elderberries for human health.
Elderberries are small, dark, purple berries which grow on elderberries native to Europe. They have long been promoted as a way to improve the immune system, notes the Washington State University release.
Elderberries are found on the elderberry tree, native to Europe. (iStock)
The study results suggest there may be other potential medicinal uses for elderberry, the university said.
“Food is medicine, and science is catching up with this folk wisdom,” Solverson said.
“This study contributes to a growing body of evidence that elderberry, used as a folk remedy for centuries, has many benefits for metabolic and prebiotic health.”
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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 tinted to look and taste like elderberries.
“Food is medicine, and science is catching up with this folk wisdom.”
Their diet was otherwise unchanged, Washington State University said.
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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.” .
Study participants consumed 12 ounces of elderberry juice every day for a week. (iStock)
Those who drank elderberry juice had improved metabolism, the release said.
“Results showed that elderberry juice reduced participants’ blood sugar levels by 24% on average, indicating a significantly improved ability to process sugars after carbohydrate consumption,” said Washington State University. .
Additionally, those who drank elderberry juice experienced a 9% decrease in their insulin levels.
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Elderberries may also improve a person’s ability to burn fatindicates the press release.
“Participants who received elderberry juice showed a significant increase in fat oxidation, or the breakdown of fatty acids, after a carbohydrate-rich meal and during exercise,” said the University of California. Washington State.
Those who drank elderberry juice during the experiment (not shown) had improved metabolism, Washington State University said. (iStock)
Elderberries are rich in anthocyanins, which are “plant-derived bioactive compounds that provide numerous health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial effects.”
These anthocyanins are theorized to explain why elderberries have these effects on humans, the release states.
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 per day to get the same dose of anthocyanin found in six ounces of elderberry juice,” Solverson said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Washington State University for further comment on the study.
