Blueberries Have a Muscle Secret
By Editorial Staff
That little blue fruit may be doing more than adding color and flavor to your breakfast. A natural compound in blueberries may help muscle cells handle fat more effectively.
Researchers studied pterostilbene, a natural plant compound found in blueberries, grapes and other berries. In experiments with mouse muscle cells, pterostilbene reduced the accumulation of fat inside the cells while increasing processes involved in breaking down and using fatty acids.
The researchers found that pterostilbene influenced PPARδ, a protein that helps regulate how muscles handle fat. Rather than simply switching this protein on, pterostilbene appeared to help preserve it inside the cells, allowing it to remain active longer. This increased the activity of genes involved in fatty-acid metabolism and encouraged the muscle cells to break down stored fat rather than continuing to accumulate it.
We're not talking about the fat you can pinch around your waist. The study focused on lipids accumulating inside muscle cells. Excessive lipid accumulation in muscle can interfere with the way muscles handle fuels such as glucose and fatty acids and is associated with metabolic dysfunction and insulin resistance.
That's what makes the blueberry finding interesting. It suggests a compound naturally present in a popular fruit may influence one of the body's systems for managing fat at the cellular level.
And blueberries bring plenty more to the table. They're rich in plant compounds and fit easily into a healthy diet: whether tossed into oatmeal, mixed into yogurt or eaten by the handful. And as this research suggests, they may have more to offer than anyone previously realized.
