Biotransformed Blueberry Juice Fights Fat And Diabetes

ScienceDaily ^ | Sep. 2, 2009 | NA

[neverdem]

Juice extracted from North American lowbush blueberries, biotransformed with bacteria from the skin of the fruit, holds great promise as an anti-obesity and anti-diabetic agent.

The study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, was conducted by researchers from the Université de Montréal, the Institut Armand-Frappier and the Université de Moncton who tested the effects of biotransformed juices compared to regular blueberry drinks on mice.

"Results of this study clearly show that biotransformed blueberry juice has strong anti-obesity and anti-diabetic potential," says senior author Pierre S. Haddad, a pharmacology professor at the Université de Montréal's Faculty of Medicine. "Biotransformed blueberry juice may represent a novel therapeutic agent, since it decreases hyperglycemia in diabetic mice and can protect young pre-diabetic mice from developing obesity and diabetes."

The scientists tested the effect of biotransformed blueberry juice on a group of mice prone to obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes and hypertension. Incorporating biotransformed blueberry juice into the water of mice reduced their food intake and their body weight. "These mice were an excellent model that closely resembles obesity and obesity-linked type 2 diabetes in humans," says Dr. Haddad, who is also director of the CIHR Team in Aboriginal Anti-Diabetic Medicines at the Université de Montréal.

Biotransformation of the blueberry juice was achieved with a new strain of bacteria isolated from the blueberry flora, specifically called Serratia vaccinii, which increases the fruit's antioxidant effects. "The identification of the active compounds in biotransformed blueberry juice may result in the discovery of promising new antiobesity and antidiabetic molecules," says Dr. Haddad.

As for the impact of blueberry products on diabetes, says Tri Vuong, lead author and recent PhD graduate from the Université de Montréal's Department of Pharmacology: "Consumption of fermented blueberry juice gradually and significantly reduced high blood glucose levels in diabetic mice. After three days, our..."

[UnwashedPeasant]

I wonder how this would compare with blueberry juice fermented with kefir bacteria "grain," which usually is used to make a yogurt-like drink. When coconut juice is fermented with kefir grains, it is supposed to have excellent medicinal properties.

[UnwashedPeasant]

"I just stick with low-GI foods and no sugars."

The fermentation by the bacteria might significantly reduce the sugar. Isn't fermentation the conversion of sugar into something else (such as lactic acid or alcohols)?

[HiTech RedNeck]

Funky blueberry wine

[pandoraou812]

Interesting.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Blueberries with Cheereos or Total cereal every morning.

[muawiyah]

Naw, it’s what they believe, not what’s eatin’ them. San Fran doesn’t get off the hook that easy.

[null and void]

I wonder what they really mean by bio-transformed blueberry juice?

It sounds better than:

Rotten blueberry juice
Spoiled blueberry juice
Blueberry juice gone bad
Sour blueberry juice...

[TigersEye]

That is interesting. Blueberry leaves are considered a blood sugar normalizer (ie raises it if low, lowers it if high) in herbal circles. This is similar to how wine from red grapes has a better cholesterol lowering effect than red grape juice. Something happens in the fermentation process.