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Wagamaga OP t1_jdwdagy wrote

A cup of wild blueberries a day may keep low energy at bay. The berries have long been hailed as a superfood—while they’re known for a plethora of health benefits, new research from Cal Poly Humboldt proves this superfruit could help burn fat during exercise.

The study, recently published in the journal Nutrients and the first to examine wild blueberries’ fat-burning effects during exercise in non-elite athletes, suggests that wild blueberries may help accelerate fat oxidation—the process of breaking down fatty acids or burning fats for energy.

The study included 11 healthy aerobically trained males. Each was instructed to follow a diet, which included consuming 25 grams of freeze-dried wild blueberries (equivalent to 1 cup of raw fruit) daily for two weeks. Participants exercised on a bike for 40 minutes at Cal Poly Humboldt’s Human Performance Lab. Researchers collected urine and blood before and after cycling, and blood samples every 10 minutes during the workout.

Results showed participants burned notably more fat after consuming wild blueberries. For example, fat oxidation rate rose by 19.7%, 43.2%, and 31.1% at 20, 30, and 40 min after cycling.

Overall, the research found that consuming roughly 1 cup of wild blueberries daily for two weeks increases the ability to use/burn fat during moderate-intensity exercise, like cycling.

While it accelerates fat burning, it also decreases the use of carbohydrates. Burning more fat while using less carbs is significant for athletes, explains Cal Poly Humboldt Kinesiology Professor Taylor Bloedon, the study’s lead researcher.

“Increasing the use of fat can help performance, particularly in endurance activities as we have more fat stores to keep us going longer than we do carb stores,” says Bloedon. “Saving stored carbs also helps when we need to increase our intensity, often towards the end of the race or training session, or when challenged by an opponent. At these higher intensities we cannot rely on fat to fuel us as fat cannot be used as a fuel source for high-intensity activities.”

https://www.newswise.com/articles/study-suggests-wild-blueberries-help-burn-fat

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ThrillDr1 t1_jdwg2aa wrote

Are these really wild blueberries? Or the kind we can buy at any supermarket?

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farox t1_jdwjqnz wrote

I was thinking as well "Maybe it's the running through the forest to pick them that accounts for the calories burned"

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joshrice t1_jdwoxqv wrote

In the acknowledgements they say they used freeze dried wild blueberries given to them by The Wild Blueberry Association of North America.

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[deleted] t1_jdwibev wrote

You can get frozen wild blueberries at the supermarket. They taste better than regular blueberries.

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ThrillDr1 t1_jdwkdw6 wrote

They are labeled "wild" but, how do we know.

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[deleted] t1_jdwnhaa wrote

They are not cultivated. They are harvested in the wild and they have a different taste than regular blueberries. They are smaller and have more flavor. They are difficult to cultivate, so they are just picked wherever they grow.

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