ELDERBERRY AND WEIGHT LOSS
Can Elderberry help with blood sugar levels and weight loss?
Abstract
“Obesity is a costly and ongoing health complication in the United States and globally. Bioactive-rich foods, especially those providing polyphenols, represent an emerging and attractive strategy to address this issue. Berry-derived anthocyanins and their metabolites are of particular interest for their bioactive effects, including weight maintenance and protection from metabolic aberrations. Earlier findings from small clinical trials suggest modulation of substrate oxidation and glucose tolerance with mediation of prospective benefits attributable to the gut microbiota, but mixed results suggest appropriate anthocyanin dosing poses a challenge.
The objective of this randomized, placebo-controlled study was to determine if anthocyanin-dense elderberry juice (EBJ) reproduces glucoregulatory and substrate oxidation effects observed with other berries and if this is mediated by the gut microbiota. Overweight or obese adults (BMI > 25 kg/m2) without chronic illnesses were randomized to a 5-week crossover study protocol with two 1-week periods of twice-daily EBJ or placebo (PL) separated by a washout period. Each treatment period included 4 days of controlled feeding with a 40% fat diet to allow for comparison of measurements in fecal microbiota, meal tolerance testing (MTT), and indirect calorimetry between test beverages. Eighteen study volunteers completed the study.
At the phylum level, EBJ significantly increased Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, and decreased Bacteroidetes. At the genus level, EBJ increased Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcaceae, and Bifidobacterium and decreased Bacteroides and lactic acid-producing bacteria, indicating a positive response to EBJ. Supporting the changes to the microbiota, the EBJ treatment significantly reduced blood glucose following the MTT. Fat oxidation also increased significantly both during the MTT and 30 min of moderate physical activity with the EBJ treatment.
Our findings confirm the bioactivity of EBJ-sourced anthocyanins on outcomes related to gut health and obesity. Follow-up investigation is needed to confirm our findings and to test for longer durations.”
Conclusions
“This is the first human clinical trial to demonstrate that daily consumption of EBJ for one week significantly increases gut microbial communities associated with health benefits for the host. Compared to placebo, EBJ significantly increased Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, and decreased Bacteroidetes phyla. At the genus level, EBJ increased Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcaceae, and Bifidobacterium and decreased Bacteroides and lactic acid-producing bacteria, indicating a positive response to EBJ. The findings also corroborate the positive effects of anthocyanin rich berry consumption on blood glucose homeostasis and fat oxidation, where a 24% reduction in the serum glucose area-under-the-curve, and 27% increase in fat oxidation were observed with the EBJ treatment. The findings suggest that anti-obesity effects of EBJ observed in translational research models do extend to humans. These observations need to be confirmed in longer duration trials that adequately investigate both sexes and broader age groups. Future studies should aim to investigate mechanisms of action using preclinical, clinical, and translational research models.”
