Scientists hail fat-busting blueberries

Blueberries can slash the number of fat cells in the body by up to three-quarters, according to US scientists.

Researchers found the fruit – which contains high levels of polyphenols – can break down existing fat cells and prevent new ones from forming, making them a potentially powerful weapon in the fight against obesity.

Tests revealed polyphenols can cut the number of fat cells in the body by 73 per cent with a large dose and 27 per cent with the smallest dose, according to the American Society for Nutrition’s Experimental Biology 2011 meeting.

Using tissue taken from mice, scientists looked at what effect the polyphenols in blueberries might have in fighting the development of fat cells and inducing lipolysis, the break down of fats within the body.
Results presented at the meeting showed that the highest dose of blueberry polyphenols caused the lipids in the mouse tissue to decrease by almost three quarters at 73 per cent, with even the lowest dose cutting the amount of lipids in the tissue by over a quarter at 27 per cent.