Gaby
The World Health Organization estimates that one in eight people worldwide has obesity. A randomized study from Washington State University found that drinking a large glass of elderberry juice daily for at least a week significantly enriched participants’ gut microbiota and helped reduce excess weight.
What’s the secret behind the magical effects of elderberry?
The researchers say the secret is anthocyanins, a subclass of flavonoids. These pigments are being studied for health benefits, and scientists think anthocyanins help improve metabolism and counteract obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular disease.
What did the scientists discover?
Dr. Patrick Solverson, the lead author of the study, shared, “Previously, we showed that consuming 600 grams of blackberries daily for one week increased insulin sensitivity, as measured by a glucose tolerance test, and enhanced fat oxidation, as reflected by a decrease in the respiratory quotient from 24-hour indirect calorimetry.”
The team led by Dr. Solverson wanted to know whether the metabolic benefits seen with other anthocyanin-rich berries also apply to elderberries.
To investigate, the researchers ran a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial with 18 overweight adults. Participants consumed either elderberry juice or a placebo that matched the color and taste, specially developed by the Food Innovation Lab at North Carolina State University. The study controlled participants’ diets with a standardized meal plan.
The results showed that participants who drank elderberry juice had a significant increase in beneficial gut bacteria, including Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, while levels of Bacteroidetes decreased.
Along with those microbiota changes, elderberry juice improved metabolic markers. Participants’ blood glucose fell by an average of 24 percent and insulin fell by 9 percent.
The researchers also found that elderberry juice increased the body’s ability to burn fat. After high-carbohydrate meals, participants who drank the juice showed greater fat oxidation (the breakdown of fatty acids).
This study adds to evidence that elderberry “offers numerous benefits for metabolic and prebiotic health,” Dr. Solverson said. He explained that while other berries also contain anthocyanins, they usually have lower concentrations. To get the same dose of anthocyanins found in 170 grams of elderberry juice, you would need to eat about four cups of blackberries, he added.
The study’s findings were published in the journal Nutrients.
