A new study undertaken at the University of Worcester, involving 600mg of CurraNZ taken daily, has stunned experts after researchers found that New Zealand blackcurrant extract can supercharge fat burning up to 200 per cent and has greater effect in women who carry more body fat.
The potent berry also displayed impressive heart-health benefits by enhancing reductions in blood pressure after exercise by up 11 per cent.
In the first comparative study of its kind, the berry supplement, CurraNZ, accelerated fat burning in the group by an average 28 per cent, with the highest male responder of 204 per cent and female responder of 216 per cent.
Lead researcher on the study, Dr Matthew Cook, describes the study as a "watershed moment" in blackcurrant research, saying: “The message is clear, we have proof of principle that New Zealand blackcurrant extract is powerful and reliable for increasing fat metabolism and reducing cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as blood pressure.
“We’ve shown here that women who carry more fat, have the highest magnitude of change to blackcurrant. The great news is that it works for everyone, and some people respond more highly.
Just seven days on the berry supplement led to the group to burn, on average, an additional 3.6grams of fat in one hour of exercise. Across a month, exercising five times a week, would equate to an average of approximately 72 grams of fat – equivalent to over five tablespoons of butter.
Improvements to fat burning like this normally develop after many months, if not years, of long-duration endurance exercise training.
The supplement also led to large-to-moderate reductions in blood pressure, showcasing how the berry can amplify the heart-health benefits of exercise to a clinically-significant degree.
Fat burning findings showed:
- 90 per cent of the group displayed improvements, with an average group increase of 28 per cent
- Women with higher body fat percentages displayed the biggest increases (153 per cent and 216 per cent)
- Women with the poorest rates of fat burning exhibited the highest responses
- The body fat percentage correlation to fat burning was not evident in the male cohort
- The highest male responder improved by 204 per cent
- Fat burning effects were not influenced by an individuals’ fitness status
- The berry’s mechanisms of action may be increasing fat transporters into muscle, where fat is metabolised for energy. Women have a higher number of transporters and are more efficient at metabolising fat than men.
Cardiovascular findings showed
- Blackcurrant generated a greater post-exercise hypotension decrease at rest, compared to control and placebo
- Systolic blood pressure was reduced by an average -6mmHg
- Diastolic blood pressure was reduced by an average -3mmHG
Exercise is a well-known way of managing high blood pressure, because of its effects on reducing resting values. Elevated blood pressure is a modifiable risk factor for various diseases, and even small changes in blood pressure can have large implications for health across the lifespan.
Blackcurrants are notable for their impressive effects on improving the cardiovascular system, by relaxing blood vessels, improving blood flow and helping restore normal function.
CurraNZ retails at £28.20 and is available from the CurraNZ Store on Amazon.
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