Chemicals found naturally in grapes are highly effective at preventing fat buildup in the liver and encouraging the body to metabolize sugar rather than store it, according to a study just published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry.
To test the fruit’s health benefits, researchers at Oregon State University exposed human liver and fat cells to four specific chemicals found in Muscadine grapes, a dark-red variety native to the southeastern United States.
One of the chemicals, ellagic acid, proved particularly potent: “It dramatically slowed the growth of existing fat cells and formation of new ones,” said the study, “and it boosted metabolism of fatty acids in liver cells.”
Scientists behind the study emphasize that drinking wine is not a solution to individual weight loss, but that grapes appear to offer general health benefits that are easily incorporated into a person’s diet………
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