New research provides yet another incredible reason to love red wine, it helps you burn fat. Researchers, working at both the University of Nebraska, and the University of Florida, found that ellagic acid, which is found in grapes, dramatically slowed the growth of existing fat cells and the formation of new ones, boosting metabolism of fatty acids in liver cells. This is an incredible finding that could help prevent or slow the growth of ailments such as fatty liver disease which can been prominent in people who are obese.
To conduct the research, overweight mice were given extracts of the Pinot Noir grape, at the equivalent of about one and a half cups of fresh grapes, which makes about a half a cup of wine. Over the course of a ten week period, one group of mice was fed a high fat diet without the addition of Pinot Noir, while the other group received both high fat foods and the Pinot Noir extract. At the end of the experiment, it was discovered that both groups of mice had developed fatty liver and diabetic symptoms, which is common in obesity, but the mice who were also fed the Pinot Noir had symptoms that were much less severe. The mice had much lower blood sugar levels and had accumulated less fat in their livers.
“We hypothesize that ellagic acid and other chemicals bind to PPAR-alpha and PPAR-gamma nuclear hormone receptors that work within cells to metabolise fat and sugar,” said the researchers.
That being said, if you want to burn fat, drinking red wine alone probably isn’t the answer, the researchers were quick to point out that red wine – or any grape juice – slows fat growth, it doesn’t shed the pounds for you, exercise is still the best medicine in that regard. But it seems like adding a glass of wine to your daily routine won’t hurt, and may even help, especially if you’re trying to shed the weight and keep it off.
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