We all know that berries are a great snack – they’re tasty, sweet and satisfying. But did you know that berries could actually promote weight loss, improve circulation and protect the skin from damaging UV rays. It’s too good to be true… right?
New research reveals that colourful red fruit pigments – particularly found in raspberries as well as strawberries – actually helps to burn fat! The results are startling and have exciting implications for the future of weight loss.
So, how does it all work? Well, the scientific breakthrough comes from the University of Chubu in Japan, where they found that, when feeding mice on high-fat diets supplemented by berries, the red fruit pigments appeared to prevent and even suppress the development of obesity. That’s an exciting development for an issue that is becoming increasingly prevalent and of concern in the Western world.
It’s not only your waistline which could benefit from eating berries – they also have powerful skin-protecting properties. Berries help to improve circulation and minimise the aging effects of sun damage – which means that eating berries will help skin stay youthful and fresh. Blueberries are packed full of anti-oxidants, in fact much of their antioxidant strength comes from the anthocyanin pigments that tint berries red, black, blue and purple; so the darker the berry, the better. Blackberries are a great source of Vitamin E which has powerful skin healing and anti-ageing properties, while strawberries are packed full of Vitamin C, helping keep skin firm and healthy.
What’s more, raspberries appear to be powerful weapons against skin cancer. Researchers at Ohio State University Medical Centre say a compound made of raspberries, rubbed onto the skin, significantly slows the growth of squamous cell carcinomas in mice exposed to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, the most damaging component of sunlight. This is especially important in light of the recent report that melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer has gone up by 43% in the last decade – exposure to UV radiation in sunlight is the main cause of skin cancer.
British berries are available now in supermarkets across the UK.
