Can Blueberry Juice Help to Prevent Diabetes?

Could a glass of blueberry juice help to prevent diabetes and weight gain? Possibly, if you’re a mouse. A new study published in the International Journal of Obesity showed that mice given blueberry juice had lower blood sugars and experienced significant weight loss. Could blueberry juice be helpful in the prevention of diabetes and obesity in humans?

Type 2 diabetes in the United States has grown to epidemic proportions in the United States and is looming larger as obese children and teenagers become adults and start to develop obesity related health problems. Diabetes affects almost every organ system in the body, particularly the heart and kidneys, and frequently leads to serious health complications. Any treatment that could help to prevent diabetes and obesity would be of immense benefit in the wake of this growing problem.

In this study, researchers used specially bred mice that were leptin resistant to serve as a model similar to an obese, type 2 diabetic. When blueberry juice was given to these diabetic mice, their blood glucose levels dropped by as much as thirty-five percent. They also experienced significant weight loss and reduced appetite, as manifest by their decreased food consumption.

It’s important to note in this study the researchers gave the mice biotransformed blueberry juice. Biotransformed blueberry juice is made by a procedure that uses bacteria to enhance the antioxidant content of the fruit. Biotransformed blueberry juice is like a pumped up, super antioxidant version of regular blueberry juice. Blueberries are a rich source of polyphenols, particularly anthocyanins that have shown promise for protecting diabetics against diabetic retinopathy, a condition that can lead to blindness. Because of these properties, blueberries may have a variety of health benefits for diabetics.

How do the antioxidants found in biotransformed blueberry juice help to prevent diabetes and obesity? It’s isn’t clear although researchers believe components in the juice may alter levels of a protein hormone called adiponectin, an anti-obesity hormone. Adiponectin seems to prevent many of the metabolic problems seen with diabetes; and in humans, higher levels of adiponectin are associated with lower levels of body fat.

Could biotransformed blueberry juice help to prevent diabetes and obesity in people? It’s difficult to say whether this study would also apply to humans. If a similar effect is seen in people, it could lead to development of a new medication to treat diabetes and obesity. Would plain blueberry juice have the same effect? Possibly, but it could take very large amounts to equal the quantities of antioxidants found in biotransformed juice. Some health food companies sell a polyphenol rich, sugar-free blueberry concentrate in liquid form. Although this has never been studied for weight loss, it likely has other health benefits and might be a good way to get the benefits of more polyphenols without taking a polyphenol supplement.