Berries May Combat Metabolic Dysfunction

Alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) is an established marker of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition that is commonly associated with obesity, insulin resistance, abnormal lipoids profile, and type 2 diabetes, and thus may be regarded as a manifestation of metabolic syndrome by the liver.  Heikki K. Kallio, from University of Turku (Finland), and colleagues assessed the effects of berry products on risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome. The team recruited 61 women, average age 42.9 years, for a 20-week long study. The women were divided into two groups: one subset group engaged lifestyle changes and consumed berry products equaling an average daily dose of 163 g of northern berries (such as lingonberry, sea buckthorn, bilberry, and black currant), and the other group completed lifestyle interventions without added berry products in their diet.   Among the women who consumed berry products, the researchers observed a 23% decrease in the ALAT value, described as “nutritionally significant by enhancing the liver function.”   Positing that the berries may work by a non-antioxidative mechanisms, the team concludes that: “This may contribute positively to the low-grade systemic inflammation in body and decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases.”