Brand new research from the University of Iowa shows how apples can trigger weight loss and improve metabolic dysfunction. The study demonstrates how a substance highly concentrated in the skin of apples—called ursolic acid—can boost metabolism and directly influence gene expression to help with maintaining optimal weight and health.
Combating Obesity by Increasing Muscle and Brown Fat
The University of Iowa study
shows how ursolic acid in apples specifically reduces obesity and its associated health problems. Ursolic acid accomplishes this by increasing the amount of muscle and brown fat.
Muscle and brown fat are both tissue types that are recognized for their calorie-burning properties. Natural News reported on the study, which was conducted on mice that demonstrated similar metabolic characteristics to humans.
[The mice were fed] a high-fat diet over a period of 3 weeks to test for weight gain or loss compared to a control group. Prior studies have shown that the active natural compound, ursolic acid, increases muscle mass and also stimulates the production of metabolically active brown adipose tissue. Recent studies have shown that this type of fatty tissue is associated with reduced body weight as compared to white adipose cells known to expand and store excess body weight.
The results were extremely positive:
-
• The mice fed a high-fat diet along with ursolic acid from apples gained less weight and maintained near-normal blood sugar.
• Mice given the ursolic acid also failed to develop obesity-related fatty liver disease (a common and currently untreatable condition).
Dr. Christopher Adams, the lead researcher, explains, “Since muscle is very good at burning calories, the increased muscle in ursolic acid-treated mice may be sufficient to explain how ursolic acid reduces obesity.
However, we were surprised to find that ursolic acid also increased brown fat, a fantastic calorie burner.” Dr. Adams says the study suggests that ursolic acid increases skeletal muscle and brown fat leading to increased calorie burning, which in turn protects against:
-
• Diet-induced obesity
• Pre-diabetes
• Fatty liver disease
One or Two Apples a Day Will Do
The best part of this research is that you don’t need to purchase another supplement or pill. The ursolic acid used in the study was about equal to a human eating 1 or 2 apples a day…easy peasy!
Now that’s a compelling argument for adding an apple or 2 to your daily diet of healthy, natural foods!
