Superfruit helping you burn more fat while exercising revealed

BLUEBERRIES help the body to burn more fat while exercising, according to scientists.

And the fruit may also decrease body stress.

US researchers gave a group of cyclists blueberry powder for two weeks before cycling.

They found their fat-burning rate during moderate exercise went up — and the group also burnt less glycogen, boosting levels of endurance.

The report said: "This study was the first to investigate whether wild blueberry consumption would elicit greater [fat oxidation] rates during an exercise protocol aimed to maximise fat oxidation using moderate-intensity exercise in healthy, trained males.

"This novel study documented that consuming wild blueberries for 14 days increased [fat oxidation], decreased [carbohydrate oxidation] and decreased plasma lactate levels during 40 minutes of moderate-intensity cycling."

Experts based at California Polytechnic State University and Gonzago University's Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management carried out the tests on a group of male cyclists.

Over two weeks, the participants were given 25 grams of freeze-dried wild blueberries (WB) powder, containing 375 grams of anthocyanins.

Anthocyanins are coloured water-soluble pigments and are in many foods, including berries, currants, grapes and are also in some tropical fruits.

After two weeks, the participants were tested whilst doing 40 minutes of cycling.

The scientists found that fat burning - increased by 19.7 per cent at 20 minutes, 43.2 per cent at 30 minutes and 31.1 per cent at 40 minutes.

The experts also found that their endurance improved.

Experts have previously hailed blueberries as a 'super-food'.

Nutritionist Amanda Ursell explained that they are great for fibre, which helps good bacteria in our gut, adding that they also boost brain health.

A study published in May last year also found that the little berries could help protect middle-aged people from developing dementia.

Patients aged 50 to 65 with memory problems who took a blueberry powder supplement for 12 weeks performed better in mental tests.

US expert Prof Robert Krikorian, at Cincinnati University, said: “We had observed cognitive benefits with blueberries in prior studies with older adults and thought they might be effective in younger individuals with insulin resistance.

“Alzheimer’s disease, like all chronic diseases of ageing, develops over a period of many years beginning in midlife.”

“These same properties that help blueberries survive also provide benefits such as reducing inflammation, improving metabolic function and enhancing energy production.”