Camu-Camu: Can the fruit revolutionize weight loss? Anyway, a first study indicates. We reveal what makes the new superfood so special.
It sounds like a dream: We could eat as many sugary and fatty foods as we like without increasing in size. And all thanks to a small, inconspicuous fruit! Your name: Camu-Camu (Myrciaria dubia)
Amazon fruit in the focus of science
The Camu-Camu is emerging as a superfood in the focus of science when it comes to new ways to facilitate weight loss. Little known in this country, the sour-tasting fruit in their home, the Amazon region in Brazil and Peru, quite often on the menu.
With Camu-Camu against the overweight
That the research has now become aware of Myrciaria, is because it is full of so-called polyphenols. Among other things, these plant substances in a fruit provide flavor and color. Studies also show that they can help people gain weight and reduce the risk of diabetes in humans.
To test the effect of the Camu-Camu, Canadian researchers therefore now carried out a first test on mice. They divided the animals into two groups. All animals were given food with an increased sugar and fat content for eight weeks as a diet, and one group additionally received some daily extract of Camu Camu as a nutritional supplement. The conclusion: the mice that received the extract had increased 50 percent less than the animals in the other group.
Does the fruit also protect against diabetes?
But that’s not all that Myrciaria dubia can do. The researchers also investigated the insulin sensitivity of the mice. This indicates how strongly the body responds to insulin. Where: The smaller the value, the higher the risk of developing diabetes. The mice that received Camu-Camu had improved insulin sensitivity. In addition, her inflammatory scores had dropped.
Last, but not least: An examination of the intestinal flora of the mice showed that the intake of Camu-Camu had changed the composition of the bacteria in the intestine. The bacterium called Akkermansia muciniphila had proliferated significantly. This may indicate that Myrciaria could also help with irritable bowel syndrome. Previous studies show that a low level of this bacterium is associated with the onset of the disease.
Incidentally, the latest of superfoods is also a real vitamin bomb: With around 3,000 milligrams of vitamin C per 100 grams, the fruit boosts our immune system better than any other fruit.
Bring it on!
Of course, these test results must still be confirmed by experiments with humans. But they give hope that we will soon be an effective means in the fight against overweight and obesity have . And we do not even have to live in the Amazon region – because Camu-Camu is already available in the form of capsules or powder as a dietary supplement. The required daily dose in powder form is according to experts at one to one and a half teaspoons.