Can this Amazonian fruit help prevent obesity?

A recent study has found that the extract of camu camu - a fruit native to the Amazon might just help in preventing obesity. The study was conducted on mice and it was found that the fruit prevented obesity in mice that were fed a diet rich in sugar and fat. The camu camu fruit contains 20 to 30 times more vitamin C than kiwis and five times more polyphenols than blackberries. Two different sets of mice were fed diets high in sugar and fat. One set was also given the camu camu fruit extract on a daily basis while the other set was not.



The results were that the mice that were fed camu camu put on 50% lesser weight as compared to the mice who weren't fed the fruit extract. In fact, it was also found that camu camu improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity and reduced the concentration of blood endotoxins and metabolic inflammation. “All these changes were accompanied by a reshaping of the intestinal microbiota, including a blooming of A muciniphila and a significant reduction in Lactobacillus bacteria,” said Andre Marette, a professor at Universite Laval.



“Camu camu thus exerts its positive metabolic effects at least in part through the modulation of the gut microbiota,” researchers said. Well, we wonder if the fruit will work on humans too. Stay tuned for more updates.