A new fat burning study has shown that CurraNZ could offer women an exciting natural weapon to burn more fat in common problem areas during just 30 minutes of moderate brisk-walking exercise1 - and without breaking a sweat.
Researchers say that the berry’s fat-burning properties could offer dieters a 'serious tool' for improving diet and exercise outcomes - and help in the fight against obesity.
The natural plant phytochemicals, called anthocyanins, in the blackcurrant extract make the body favour fat as fuel – with the study showing it is particularly effective in those with more body fat on the legs.
Researchers from the University of Chichester tested a group of recreationally active women during 30 minutes of brisk walking, after taking 600mg New Zealand Blackcurrant extract, CurraNZ, for seven days. The findings showed the supplement:
- Increased fat burning by an average 25%
- Those who responded to blackcurrant increased fat burning by an average of 32% and up to 66%
- Nine improved by 14% or more
The product must be used daily and for a minimum of seven days for fat burning changes to take effect.
This study, which is part of a programme of British research, showed that women more than doubled their fat burning rates when compared to men undergoing the same exercise protocol.
Women naturally have a greater reliance on fat as fuel compared to men, which is further boosted with blackcurrant.
The project in men2, published last year, also showed blackcurrant is more effective with longer use, with a further 6% increase in fat burning rates after 14 days – with the potential for similar outcomes in women.
And those with larger concentrations of fat on their legs benefited more from CurraNZ than those with fat localised to their arms. Researchers believe this is because adipocytes (fat cells) in the legs may contribute more to fat burning during exercise than cells located in the arms or abdomen.
Mark Willems, Professor of Exercise Physiology at the University of Chichester (right), says: “We can seriously start to think that a blackcurrant extract is a very useful supplement for bodyweight management, when used with exercise and a restricted diet.
“These latest results provide yet more evidence that New Zealand blackcurrant extract can deliver greater benefit to people who carry extra weight - particularly in the legs.”
A previous study on the New Zealand blackcurrant supplement, in trained endurance females during two hours of cycling3, showed that using the supplement for a week improved fat-burning adaptations by 27%, increases normally only seen after three-four weeks of regular endurance exercise.
Professor Willems adds: “The difference in our latest study shows that these improvements can be achieved without breaking a sweat and is applicable to everyone, including people with naturally higher rates of fat burning. You don’t have to go to the gym or undertake strenuous exercise for hours at a time – you can enjoy meaningful improvements during normal activities across the course of the day. This could be walking to the shop, gardening, or doing housework - any low-to-moderate intensity activity will fall into this category.
“Most of us do this for a few hours a day naturally – without breaking a sweat.”
The researchers also noted that the CurraNZ supplement worked regardless of an individuals’ customary anthocyanin intake. Anthocyanins are a subclass of polyphenol that give fruit and vegetable their distinctive colouring, with over 500 identified in nature. The anthocyanins present in blackcurrants are proving exceptional for enhancing blood flow and fat burning.
In summary, Professor Willems notes: “Even people who make all the correct dietary choices by eating lots of fruit and vegetables will still receive benefit from using this blackcurrant extract. We saw improvements in these individuals with high dietary anthocyanin intake, meaning a New Zealand blackcurrant extract delivers these additional health and exercise benefits even if you’re health conscious and are doing all the right things.”
References
- Enhanced Walking-Induced Fat Oxidation by New Zealand Blackcurrant Extract Is Body Composition-Dependent in Recreationally Active Adult Females Willems, M.E.T.; Banic, M.; Cadden, R.; Barnett, L Nutrients 2022, 14, 1475. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14071475
- Daily and Not Every-Other-Day Intake of Anthocyanin-Rich New Zealand Blackcurrant Extract Alters Substrate Oxidation during Moderate-Intensity Walking in Adult Males, was published in the Journal of Dietary Supplements, October 2020, https://doi.org/10.1080/19390211.2020.1841356
- New Zealand blackcurrant extract enhances fat oxidation during prolonged cycling in endurance-trained females. Strauss, JA, Willems, MET and Shepherd, SO (2018) European Journal of Applied Physiology. ISSN 1439-6327
