HEALTH

CONSUMING an extract of camu camu – a fruit native to the Amazon – could possibly prevent obesity induced by a high-fat and high-sugar diet as well as metabolic disease, a study has found.

The chemical composition is unique in that it contains 20 to 30 times more vitamin C than kiwis and five times more polyphenols than blackberries, researchers said.

The anti-obesity effect could be explained by an increase in resting metabolism in the mice that received the extract.

It also improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity and reduced the concentration of blood endotoxins and metabolic inflammation, the researchers said.

For the study, published in the journal Gut, the team fed two groups of mice a diet rich in sugar and fat for eight weeks. Half were given camu camu extract each day. The results showed that weight gain in camu camu-treated mice was 50% lower than that in control mice and was similar to the weight gain of mice consuming a low-sugar, low-fat diet.

Lead investigator Andre Marette, professor at the Universite Laval in Canada, now wants to examine whether camu camu has the same metabolic effects in humans. Its toxicity should not pose a problem since it is commercialised to combat fatigue, stress and stimulate the immune system, she said.