drtbear1967
Musclechemistry Board Certified Member
by Chris Shugart
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Magazines love headlines like "Drink Red Wine for Health!" And wine mommies everywhere love to see such exclamatory headlines. While there are some health benefits to having a little booze, many of these benefits can be had without pounding back 1700 extra calories per week (two glasses of wine every evening). Two studies have zoomed in on wine's most potent component: ellagic acid, which seems to slow the growth of existing fat cells as well as the formation of new ones. And there's a way to reap the benefits without ingesting a single extra calorie.
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One study exposed human fat and liver cells to the chemicals found in dark red grapes. Ellagic acid boosted metabolism of fatty acids in liver cells, slowed the growth of fat cells and the formation of new fat cells. A second study took a group of fat mice and fed half of them with extracts from Pinot noir grapes along with a high-fat diet. These were lazy little bastards too, so they didn't exercise much. The group that didn't get the grape extracts developed fatty liver and diabetic symptoms. But the supplemented group accumulated less fat in their livers and had lower blood sugar. In fact, due to the ellagic acid, their blood sugar was comparable to that of lean mice that ate healthy mouse chow from Rodent Whole Foods. How? Higher activity levels of PPAR-alpha and PPAR-gamma, proteins that metabolize fat and sugar within the cell.
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How to Use This Info
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You could add grape juice to your diet, but a lot of folks avoid sugary juices. Or you could eat 1.5 cups of Muscadine grapes per day. And sure, you can enjoy your merlot, but adding alcohol to a diet phase is counterproductive since alcohol itself puts a temporary halt to the body's fat burning mechanisms. Another option is pomegranate, but you'd have to eat a lot of it. If you want to avoid stained fingers and the accompanying sugars/calories, you can use freeze-dried pomegranate. A great source is Biotest Superfood (40% ellagic acid). As a bonus, you'll get all the healthy benefits of 17 other fruits, veggies, and green tea. Just toss it into a protein shake.
•
Magazines love headlines like "Drink Red Wine for Health!" And wine mommies everywhere love to see such exclamatory headlines. While there are some health benefits to having a little booze, many of these benefits can be had without pounding back 1700 extra calories per week (two glasses of wine every evening). Two studies have zoomed in on wine's most potent component: ellagic acid, which seems to slow the growth of existing fat cells as well as the formation of new ones. And there's a way to reap the benefits without ingesting a single extra calorie.
•
One study exposed human fat and liver cells to the chemicals found in dark red grapes. Ellagic acid boosted metabolism of fatty acids in liver cells, slowed the growth of fat cells and the formation of new fat cells. A second study took a group of fat mice and fed half of them with extracts from Pinot noir grapes along with a high-fat diet. These were lazy little bastards too, so they didn't exercise much. The group that didn't get the grape extracts developed fatty liver and diabetic symptoms. But the supplemented group accumulated less fat in their livers and had lower blood sugar. In fact, due to the ellagic acid, their blood sugar was comparable to that of lean mice that ate healthy mouse chow from Rodent Whole Foods. How? Higher activity levels of PPAR-alpha and PPAR-gamma, proteins that metabolize fat and sugar within the cell.
•
How to Use This Info
•
You could add grape juice to your diet, but a lot of folks avoid sugary juices. Or you could eat 1.5 cups of Muscadine grapes per day. And sure, you can enjoy your merlot, but adding alcohol to a diet phase is counterproductive since alcohol itself puts a temporary halt to the body's fat burning mechanisms. Another option is pomegranate, but you'd have to eat a lot of it. If you want to avoid stained fingers and the accompanying sugars/calories, you can use freeze-dried pomegranate. A great source is Biotest Superfood (40% ellagic acid). As a bonus, you'll get all the healthy benefits of 17 other fruits, veggies, and green tea. Just toss it into a protein shake.
