A fruit could be key to obesity and diabetes treatment

Obesity has become an epidemic problem worldwide due to poor diets and sedentary lifestyles. Natural remedies for obesity are preferable due to the side effects which are often associated with drug treatment for obesity. Researchers have found mulberry extract may be helpful for obesity treatment.

New research, published in The FASEB Journal, suggests that a natural compound in mulberries, called “rutin,” can activate the brown adipose tissue (BAT) in our bodies to increase metabolism and facilitate weight loss.

Wan-Zhu Jin, Ph.D., who is a researcher associated with the work from the Institute of Zoology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, China, says there is a great deal of interest in rutin for the potential treatment of obesity and diseases related to obesity such as diabetes. This is due to the positive effects of rutin on brown adipose tissue mediated metabolism.

The team of scientists experimented on mice which were genetically obese and mice which had obesity induced by diet. The mice were fed a regular diet with rutin added to their drinking water. With rutin treatment there was a significant reduction in adiposity along with increased expenditure of energy. There was also better glucose homeostasis in both the mice which were genetically obese and the mice with obesity induced by diet.

The increase of energy expenditure via activation of brown adipose tissue offers a critical approach for the treatment of obesity and diabetes. Rutin from mulberry has been found to ameliorate obesity via activation of brown fat. Mulberry therefore offers a potentially delicious way to fight obesity and diabetes.

Do you eat mulberries? How do you manage diabetes and weight loss?