IF you’re looking for a way to lose weight without pricey fat jabs, a supplement costing just 80p a day could be the way forward.
They may seem like an easy option, butcan set you back a small fortune and may come with some
Users often face nausea, diarrhoea and fatigue, and in rare but extreme cases, the drugs have been like pancreatitis.
Some used for both and , according to official figures from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.
So, a cheaper, safer alternative might be more up your alley – and a new study suggests per capsule could be the answer to
Fat-burning berries
The study, carried out at the University of Worcester, looked at a from and its effects on exercise and recovery in a small group of volunteers.
Blackcurrants are rich in anthocyanins, which are compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
The study involved 22 people, half of whom took two capsules of blackcurrant extract (600mg) a day over a week and half who took a dummy (placebo) pill.
Researchers found that taking the extract for a week boosted a person's fat burning potential during , according to findings published in the journal International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.
At the start of the study and one week later, the participants completed a treadmill workout.
The average person using the berry supplement burned 28 per cent more fat, suggesting you could burn an extra 3.6g of fat over an hour of exercise.
Although the numbers may seem relatively small, over a long period of time, every extra calorie burned makes a difference.
Dr Matthew Cook, a senior lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science and lead author of the study, tells Sun Health: “Improvements to fat burning like this normally develop after many months, if not years, of long-duration endurance exercise training.
“If you can increase fat burning during exercise, over a prolonged period of time, that could equate to greater fat loss.”;
Explaining why this tart, tangy berry is such a weight loss wonder, Dr Cook says that New Zealand blackcurrants are particularly rich in anthocyanin, the pigment which gives this berry its dark purple colour.
“These compounds confer health benefits through their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and blood flow-promoting effects, which alter fat metabolism and cardiovascular function,”; he says.
This, he adds, “improves insulin responses, and lowers risk factors associated with and heart disease”;.
The company CurraNZ provided the blackcurrant extract but did not pay for or take part in the study.
Yasina Somani, a Lecturer in Exercise Physiology at the University of Leeds, who was not involved in the study, told Sun Health the study was well conducted.
“It is a randomized double blind placebo-controlled study meaning the participants did not know which supplement they were taking,” she says. “And they were compared to a true control.
“I think the key thing here is that supplementation needs to be paired with exercise to see these benefits of increased fat oxidation.”
She also warned that “a very high antioxidant dose” could have the opposite effect.
“It seems like what makes this specific extract different compared to others is the content of polyphenols, which might mean you could use a smaller dose to achieve similar benefits.”
The berry supplement was found to accelerate fat burning in 90 per cent of the group compared to their baseline level.
Getting out of my chair, tying my shoelaces and getting into the car were so difficult previously.Now I’m running and lifting weights – they really are little miracle capsules
Jules Brown
Men burned 42 per cent more fat (0.27g of fat per minute compared with the 0.19g in the placebo group).
Women burned 18 per cent more (0.26g of fat per minute compared to the 0.22g in the placebo group).
But one female volunteer saw a huge 216 per cent increase in fat burning, while one male participant achieved a 204 per cent increase in fat burning.
Women who carried more body fat were shown to reap the fat burning benefits of blackcurrant extract more – but this effect was not seen in men. They generally showed much more varied results.
All participants in the study were young, fit and had a healthy BMI.
Dr Cook adds: “We’ve shown here that women who carry more fat have the highest magnitude of change to the blackcurrant supplement.
“The great news is that it works for everyone, and some people respond more highly.
“A high anthocyanin blackcurrant supplement, in this case, the concentrated extract CurraNZ, is an affordable, fast-acting intervention that is easy to use, doesn’t require a prescription, is very safe and a valuable tool for weight management.”;
It's not the first time the supplement has shown favourable findings; a study published in 2022 while on a 30-minute brisk walk, after a week of taking it.
Mark Willems, professor of exercise physiology at the University of Chichester, said: “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, , or doing housework – any low-to-moderate intensity activity will fall into this category.”
Dr Sam Sheperd, another researcher from Liverpool John Moores University said: “Seven days is not a very long time to see such big changes.
“Anything above 20 per cent is typically what we expect to see with three-to-four weeks of regular endurance exercise training.”
‘I couldn't tie my shoelaces before losing 15st'
SO does blackcurrant extract work in real life?
One woman who believes it turbocharged her weight loss is Jules Brown, 59, who once struggled to get into a car or tie her shoelaces due to her weight.
Jules dropped a staggering 15st 7lb by overhauling her lifestyle over five years – an average of 3st per year.
Once 26st 10Ibs, Jules is now a healthy 11st 3lb after embarking on a weight loss journey in 2020.
Married mum-of-one Jules says pain after exercise that lasted for days put her off trying to get fit.
“Before, I couldn’t climb stairs without being out of breath,”; the pharmacy support worker, from Milton Keynes, says.
“Getting out of my chair,and getting into the car were so difficult previously.
“Now I’m running and – they really are little miracle capsules.”;
Jules reached her target weight and even achieved her dream of running a marathon – then took up weightlifting too, unthinkable just a few years previously.
Then, a work-place injury forced her to stop walking and working out, but she comfortably maintained her weight at 12 stone.
After a year on the sidelines, Jules is setting herself a new, massive physical challenge as she approaches 60.
She says: “By the end of this year my goal is to run a couple of miles – maybe more – in a 60lb weighted vest.
“I was given the all-clear early last year and began the long road back to normality.
“My weight training has finally returned to pre-injury levels when I was leg pressing 453lbs.
“I am throwing myself into the running and training completely and am so happy to be 159lb – just over 11 stone and in size 10 jeans.
“CurraNZ has been so helpful for many reasons. One of those is muscle soreness after exercise and I have no issues after my gruelling workouts.
“They’ve helped me achieve all my goals, from enabling me to stick to an exercise routine without debilitating muscle soreness, increase my fat loss and get back to health and fitness not once, but twice.
“This product is very impressive – and I’ve tried many ‘miracle’ supplements over the years, but these wonderful capsules have helped me so much.”;
