Latest fat oxidation finding: CurraNZ increases resting fat burning energy demands up to 61%

Researchers have discovered that CurraNZ blackcurrant extract can ‘turn on’ resting rates of fat burning and mimic the effects of exercise¹. 

The discovery means the supplement can increase fat burning up to 61% in sedentary adults and is a stunning finding in the fight against obesity, a condition that affects over 40% of Americans and 25% of Brits.

The cumulative effects over a year would burn an additional 0.5 kg – 20.8 kg of fat, without breaking a sweat.  

However, for most people, diet and exercise regimes are often unsuccessful, so easy, cost-effective health strategies for inactive adults are of great interest for weight management strategies in the fight against Type 2 Diabetes.

Described as an ‘extraordinary health finding for daily life’, three-quarters of the participants displayed fat burning improvements normally associated with one-three months of daily endurance exercise.

In the study, researchers tested 16 healthy and physically active males at rest, following 14 days’ intake of 600mg of the CurraNZ supplement.

Findings showed blackcurrant led to:

• Average fat burning increases of 21%
• Individual responses of up to 61%
• Three out of four people exhibited improved fat burning capacity

 Lead researcher, Mark Willems, Professor in Exercise Physiology at the University of Chichester (left), says: “Based on the premise that the supplement is effective for six-ten hours of the day, outside of eating periods (when the effects would be eliminated), this could contribute to burning up to an additional 6.9 kg of fat in a year for some people.

 “Plus, we have seen in exercise-based studies that it is even more effective in women, so we can expect this to be effective in both genders.

“This is extraordinary. If you’re trying to increase all your healthy habits and using diet and exercise to lose weight, some can turn on your fat burner all t1he time with New Zealand blackcurrant extract. In other words, it can be a serious tool for those seeking fat loss, without doing anything extra.”

New Zealand Blackcurrants are a rich source of anthocyanins with 1.5 times the concentrations of European-grown varieties. The polyphenol compounds play an important role in energy and fat metabolism. 

As well as providing metabolic health benefits associated with exercise, the effects are also relevant to sports performance. With over 10 studies showing it improves fat burning in brisk walking, running and cycling studies, CurraNZ is also enjoying popularity with athletes.

Professor Willems adds: “Not everyone is interested or capable of building exercise into their day and in this case, it’s significant that blackcurrant can enhance fat oxidation across the course of 24 hours.

“It all adds up, particularly when weight loss above 5% in overweight and obese individuals is considered clinically meaningful. It appears blackcurrant could be an easy way to improve metabolic health and boost fat loss in people. It can support body weight management strategies”

The CurraNZ supplement is a powdered, standardised New Zealand blackcurrant extract in a capsule, each containing the equivalent of a generous handful of berries.

Professor Willems says: “I’m in favour of whole foods that contain polyphenols, but the problem is it’s hard to know how many anthocyanins that you are consuming in fresh foods and you might not consume enough before you get full.

“With a standardised blackcurrant extract, you are receiving a known amount of bioactives that provide proven and favourable changes to energy metabolism, and these supplement studies consistently show exactly what a high-quality extract can do. 

“The fact that you get a known amount from using a supplement is a strength and a practical way to include these valuable plant compounds in your diet.”

Reference

Two weeks daily intake of anthocyanin-rich New Zealand blackcurrant extract enhances whole-body resting fat oxidation during supine rest in healthy males,

Dietary Supplement and Nutraceuticals 2(8), 30-40, 2023. DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.31989/dsn.v2i8.1124

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