Biotransformed blueberry juice fights fat (Canada)

North American blueberry juice, biotransformed with bacteria from the fruit's skin, may be an anti-obesity and anti-diabetic agent, Canadian researchers say. Researchers at the Universite de Montreal, the Institut Armand-Frappier and the Universite de Moncton tested the effects of biotransformed juices compared to regular blueberry drinks on mice. Senior author Pierre S. Haddad of the Universite de Montreal tested the effect of biotransformed blueberry juice on a group of mice prone to obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes and hypertension. Incorporating biotransformed blueberry juice into the water of mice reduced their food intake and their body weight. "Results of this study clearly show that biotransformed blueberry juice has strong anti-obesity and anti-diabetic potential," Haddad says in a statement. "Biotransformed blueberry juice may represent a novel therapeutic agent, since it decreases hyperglycemia in diabetic mice and can protect young pre-diabetic mice from developing obesity and diabetes." In addition, the study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, found consumption of fermented blueberry juice gradually and significantly reduced high blood glucose levels in diabetic mice - UPI