Eating badly, perhaps fat, is risky for your figure and health. A new study, conducted on an animal model by a group of researchers at the University of Maryland, has shown that adding nettle extract to your diet can limit weight gain and the accumulation of body fat.
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Whenever you hear of thenettle, you are probably putting yourself on the defensive, because its stinging properties they are known and there is no child who has not experienced them at least once playing in a meadow. This vibrant green grass, however, has many beneficial properties: is a safe and effective diuretic and stimulates milk production while breastfeeding. Not only that, it seems an ally of the diet and in the fight against fat.
The nettle (Urtica dioica) is a spring flowering plant that grows abundantly in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. The leaves are rich in vitamins, minerals, amino acids and powerful antioxidants, including polyphenols and carotenoids. A recent study, published in the scientific journal Nutrients, has brought to light a novelty.
A group of scientists fromUniversity of Maryland proved that the leaves of the nettle could end up becoming a powerful tool in the fight againstobesity diet induced. The extract could improve the metabolism of sugars in the blood. Currently the theory has been tested on mice. Scientists, led by Dr. Diane N. Obanda, had reason to think that feeding mice the leaves of this plant could have prevented theirweight gain, despite a very high fat diet. To test this insight, the team divided 36 male mice into 4 groups of 9 mice:
- The first group was fed one low-fat diet for 12 weeks
- The second group was fed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks
- The third group was fed a high-fat diet which also included nettle for 12 weeks
- The fourth group was fed a high-fat diet for six weeks, then for the next six weeks, nettle was added to their diet.
What were the results? As expected, the low fat diet resulted in weight gain and buildup of body fat significantly lower than the high-fat diet. But adding nettle in the third group it resulted in lower weight gain and lower body fat storage. Finally, it could be observed that weight gain and body fat accumulation, in the fourth group, are slow down significantly after nettle has been incorporated into the diet.
According to experts, there is a similarity between mice and humans in terms of anatomy, physiology and genetics and as a result it is very likely that the nettle has the same effects on humans. However, more research will be needed.
Fonte | Studio “ArticleUrtica dioica Whole Vegetable as a Functional Food Targeting Fat Accumulation and Insulin Resistance-a Preliminary Study in a Mouse Pre-Diabetic Model” pubblicato su Nutrients.
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