READ MORE: Little-known vitamin deficiency behind your fatigue and brain fogSee more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy EMILY JOSHU STERNE, US ASSISTANT HEALTH EDITOR Published: 17:16 BST, 8 September 2026 | Updated: 19:11 BST, 8 September 2026
A compound in blueberries could help to burn fat, a study has found.Researchers in Japan have found that a substance in the fruit, pterostilbene, a polyphenol, could cause muscles to lose fat.In a lab test, researchers exposed the compound to muscle cells from mice.They found that it caused the cells to start breaking down ectopic fat, a type of fat more common in people who are obese or severely obese that raises the risk of conditions such as type two diabetes and high blood pressure.Researchers said this happened because the compound triggered a pathway in cells that causes them to begin to break down more fats.'Our findings establish a scientific framework for developing functional foods and nutritional supplements that target muscle fat metabolism,' Dr Takakazu Mitani, lead study author, said.'However, beyond the potential of pterostilbene itself, this work provides an experimental framework for identifying other natural compounds [for weight loss].’Most fat in the body is stored as subcutaneous fat, or under the skin. But people can also build up deposits of ectopic fat, which literally means fat 'in an abnormal place.'A compound in blueberries may prevent fat accumulation in muscle cells, a study suggests
