Are Lingonberries the secret to a healthy diet?

lingonberriesMost healthy diets require you to give up your favorite foods and learn to indulge in less exiting dishes such as vegetables. One exciting fruit that compliments a weight loss diet is the lingonberry. Research suggests that the lingonberry can help to reduce cholesterol while also complimenting a weight loss diet. Lingonberries also called cowberriers, are a staple in Sweden and Finland. These berries are picked in the wild and used to accompany a variety of meals and snacks. The term lingonberry roots from the Swedish name lingon for the species. Other terms are the foxberry, cougarberry, the beaverberry, the lowbush cranberry, and many more. Lingonberries are used to make jam and jelly, juice and syrup. This berry contains a variety of organic acids, B vitamin, vitamin c, vitamin A, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and calcium.

Lingonberries could prevent obesity and diabetes

As mentioned earlier, Swedish scientist have done research and concluded that lingonberries can prevent weight gain, high cholesterol and high sugar. This information is based off of a study completed at Lund University using mice as a simulation (test example) for a human body to store fat. During this study, mice were placed on high fat diets while also being fed lingonberries during a 3 month trial. Also, the research concluded that the mice that were fed lingonberries did not put on more weight than mice that were placed on low fat diets with the comparable blood sugar levels. In addition, the mice that were fed lingonberries had lower cholesterol levels than mice that were placed on high fat diets that did not have berries in their supplement.

Lingonberries vs similar berries

During the study administered by Karin Berger at Lund University, the scientist also used other berries to aid with the research. Among the other berries included the blackberries, the Brazilian Acai berry, the raspberry, crowberry, and prunes. Out of these, the mice that were fed lingonberry gained less weight and had lower cholesterol than the mice that consumed the other berries which seemed to have more of a neutral effect on the mice. In fact the mice that consumed the Brazilian Acai Berry gained weight and had retained more fat in the liver area. Scientists concluded that the lingonberries success during the experiment was due to the content of polyphenol and antioxidant found in the fruit. During the research, berries made up about 20% of the mice diet. Stated by Karin Berger, "It isn't realistic for humans to eat such a high proportion. However, the goal is not to produce such dramatic effects as in the 'high-fat' mice, but rather to prevent obesity and diabetes by supplementing a more normal diet with berries." What this suggests is that although a human being more than likely wont have lingonberries as 20% of their overall diet, research states that implementing the lingonberry in your diet may help prevent weight loss as well as reduce cholesterol. The research conducted on lingonberries show the effects on lingonberries on metabolism and cholesterol. Your bodies metabolic rate impacts on your ability to lose or gain weight. These berries were tested against similar fruits and tested against different diets. The research concluded that lingonberries could moderate the negative effects of a high fat diet due to the polyphenol and antioxidants found in the fruit. Incorporating lingonberries in the form of a jam or syrup compliments a healthy diet. Scientists are now convinced that lingonberries have a positive effects preventing obesity, although more research will follow the study conducted at Lund University.