Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Sep 10, 2025 3 hours, 4 minutes ago
Thailand Health News: A Natural Answer to Obesity and Liver Damage
Obesity has become one of the biggest health threats worldwide, and medications often bring troubling side effects. Now, scientists from Zhejiang Normal University (College of Life Sciences and Xingzhi College, China) and Shanghai Normal University have discovered that blueberry extracts rich in anthocyanins may offer a natural way to protect the liver and improve gut health. This
Thailand Health News report highlights how these powerful compounds not only fight fat buildup but also rebalance the gut microbiome and bile acid metabolism to restore health.
Blueberries Found to Protect the Liver and Gut from Fatty Diets
How The Study Was Conducted
The research team used a high-fat diet to induce obesity in mice, causing weight gain, liver inflammation, and metabolic disturbances. A group of these mice was then given blueberry extract containing anthocyanins every other day. Over eight weeks, researchers measured changes in weight, blood cholesterol, liver health, antioxidant levels, gut bacteria, and bile acid balance. The findings were striking, showing blueberries could counteract many harmful effects of fatty diets.
Key Findings
-Reduced Weight and Cholesterol: Mice that received blueberry extract gained significantly less weight. Harmful cholesterol (LDL) levels dropped, while protective cholesterol (HDL) increased. Triglycerides, another risk factor for heart disease, also decreased.
-Healthier Liver: The extract lowered fat buildup in liver cells, reduced inflammation, and improved tissue structure. Markers of oxidative stress, which can damage organs, were also dramatically reduced.
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Boosted Antioxidant Defenses: Blueberry compounds restored important antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), strengthening the liver’s natural defense system.
-Gut Microbiome Reset: Blueberry anthocyanins encouraged the growth of beneficial bacteria like Oscillibacter and Lachnospiraceae while reducing harmful species such as Bacteroides. These microbial shifts improved lipid metabolism and reduced inflammation.
-Bile Acid Balance: Normally, gut bacteria convert bile acids into forms that can worsen liver stress. Blueberry treatment disrupted this harmful process, increased beneficial primary bile acids, and activated liver genes that burn fat more effectively.
Why This Matters
The study shows that blueberry anthocyanins act on multiple levels: reducing fat buildup, calming inflammation, restoring antioxidant capacity, reprogramming gut bacteria, and regulating bile acid metabolism. Together, these changes protected the liver from the damage caused by a high-fat diet.
Strong Conclusions for Future Health
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The research suggests blueberries may be more than a simple fruit. Their anthocyanin compounds could form the basis of functional foods or natural supplements to help prevent obesity-related liver problems. While the study was performed in mice, the biological pathways it uncovered are also relevant to humans. The protective effect lies not only in lowering cholesterol but also in repairing the gut–liver connection, which is central to metabolic health. With obesity rates soaring globally, these findings point to blueberries as a safe, accessible, and potentially powerful ally in the fight against fatty liver disease and metabolic disorders. Future human trials will be needed to confirm these effects, but the early evidence is promising and highly relevant to everyday diets.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Foods
https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/17/3121
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https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/health-news-randomized-clinical-study-shows-that-wild-blueberry-can-improve-vascular-function-and-cognitive-performance-in-older-males-and-females
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