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A recent culinary fad may also prove to be a new weapon in the battle of the bulge. Acai, the trendy Brazilian fruit, may help reduce obesity and battle the effects of a high-fat diet on the liver—according to a preliminary study on mice, at least.
As detailed in the 2015 paper published in PLOS ONE, mice who consumed a high-fat diet and were given Acai extract didn’t gain weight and showed significantly improved plasma and tissue metabolic profiles. They also maintained liver-fat levels comparable to mice fed a normal diet. The researchers contend that the beneficial effects of acai involve blunting fat formation, increasing cholesterol disposal, and reducing oxidative stress in the liver.
The results still need to be corroborated in humans, of course, but at worst, you have a brand-new tasty ingredient to toss into your next protein shake.