Daily consumption of elderberry juice for one week (12 ounces of the juice daily) significantly increases gut microbial communities associated with health benefits, according to a new randomized, placebo-controlled study. Compared to placebo, elderberry juice significantly increased Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, and decreased Bacteroidetes phyla; at the genus level, elderberry juice increased Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcaceae, and Bifidobacterium and decreased Bacteroides and lactic acid-producing bacteria.
Elderberry is a small dark purple berry found on elder trees native to Europe. Image credit: TheOtherKev.
Over 70% of adults in the United States have overweight or obesity. The most recent estimates indicate 42% of adults suffer from obesity, and this will increase to 48-55% by 2050.
There are myriad and multi-faceted causes for obesity. Prospective dietary management of the cardiometabolic complications associated with obesity include dietary patterns which incorporate food sources rich in bioactive food constituents, such as the Mediterranean-style diet.
These dietary patterns include 5-10 daily servings of fruits and vegetables, which are dense sources of polyphenols that promote human health and longevity.
Anthocyanins are a diverse sub-class of flavonoids extensively researched for their health-promoting properties which includes the metabolic alterations associated with obesity including diabetes, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular disease.
Additionally, findings spanning translational rodent studies to large, prospective cohort studies demonstrate protective effects of anthocyanin-rich berries against obesity-associated morbidities and mortality.
Some mechanisms of action of anthocyanins’ benefits include preventing the intestinal absorption of monosaccharides, enhanced cellular metabolism of adipose and muscle tissues, and modulation of the gut microbiome.
“We previously demonstrated that 600 g of blackberries per day for 1 week both increases insulin sensitivity, as evidenced by a meal tolerance test, and also increases fat oxidation, demonstrated via a reduction in the respiratory quotient from 24 h of indirect calorimetry,” said Dr. Patrick Solverson from Washington State University and his colleagues.
“The objective of the current human study was to determine if the metabolic benefits observed with other anthocyanin-rich berries extend to elderberries.”
The researchers tested the effects of elderberry on metabolic health in a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial with 18 overweight adults.
The participants consumed either elderberry juice or a placebo with similar coloring and taste, specially designed by North Carolina State University’s Food Innovation Lab, while maintaining a standardized diet.
Clinical testing following the intervention showed that participants who consumed elderberry juice had significantly increased amounts of beneficial gut bacteria, including Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, and decreased amounts of harmful bacteria, such as Bacteroidetes.
In addition to positive microbiota changes, the elderberry intervention resulted in improved metabolism.
The results showed that the elderberry juice reduced participants’ blood glucose levels by an average of 24%, indicating a significantly improved ability to process sugars following carbohydrate consumption. The results also showed a 9% decrease in insulin levels.
Additionally, the results suggested that elderberry juice can enhance the body’s ability to burn fat.
The participants who received the elderberry juice showed significantly increased fat oxidation, or the breakdown of fatty acids, after a high carbohydrate meal and during exercise.
“Food is medicine, and science is catching up to that popular wisdom,” Dr. Solverson said.
“This study contributes to a growing body of evidence that elderberry, which has been used as a folk remedy for centuries, has numerous benefits for metabolic as well as prebiotic health.”
“Other berries contain anthocyanins, but typically in lower concentrations,” he added.
“A person would have to consume four cups of blackberries a day to achieve the same anthocyanin dose contained in 6 ounces of elderberry juice.”
The findings appear in the journal Nutrients.
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Christy Teets et al. 2024. A One-Week Elderberry Juice Intervention Augments the Fecal Microbiota and Suggests Improvement in Glucose Tolerance and Fat Oxidation in a Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients 16 (20): 3555; doi: 10.3390/nu16203555
