Thaindian News

Sydney, June 30 (IANS) A natural extract derived from blackcurrants may help offset the negative impact exercise can have on the body, according to a preliminary study by scientists.
Researchers from the New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research (NZIPFR) have found signs that a blackcurrant extract, taken as a capsule before and after exercise - has three potential effects.

It minimizes muscle damage by modulating oxidative stress, regulates inflammation and

potentially enhances the body’s natural defence against disease.

While exercise is universally agreed to be healthy, extreme exercise - such as intense pre-event training - can lower the body’s immune defences and increase the risk of muscle damage.

The study, lead by Roger Hurst of the NZIPFR, looked at untrained individuals undergoing moderate exercise.

“In our research, we chose a group of 10 healthy everyday people with a wide age range

who exercised regularly and measured biochemical indicators to assess the effect of taking the blackcurrant extract capsules before and after exercise,” said Hurst.

“We found changes in the levels of bio-markers that indicate antioxidant activity,

inflammation modulating ability and support for the natural immune responsiveness to

potential pathogens.”

Hurst says research is yet to determine exactly what black currant compounds cause the observed effects, but he doubts Vitamin C is a factor because the extracts tested contained only very low levels of the vitamin.

“We’re looking more closely instead at the role of flavanoids within the fruit. Flavanoids are anti-oxidants, including anthocyanins, the compounds that gives blackcurrants their brilliant black-red colour,” added Hurst.

The findings were published in the American Journal of Physiology.