You may have heard how rosehips — which are popular in herbal teas, jams and juices — are a potent natural source of vitamin C and other nutrients.
Maybe you’ve also heard how this fruit of the rose plant has been used for centuries to promote healthy digestion and smooth joints.
But there’s one health benefit to this beautiful fruit most people don’t know about. And it’s something that may be especially appealing to you at this time of year, as New Year’s resolutions begin to wane…
New research shows rosehips can actually help you lose that stubborn belly fat.
Without cutting calories or exercising more.
And without the dangerous side effects of traditional stimulant weight-loss products that leave you jittery and make your heart race.
The natural way to lose abdominal fat
So how do rosehips help you shed this abdominal fat? Well, along with vitamin C, these fragrant fruits contain an abundance of biologically active polyphenols.
Rosehips’ most powerful polyphenol is called tiliroside. Studies have reported that tiliroside is a powerful antioxidant.
And, as it turns out, it also has the potential to help you keep your waistline in check.
Let’s take a closer look at the evidence.
How rosehips help you lose different kinds of fat…and why that’s important
In one study, a rosehip extract prevented weight gain and body fat accumulation in mice — without any changes in their diets or the number of calories they consumed.
Other studies have shown that rosehips inhibit accumulation of lipids in fat cells. So in essence, rosehips can help prevent your fat cells from getting fatter.
The latest study involved 152 people who were divided into two groups. One group was given 100 mg of rosehip extract daily for 12 weeks, and the other group received a placebo.
All of the participants were asked to maintain their regular diet and lifestyle patterns. Indeed, throughout the study, the researchers observed that both groups had almost identical food-intake rates.
But at the end of the study, the researchers observed that total abdominal fat, visceral fat (fat around the organs), body weight, and body mass index (BMI) all decreased significantly in the rosehip group.
Even though they ate just as much as the placebo group.
Another key thing to note about this study is the type of fat the people lost. Why does this matter? Because just looking at weight or BMI is a poor way of assessing body fat and body composition in terms of health.
When I worked as a senior research investigator at the National Institutes of Health, I tried to get researchers to look beyond these simple-minded, inaccurate measures of body fat when it came to their multimillion-dollar studies on health. Measuring only body weight or BMI just doesn’t tell doctors or patients what they really need to know about health status.
I didn’t learn this truth in medical school — nor did I learn about diet and nutrition. Instead, I discovered it as part of my human biology training for my Ph.D. in anthropology. Sadly, medical doctors simply aren’t taught in school what they really need to know about nutrition or assessment of the human body.
Why rosehips are safer than other weight-loss products
While rosehips stimulate the nervous system to burn fat, they’re different than the typical “upper” type of weight-loss products. These products hype up your adrenalin — which can make you jittery and increase your heart rate and blood sugar levels.
That’s not only unpleasant (for you, and those around you), but dangerous for your health.
In contrast, rosehips appear to accomplish fat burning without increasing adrenalin.
Researchers believe the tiliroside in rosehips helps promote healthy weight through its effect on the autonomic nervous system — which controls basic body functions like breathing, heartbeat and digestion. Tiliroside is thought to stimulate the autonomic nervous system to increase fat burning both at rest and during exercise.
Even better, rosehips appear to target abdominal fat burning, rather than the subcutaneous fat that lies just under the skin throughout your body.
Brand new research indicates just what rose hips do to fat cell metabolism and I will tell you all about in a Daily Dispatch next month.
(For the record, having some healthy subcutaneous fat appears to actually provide many benefits — including helping you live longer. It also helps you maintain a more youthful appearance — in contrast to looking like emaciated old crows…feet and all.)
As I mentioned earlier, you can find rosehips in some herbal teas. But for even more benefits, look for a supplement that combines rose hips with other natural ingredients.
My CoreForce BioBlend, for instance, includes rose hips, blueberry extract, baobab, aspal (red bush or rooibos), and lo han — a truly remarkable combination that helps support health and longevity on every front.
And as the proverbial “icing on the cake,” CoreForce is delicious. You can add this powdered mix to juice, milk or just plain water. Whatever you choose, the end result is the perfect combination of delicious, naturally sweet (without sugar) and refreshing.
If you haven’t tried CoreForce, I urge you to learn more about it by clicking here. It’s one of the easiest things you can do to make 2017 your healthiest year yet.
Sources:
- “Potent anti-obese principle from Rosa canina: structural requirements and mode of action of trans-tiliroside.” Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2007;17:3059–3064.
- 2. “Rosehip extract inhibits lipid accumulation in white adipose tissue by suppressing the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma.” Prev Nutr Food Sci. 2013;18:85–91.
- “Effects of rose hip intake on risk markers of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease: a randomized, double-blind, cross-over investigation in obese persons.” Eur J Clin Nutr. 2012;66:585–590.
- “Daily intake of rosehip extract decreases abdominal visceral fat in preobese subjects: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.” Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2015; 8: 147–156.