Diet Supplements | Harris Healthy Weight Loss

There is a berry that is grown in arctic regions that may likely be the best berry for weight loss…better than the largely popular acai berry – lingonberries.

General Info About Lingonberries

These delicate arctic berries are native throughout parts of North America, Eurasia, and Japan. The lingonberry extends from Northwestern Greenland across the Canadian Arctic southward to New England. On the North American continent, it grows westward to the Great Lakes and British Columbia. And, is restricted to areas north of the glacial boundary.

Lingonberries have many common names (25 in all), but here are some of the main ones:

red bilberry

lowbush cranberry

northern mountain cranberry

mountain cranberry

cowberry

According to U.S. Department of Agriculture, lingonberries are widely eaten by animals such as: barren ground caribou, black bear, moose, arctic hare, and snowshoe hare. In parts of Alaska, it is an important if not primary moose browse. And, in many areas, these berries are an important food source for birds migrating northward in the spring.

Lingonberries May Be More Powerful Than Acai Berries For Weight Loss

Many new scientific research studies have pointed toward lingonberries promoting weight loss – possibly being more useful than the popular acai berries! A study done at the Lund University in Sweden has resulted in lingonberries leading the way as the best berries when compared against raspberries, crowberries, blackberries, prunes, and acai berries. Scientists found that not only were lingonberries the best for weight loss in rats in high fat fed diets, but acai berries actually caused weight gain.

“Cutting Edge” Recent Research On Lingonberries

While much is to be learned about the entire benefits of lingonberries, there have been recent studies pointing towards lingonberries as a “super food”. Many health benefits have been discovered with weight loss just one of them. In addition to weight loss, lingonberries can help diabetes, decrease blood pressure and inflammation (just to name a few!).

How To Add Lingonberries To Your Diet

There are many ways to add lingonberries to your diet. See below for some suggestions from nutritionist Marsha McMulloch, MS, RD ~

“Here are some ideas for using lingonberries:
Add lingonberry powder to yogurt, smoothies, or protein shakes.
Sprinkle fresh or thawed lingonberries on leafy green salads.
Top pancakes or waffles with homemade lingonberry sauce sweetened with stevia.
Add lingonberries to scones, muffins, and other baked goods.
Stir lingonberry powder into oatmeal or cold cereal.
Combine fresh or thawed lingonberries with other berries to make a fruit salad.
Add lingonberry powder to hot or cold tea.
Additionally, you can use lingonberries in place of cranberries or blueberries in most recipes.”

In Conclusion:

While it is always wise to consult a qualified medical professional before altering one’s diet, lingonberries appear to be a great way for many to achieve their weight loss goals. And, while they only grow in arctic areas, the dried or frozen forms may be accessible to many purchased online or in specialty stores.

So, try some lingonberries…

What a delicious way to lose weight!

Resources:

Heyman, L.; Axling, U.; Blanco, N.; Sterner, O.; Holm,C. and Berger, K.; Evaluation of Beneficial Metabolic Effects of Berries in High-Fat Fed C57BL/6J Mice Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, Volume 2014 (2014), Article ID 403041

Ryyti R, Hämäläinen M, Peltola R, Moilanen E. Beneficial effects of lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) supplementation on metabolic and inflammatory adverse effects induced by high-fat diet in a mouse model of obesity. PLoS One. 2020;15(5):e0232605. Published 2020 May 7. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0232605

Tirmenstein, D. 1991. Vaccinium vitis-idaea. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/vacvit/all.html [2020, August 16].

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Is whey protein for health and weight control the “golden way”, a hoax, or even harmful?

If you search for “whey protein research” you will get all kinds of results – a mixture of many different studies that fit into two large basic categories, food chemistry and health/weight control.

But, with so much focus on the many uses of whey protein, it is no wonder that there is a multitude of studies. Following are some recent findings by scientists that in some cases point toward proof of claims made by others and/or questioning some beliefs.

Which is better – soy protein or whey protein for weight loss?

There was a recent scientific research study, called Whey Protein but Not Soy Protein Supplementation Alters Body Weight and Composition in Free-Living Overweight and Obese Adults. According to the six-month research study, after supplementation with soy protein, there was no difference in fat mass or lean muscle when compared to subjects on sugar pill placebos. However, when comparing the whey protein supplementation group to the placebo group, there was a decrease in fat without an effect on lean muscle mass. This is a desirable effect for most dieters who do not want to lose weight and have sagging. It would seem that the chance of sagging would be less likely in dieters who use whey protein supplementation.

What effect will dieting and whey protein supplementation have on muscle fiber synthesis i.e. rate of new muscle development?

So, what protein type would have an effect on maintaining lean muscle and what about the rate of developing new muscle while dieting? A recent study that explored the higher diet energy of different kinds of protein supplementation on fat loss and maintaining muscle. It also looked at the effect on the rate of synthesis of new muscle fibers – an important consideration if on a long term weight loss diet.

The conclusion of the study was that whey protein indeed allowed fat loss while preserving muscle. What was significant about this study is that they also found that after meals, the decline in new muscle fiber synthesis was much less in whey supplementation dieters than in other forms of protein supplementation or placebos. They surmised that this finding may be important in the maintenance of muscles in long term dieting.

Could adding calories with whey protein supplementation cause weight gain?

An interesting study presented at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Conference tested added calories by carbohydrates vs. whey protein. They wanted to see if either caused weight gain. Of course, the carbohydrate group gained weight, but it was interesting to see that the whey protein group lost weight. Also significant was that they had a decrease in waist circumference.

Is protein supplementation good for athletes?

There was a recent (2019) study where scientists evaluated a large amount of nutritional data called Protein Supplements and Their Relation with Nutrition, Microbiota Composition and Health: Is More Protein Always Better for Sportspeople? In spite of all the good research results giving accoulades to high protein diets and muscle preservation, see their recommendations below:

According to Kårlund (et al):

“We suggest that instead of adding protein and amino acid supplements to high-protein diets, protein should be preferably received from whole foods, such as fish, eggs, dairy products, legumes, and cereals, along with fibers and other food components supporting the well-being of both the host and their gut microbiota. This should be highlighted in the nutritional plans of athletes, sportspeople, as well as more sedentary populations. In addition, the marketing and advertising of high-protein and amino acid products should be carefully planned and directed according to protein needs. In our opinion, supplements should be an occasional resource to improve athletic performance and recovery in the cases supported by scientific evidence and when these benefits are difficult to achieve with regular foods.”

So, it does appear that there are many factors in the use of whey protein supplementation. Whey protein has been proven to help with losing weight and the maintaining of muscles. However, each individual should carefully plan their diets (ideally, with a physician or nutritionist) to meet their own needs.

References:

Baer, D.J., Stote, K.S, Paul David R., Harris, G. Keith , Rumpler, William V , Clevidence, Beverly A. , Whey Protein but Not Soy Protein Supplementation Alters Body Weight and Composition in Free-Living Overweight and Obese Adults, The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 141, Issue 8, August 2011, Pages 1489–1494, https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.111.139840

Baer, D.J., Stote, K.S., Clevidence, B.A., Harris, G.K., Paul, D., Rumpler, W.V. 2006. Whey protein decreases body weight and fat in supplemented overweight and obese adults. Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Conference, April 2006, San Francisco, CA. FASEB J 20:A427

Hector, Amy J, Marcotte, George R, Churchward-Venne, Tyler A, Murphy, Caoileann H, Breen, Leigh, von Allmen, Mark, Baker, Steven K, Phillips, Stuart M, Whey Protein Supplementation Preserves Postprandial Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis during Short-Term Energy Restriction in Overweight and Obese Adults, The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 145, Issue 2, February 2015, Pages 246–252, https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.114.200832

Kårlund A, Gómez-Gallego C, Turpeinen AM, Palo-Oja OM, El-Nezami H, Kolehmainen M. Protein Supplements and Their Relation with Nutrition, Microbiota Composition and Health: Is More Protein Always Better for Sportspeople?. Nutrients. 2019;11(4):829. Published 2019 Apr 12. doi:10.3390/nu11040829

Category: Diet Supplements

The Surprising Best Berry for Weight Loss