Camu camu, the Amazonian superfruit, may help reverse fatty liver disease
By Study Finds
Doctors have been stumped for years on how to effectively treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition affecting over a quarter of the world’s adult population. However, a surprising new study suggests that the answer may lie in an exotic Amazonian berry called camu camu.
NAFLD is a serious condition characterized by a buildup of fat in the liver, which can lead to inflammation, scarring, and even liver failure if left untreated. It’s strongly linked to obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disorders, making it a growing public health crisis as waistlines expand worldwide. Unfortunately, there are currently no approved drug treatments, leaving lifestyle changes like weight loss and exercise as the only options.
Enter camu camu, a small red berry that grows wild in the Amazon rainforest. This superfruit is brimming with antioxidants, fiber, and other beneficial plant compounds called polyphenols. In a recent randomized, double-blind trial, published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine, researchers found that giving overweight and hypertriglyceridemic adults just 1.5 grams of camu camu powder per day for 12 weeks led to a significant 15.85% reduction in liver fat compared to a placebo.
“The microbiota metabolizes the large polyphenol molecules that cannot be absorbed by the intestine, transforming them into smaller molecules that the body can assimilate to decrease liver fat,” explains Dr. André Marette, the study’s senior author and a professor at Université Laval, in a media release.
The researchers also found that taking camu camu supplements decreased levels of two key liver enzymes, ALT and AST, which are elevated in people with fatty liver disease and indicate liver damage. Additionally, the berry appeared to beneficially alter the gut microbiome, increasing the abundance of certain bacteria linked to improved metabolic health.
How exactly does this Amazonian superfruit work its magic on the liver?
Marette believes it has to do with the high concentration of polyphenols, which are known to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
“They could reduce lipogenesis, i.e., the formation of lipid droplets in the liver. They could also stimulate lipid degradation by oxidation. A combination of the two mechanisms probably explains the high efficacy of the extract, as we’re playing on both sides of the coin,” the study author says.
“We hypothesize that the initial intestinal microbiota influences the response to polyphenols. If we find the factors involved, we may be able to modify the microbiota and increase the extract efficacy.”
Interestingly, the researchers didn’t find any changes in body weight or overall body fat during the study, suggesting that camu camu’s liver-specific effects are independent of weight loss. This opens up the possibility that the berry could be used not just for prevention but also as a treatment for those already battling fatty liver disease.
Of course, more research is still necessary to fully understand the mechanisms at play and confirm the findings in larger, longer-term trials. However, Marette is optimistic that camu camu could one day become a valuable tool in the fight against NAFLD.
Paper Summary
Methodology
For this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial, the researchers recruited 30 adults who were overweight or obese and had high triglycerides. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 1.5 grams of camu camu powder or a placebo (maltodextrin) daily for 12 weeks, with a 4-week washout period in between.
The primary outcome they were interested in was changes in hepatic fat fraction, or the percentage of fat in the liver, as measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). They also looked at various other markers of metabolic and liver health, as well as changes in gut microbiome composition.
Key Results
After 12 weeks, the participants who took the camu camu supplement experienced a significant 15.85% decrease in liver fat compared to the placebo group, who actually saw an 8.42% increase. Camu camu also lowered levels of the liver enzymes ALT and AST, which are elevated in fatty liver disease and indicate liver damage.
Additionally, the researchers found that camu camu supplementation led to beneficial shifts in gut microbiome composition, including increases in beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus and decreases in bacteria linked to NAFLD, such as Adlercreutzia and Erysipelatoclostridium. However, they did not see any changes in body weight or overall body fat between the two groups.
Study Limitations
One limitation of this study is the relatively small sample size of 30 participants. While the results were statistically significant, larger trials are needed to confirm the findings. The researchers also did not perform liver biopsies, which would have provided more detailed information about inflammation and fibrosis in the liver. Additionally, the study was only 12 weeks long, so the long-term effects of camu-camu supplementation remain unknown.
Discussion & Takeaways
These findings suggest that camu camu, a polyphenol-rich Amazonian superfruit, could be a promising natural approach for managing and even reversing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The researchers believe the berry’s high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as its ability to beneficially modulate the gut microbiome, are likely responsible for its liver-protective effects.
Importantly, the improvements in liver fat and liver enzyme levels were seen independently of changes in body weight or body composition. This indicates that camu camu may have direct, targeted effects on the liver that go beyond just promoting weight loss. If confirmed in larger trials, this could make the berry a valuable tool for treating NAFLD, not just preventing it.
Of course, more research is still needed to fully understand the mechanisms at play and evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of camu camu supplementation. But these initial results are certainly intriguing and suggest that this humble Amazonian berry could hold the key to addressing a major global health problem.
Funding & Disclosures
This study was funded by the W. Garfield Weston Foundation (Weston family Microbiome Initiative) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The authors report no conflicts of interest.
Source: Study Finds
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Image caption and credit: Camu camu is a small red berry that grows wild in the Amazon rainforest. This superfruit is brimming with antioxidants, fiber, and other beneficial plant compounds called polyphenols. (CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF MONTREAL HOSPITAL RESEARCH CENTRE)
