New research finds New Zealand blackcurrant extract reduces harmful proteins responsible for the development of the condition Get the latest top news stories sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter We have more newsletters Get the latest top news stories sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter We have more newsletters The simple blackcurrant could hold the key to easing osteoporosis issues in menopausal women, a new study has suggested. Results from a new clinical trial of New Zealand blackcurrant extract suggest that the extract from the superfruit could help protect against this life-limiting condition, which is responsible for many deaths from fracture-related causes. Osteoporosis is a bone disease which causes bones to become fragile and more likely to break.
The clinical trial tested low or high doses of the extract a day, or a placebo, on 40 peri and early post-menopausal participants aged 45 to 60. Those taking the high dose showed significant improvements in bone mineral density after just six months. The women exhibited a reduction in harmful proteins associated with bone resorption, a key factor in the development of osteoporosis.
Researchers from the University of Connecticut found that high daily doses of New Zealand blackcurrant extract promoted beneficial gut bacteria which helps maintain bone density, reduced inflammation and controlled specific molecules which promote bone breakdown. One in two British women over the age of 50 are i.
