Washington, Dec 19 : A new study has revealed that eating bilberries diminishes the adverse effects of a high-fat diet, as they were shown to have beneficial effects on both blood pressure and nutrition-derived inflammatory responses.

According to a recent study at the University of Eastern Finland, low-grade inflammation and elevated blood pressure are often associated with obesity-related diseases and the study focused on the health effects of bilberries on mice that were fed high-fat diet for a period of three months.

The researchers assessed the effects of the diets by looking at inflammatory cell and cytokine levels, systolic blood pressure, glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity and weight gain.

Mice on the high-fat diet experienced significant weight gain and detrimental changes in glucose and lipid metabolism, inflammation factors and blood pressure. Bilberries diminished the pro-inflammatory effects of the high-fat diet, indicated by an altered cytokine profile and a reduced relative prevalence of inflammation supporting T-cells. Bilberries also prevented elevated blood pressure caused by the high-fat diet.

The study was published in PLOS ONE. (ANI)