Muffins = good. Muffin tops = bad.

Inflated bellies spilling out over the top of skinny jeans are definitely not something anyone is proud of, and it can happen even if you’re not especially overweight.

However tackling a troublesome tummy doesn’t have to be as tough as it sounds, in fact some simple changes to your diet can make a big difference. For example, drinking pomegranate juice can reduce blood pressure and may play a role in deflating beer bellies and shrinking muffin tops, according to a study by Queen Margaret University.

The study, commissioned by Pomegreat, the leading supplier of pomegranate juice blends, saw volunteers in a medical trial who drank a glass a day for four weeks see a “significant” reduction in blood pressure, with a fall recorded in more than 90 per cent of the group. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is among the causes of heart disease, strokes and kidney failure.

An unexpected outcome of the research was an early indication that pomegranate juice may redistribute weight around the body, moving flab away from bellies and muffin tops.

The study showed a significant reduction in plasma NEFA (a measure of blood composition) following 4-week consumption of Pomegreat Pure fruit juice in 11 out of 19 subjects.  A reduction in plasma NEFA may indicate a reduction in waist circumference.

Dr Emad Aldujaili , lead researcher at the School of Health Sciences, Dietetics, Nutrition & Biological Sciences at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, said “There is early evidence that consumption of pure pomegranate juice may influence weight re-distribution.  We believe that these initial finding merit examination in a more detailed study.  The subjects in our latest study had a healthy body mass index, making the impact more difficult to observe.  In future research we will investigate the effect on overweight or obese subjects in whom the impact will be more evident.”

 

All this month we're running Her Fitness Revolution in association with PomeGreat Pure Plus - check back to our Health section here for daily updates on how to make of your body this New Year!