Blueberries may help with weight loss, according to American researchers from the California State Polytechnic University and the Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management at Gonzaga

University who studied the issue.

According to the American researchers, consuming fruits helps improve athletic performance and burn fat. They found that consuming 25 grams of freeze-dried blueberries every day, which is equivalent to eating about a cup of berries in their natural state, prompts the body to burn more fat during exercise.

In addition to making you slimmer, blueberries can also help your muscles conserve glycogen - the body's main source of energy. This means that the berry could theoretically help you exercise longer and even better.

Blueberries are known to be rich in antioxidants called anthocyanins, which give them their dark purple hue. It is found in other dark, red, or purple berries, and the darker the fruit, the more antioxidants it contains.

The study results were published in the journal Nutrients.

The report states: "This study was the first to investigate whether the consumption of WB (wild blueberries) would elicit higher rates of fat oxidation during a protocol targeting maximal fat oxidation using moderate-intensity exercise in healthy, trained men."

It also notes: "This novel study documented that consumption of WB for 14 days increased fat oxidation, reduced carbohydrate oxidation, and lowered plasma lactate levels during 40 minutes of moderate-intensity cycling." Photo by LanaDelRey, Wikimedia commons.