A new study by Texas AgriLife Research has found that peaches, plums and nectarines have bioactive compounds that can potentially fight off obesity-related diabetes and cardiovascular disease on several fronts simultaneously.
The findings, which will be presented at the American Chemical Society in August, showed that the compounds in stonefruits could be a weapon against a metabolic syndrome in which obesity and inflammation lead to serious health issues, according to Dr Luis Cisneros-Zevallos, AgriLife Research food scientist and associate professor at Texas A&M University.
He said: “The major concern about obesity is the associated disease known as metabolic syndrome. Our studies have shown that phenolic compounds present in stonefruits have anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic properties in different cell lines and may also reduce the oxidation of bad cholesterol LDL which is associated to cardiovascular disease.”
What is unique to these fruits, he said, is that their mixture of the bioactive compounds work simultaneously within the different components of the disease.
The study was funded by the California Tree Fruit Agreement, The California Plum Board, the California Grape & Tree Fruit League and the Texas Department of Agriculture.
