Compound Found in Blueberries May Help Muscle Cells Burn Excess Fat: Study

A natural compound found in blueberries and grapes may help muscle cells break down excess fat, according to a new study.

Published in Food Bioscience, the study looked at fat that builds up inside skeletal muscle cells. This buildup can happen with ageing, inactivity and high-fat diets. Too much fat inside muscle cells may affect how the body uses sugar and fats for energy and may contribute to insulin resistance.

Researchers at Shinshu University tested compounds in laboratory-grown mouse muscle cells. Pterostilbene, found naturally in blueberries, grapes and berries, showed the strongest ability to reduce fat stored inside the cells. The treatment did not appear to affect normal muscle cell growth.

Researchers found that pterostilbene did not simply prevent fat from entering muscle cells. Instead, treated cells released more glycerol, suggesting that stored fat was being broken down. The cells also showed increased activity of genes involved in burning fatty acids.

Researchers then examined a protein called PPARδ, which helps control how muscle cells use fat. They found that pterostilbene increased PPARδ activity.

Interestingly, the compound did not appear to activate the protein directly. Instead, it helped stop PPARδ from being broken down inside the cells. This allowed more of the protein to remain available and increased the activity of genes involved in fat metabolism.

The findings suggest pterostilbene may help muscle cells process stored fat.

However, the research is still at an early stage. The experiments were conducted only in cultured mouse muscle cells, not in animals or humans. The study therefore does not show that eating blueberries or grapes, or taking pterostilbene supplements, can reduce muscle fat or prevent diabetes.

Further animal and human studies are needed to confirm these findings, assess safety, and determine whether the compound could eventually have useful applications.

REFERENCE: Maaya Suzuki, Miu Iwasaki, Yasuki Higashimura, Tomohide Takaya, Takakazu Mitani. Pterostilbene suppresses intracellular lipid accumulation in C2C12 myocytes via PPARδ stabilization. Food Bioscience, 2026; 83: 109519 DOI: 10.1016/j.fbio.2026.109519