Many herbs and edible fruits contain ursolic acid. Ursolic acid contributes to the waxy coating of fruits such as apples. Some folk herbal medicines used to treat diabetes also have this lipophilic pentacyclic triterpenoid. Ursolic acid improves bone health by enhancing skeletal muscle insulin. It improves muscle hypertrophy and reduces blood sugar and adiposity.
This substance has remarkable effects on fatty diets. It reduces obesity and its attendant complications through muscular Akt activity which leads to increased energy expenditure. In an experiment with mice fed on a high fat diet, increased muscular Akt activity was spurred by ursolic acid.
Another experiment with transgenic mice revealed a higher concentration of active Akt, particularly in the skeletal muscle. Apart from skeletal muscle hypertrophy, there was a reduction in total body fat, increased energy expenditure, glucose intolerance, reduction in white fat and hepatic steatosis. Ursolic acid has been found to boost brown fat levels.
Ursolic acid effects on brown fat
Brown fat has a high rate of energy expenditure that protects you against obesity. The acid has a stimulating effect on the skeletal muscle which in turn stirs energy expenditure. There is speculation that brown fat plays an important role. It is suggested that ursolic acid boosts your brown fat and skeletal muscle. This in turn leads to higher energy expenditure which is responsible for the resistance in diet-induced obesity, glucose intolerance and fatty liver disease.
Further investigations are necessary to determine whether brown fat in the mice treated with ursolic acid is metabolically active. The liver, white fat and glucose homeostasis are also subjected to related effects of ursolic acid. Further studies are required to establish whether ursolic acid has a direct or indirect effect on brown fat, liver and white fat.
It is still uncertain how ursolic acid increases brown fat. The increased brown fat could possibly be a secondary effect that accompanies the reduced insulating white fat. An alternative explanation is that ursolic acid leads to increased sympathetic activity, as is known to cause brown fat expansion.
Findings have revealed that the acid causes a slight reduction in the heart rate and no alteration in blood sugar. These findings do not support a systematic increase in the sympathetic activity. Sympathetic outflow to the brown fat is not associated to the outflow to other organs. This means it is important to measure directly if any sympathetic outflow to the brown fat is altered by the ursolic acid.
The third possibility is that direct action of ursolic acid on brown fat is what stimulates its growth. One means through which the acid increases skeletal muscle is by enhancement of the insulin receptors and the ligand dependent auto-phosphorylation. The same precursor cells are responsible for the formation of skeletal muscle and brown fat. The growth of brown fat, on the other hand, is promoted by insulin signaling. Speculatively, brown fat and skeletal muscle are increased by ursolic acid via a common molecular activity. Based on a recent study, multiple receptors could be involved in this mechanism.
Benefits of ursolic acid as a slimming formula
There are many slimming products that contain ursolic acid in the market. Not all brands may provide the desired results. When choosing a brand to use stick with, choose the ones that extract ursolic acid in its pure form.
It is important to avoid junk food whenever you are using this formula. Junk food contains low density lipoproteins which are deposited in your blood vessels, adipose tissue and belly. Ursolic acid fights off bad cholesterol that can enter your body through the consumption of junk food which is manufactured using unhealthy ingredients.
Ursolic acid suppresses your appetite. When your food cravings are suppressed, you are more likely to lose weight. When meals are taken in small quantities, the body gets a chance to use up stored fats. When you take larger meals, the body will only use energy from the food you consume.
When using this product, it is important to drink lots of water. Water helps your body to get rid of toxins. It is also important to take plenty of water while using this formula to help increase your metabolic rate.
Ursolic acid should not be taken over the recommended limits. Going over limit can increase the development of your skeletal muscle. Overconsumption of the product is tantamount to drug abuse; otherwise ursolic acid can benefit health a lot. It is important to enroll the services of a dietician when using this formula. It is also wise to stick to the company’s directions on how to use it.
Summary
Ursolic acid increases skeletal muscle, brown fat and energy expenditure in mice fed on high fat diets to induce obesity. Such effects are linked to increased exercise capability, strength and reduced obesity. Other effects include decreased hepatic steatosis and enhanced glucose tolerance. In the wake of such preclinical data, further studies are recommended in human beings. If it is proved that ursolic acid exhibits the same effects in humans as in mice, then it can be useful as a therapeutic agent.
Some metabolic dietary disorders that it may alleviate are Type II diabetes, skeletal muscle atrophy, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and obesity. Some benefits of ursolic acid include remedy for liver disease, pain relief from arthritis, etc. Ursolic acid should not be used as primary treatment for arthritis, cancer and heart disease. When using it as a slimming formula, stick to the directions given or always consult your doctor in special situations.
About Stanford Chemicals
Stanford Chemicals is a worldwide supplier of phytochemicals, pharmaceutical intermediates, catalysts, lab equipment and a variety of special fine chemical products since 1994. To meet increasing demands for herbal extracts in nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, Stanford Chemicals is established and now carries hundreds kinds of herbal extracts, including botanical ingredients and standard herbal extracts.
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