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How about dishing up some sugar to lose weight? It may sound unusual (even suspect), but pyruvate, an altered form of sugar (glucose) that the body creates in the process of extracting energy from carbohydrates and protein, may enhance weight loss, according to recent research involving overweight women.
In addition to being formed in the body during digestive processes, pyruvate is found pre-formed in several foods, including red apples, cheese, dark beer, and red wine. Fortunately, since drinking lots of German ale, for example, isn't part of a sensible weight loss plan, pyruvate is now available in dietary supplement form.
Enhancing our loss of body fat is not the only potential benefit from supplementing with pyruvate. Several clinical trials show that pyruvate supplements can help to improve exercise endurance in people starting an exercise program for the first time.
In addition, preliminary research indicates that pyruvate functions as an antioxidant, inhibiting the production of harmful free radicals, and, through this mechanism, may inhibit the growth of...