October 27, 2025, 9:45 am | Read time: 3 minutes
This time in “Highway to Health – Studies in Brief”: A British study examined whether pomegranate polyphenols can influence a hormone closely linked to muscles and regeneration in old age. An international analysis shows how closely the maintenance of muscle mass is connected to fat metabolism and blood sugar regulation.
Pomegranate Extract Boosts Key Hormone IGF-1, Which Maintains Muscle Mass in Old Age
What was investigated? A British study investigated whether an extract from pomegranate—rich in natural antioxidants (polyphenols)—can influence age-related changes in the body.1 Seventy-two healthy adults aged 55 to 70 took 740 milligrams of extract or a placebo daily for twelve weeks. Two values were recorded: telomere length—protective end caps of genetic information that shorten with age—and the level of IGF-1. This endogenous hormone plays a central role in muscle mass, muscle regeneration, bone density, and circulation. As people age, IGF-1 levels decrease, which is associated with typical signs of aging.
Results: After twelve weeks, the IGF-1 level in the pomegranate group increased by an average of 14.09 nanograms per milliliter—a statistically significant, moderate increase. In the placebo group, the value remained unchanged. Telomere length showed no change in either group.
Significance: Pomegranate polyphenols could help slow the age-related decline of IGF-1, thereby contributing to the maintenance of muscles and other bodily functions. However, the short duration of intake had no measurable impact on cellular aging. Longer studies are needed.
More Muscle Mass Reduces Fat and Blood Sugar Levels
What was investigated? An international research team analyzed in a review how targeted muscle building affects fat mass and sugar metabolism in humans and animals.2 They evaluated 122 studies (99 with humans, 23 with animals) where muscle growth was stimulated either by strength training, drugs like bimagrumab, or genetic modifications. The goal was to determine whether increasing muscle size alone is sufficient to positively influence overweight and impaired blood sugar.
Results: Even an average muscle increase of about two to three percent in humans was associated with a reduction in fat mass of about four percent. At the same time, the long-term blood sugar level HbA1c decreased by about four percent, and fasting blood sugar by nearly six percent. Animal studies showed significantly stronger effects: With an average of 18 percent more muscle mass, fat mass fell by almost 24 percent. These effects were particularly pronounced with pharmacological or genetic interventions—independent of exercise. In human studies with strength training, the specific contribution of muscle growth compared to the training itself remains unclear.
Significance: The results suggest that targeted muscle enlargement—such as through specific muscle-building agents like bimagrumab or through training—can positively influence fat reduction and blood sugar levels. In animal experiments and pharmacological studies, muscle growth alone is sufficient to trigger these effects. In human studies, the exact contribution of hypertrophy compared to the training effect is not yet fully clarified. Nevertheless, the authors see muscle growth as a potential therapeutic approach, for example, as a supplement to diet or medication, and call for future studies to specifically measure muscle and fat mass separately.
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