Suvi Koponen's Sexy, Healthy Lingonberries For Stella McCartney

Finland’s Suvi Koponen intoxicates in Stella McCartney’s Spring/Summer 2014 campaign, lensed by Mert & Marcus. The contrast of Suvi’s intellectual elegance juxtaposed with almost erotic images of her lips and lingonberries (called cherries by multiple bloggers) is smashing.

In my case, FAB blog saved me from myself with the comment shared below. Hey — I was camped out in a blizzard overnight at University of Pennsylvania hospital with a critically ill friend. Beyond that, I have no excuse! Thanks FAB for keeping me from looking like a total ignoramus. Luckily, I read the comment at 3am, unable to sleep.

We never miss a health tip at AOC and this week I can shift with ease from cherries to lingonberries.

Health Benefits of Lingonberries

Swedish scientists said Thursday that lingonberries, a fruit found widely in Scandinavian cuisine, may act against weight gain and high sugar and cholesterol levels. True, the study was conducted on mice with a genetic predisposition to put on fat, but that’s a common first step in research.

The animals were fed a high-fat diet and different types of berries including lingonberry, bilberry, raspberry, crowberry, blackberry, prune, blackcurrant, acai berry or no berries over three months. Another group of mice stayed on a low fat diet.

After 13 weeks of the various diets, the biologists measured the mice’s weight and other health indicators. Lingonberries emerged as the health food champ, while several other berries also proved beneficial.

“This study demonstrated that daily supplementation with lingonberries and also blackcurrants and bilberries had pronounced antiobesity and beneficial metabolic effects in high-fat fed mice,” wrote the study authors in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism. via Discovery News

It’s important to note that up to 20 percent of the mice’s diet was lingonberries and not feasible for humans. Joining the lingonberry with positive results were blackcurrant, raspberry and bilberry-munching mice. Of great note are the negative results with the Internet-promoted acai berry.

Health Benefits of Cherries

Not only are cherries mouthwatering and seductive, they build more muscle and less fat mass due to having anthocyanins. The anti-inflammatory properties of cherries helps reduce muscle soreness and joint pain. Cherries contain melatonin that helps the brain regulate sleep. Because cherries contain 17 different antioxidant compounds — the most of any fruit — they may slow the aging process. Cherries are a very effective natural diuretic and their vitamins A and C are believed to be libido enhancers.

via fgr