New Zealand blackcurrant science is rewriting the rulebook on natural weight management — and CurraNZ – www.curranz.com – is at the centre of it. That is not a marketing claim. It is the finding of a growing body of peer-reviewed science around CurraNZ®, a standardised New Zealand blackcurrant extract food supplement, now backed by more than 60 published studies.
The result is a supplement that not only supports exercise performance but also changes the underlying metabolic picture of how you burn energy – and accelerates recovery.
More Fat, Less Stored
A major systematic review1 and meta-analysis published in the Journal of Dietary Supplements, pooling data from 15 controlled human trials conducted on CurraNZ and involving 226 participants, confirmed that CurraNZ significantly increases fat oxidation during exercise and simultaneously decreases carbohydrate burning.
One week’s intake across several studies showed the berry delivered fat-burning adaptations normally seen after 1-3 months of daily endurance exercise – all without restrictive diets.
Based on at least 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week, the cumulative effects over a year would provide up to 1.1kg of fat loss – or half a stone, based on four hourly sessions of moderate-intensity exercise per week.
Individual studies within the review report 20% to 30% higher fat oxidation compared with placebo during cycling and running protocols. These are large effects for a natural supplement — and they are achieved without stimulants, without a prescription, and without side effects.
Dr Matthew Cook, the lead author of the meta-analysis and Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Worcester, said: “CurraNZ does not just talk about fat burning; it delivers measurable, repeated changes in how the body uses fuel during exercise. These are big, credible effects for a berry-derived supplement, backed by multiple high-quality human trials.”
If You Carry More Weight, You May Respond Most
One of the most significant findings to emerge from the research is that women who carry more body fat tend to respond more strongly to CurraNZ – not less. This is counterintuitive, and it matters.
In one comparative study2, women with higher body fat mass showed fat oxidation increases of up to 216 per cent, with an average group increase in fat burning of 28 per cent. The highest male responder in the same study increased his fat burning by 204 per cent.
In a separate study in sedentary men at rest3, taking CurraNZ for 14 days ‘turned on’ resting rates of fat burning in 3 out of 4 people. The highest responder saw fat burning increase by 106 per cent – and could lead to cumulative effects of up to 20.8kg over a year.
The effects also appear to target problem areas. A study in recreational women during 30 minutes of brisk walking4 found an average 25 per cent increase in fat burning, rising to 66 per cent in the highest responders. Crucially, women with more fat on their legs benefited most. Researchers believe this is because fat cells in the thighs may be more metabolically active during walking exercise than those in the arms or abdomen, and that CurraNZ amplifies this effect.
Mark Willems, Professor of Exercise Physiology at the University of Chichester and one of the leading researchers in the field, said: “These results provide yet more evidence that New Zealand blackcurrant extract can deliver greater benefit to people who carry extra weight, particularly in the legs.”
Dr Cook added: “If you are the person who naturally burns more carbohydrate and carries more body fat, CurraNZ is exactly the kind of targeted support the data say you are likely to respond to.”
With the explosion in popularity of anti-diabetic medications used for long-term weight management, Dr Cook believes the discovery positions the high-anthocyanin berry extract as a compelling alternative to Ozempic when used with a controlled diet and exercise, but without the dangerous side effects or high cost.
It Even Works in the Heat
For the millions of people who exercise outdoors in summer, heat is a hidden obstacle to fat loss. As temperatures rise, the body naturally shifts its fuel preference away from fat and towards carbohydrate — a physiological response to the increased demands of staying cool.
The result is that the harder conditions you’re training in, the less efficiently your body burns the very fuel you most want it to use.
Whether a supplement can safely reverse that shift is a question that matters. Plus, there’s the question of whether a supplement is safe and effective in the heat.
A University of Chichester study5 put CurraNZ to the test under demanding conditions: 18 participants ran for 60 minutes at 34 degrees Celsius and 40 per cent humidity – comparable to the hotter Mediterranean summer days- after seven days of CurraNZ supplementation.
The results: a 30 per cent increase in fat oxidation in both men and women, alongside an 11 per cent sparing of carbohydrate, meaning the body preserved its limited glycogen reserves for harder efforts. Crucially, there was no adverse effect on body temperature or thermoregulation, and it was confirmed safe to use in both hot and temperate conditions.
This stands in notable contrast to beetroot, another popular ergogenic aid, which has been shown to raise core temperature in the heat and is not recommended for warm-weather exercise.
Professor Willems commented: “What we are seeing is blackcurrant causes a really substantial increase to fat oxidation in the heat. An increase of 30 per cent is a very high value for a supplement. We were not expecting to find anything – it is a very exciting finding.”
The practical relevance for summer exercisers is significant. When you train in the heat, blood is redirected to the skin for cooling, reducing oxygen delivery to working muscles. Being able to burn fat more efficiently in this state means less reliance on your glycogen stores – and a lower risk of hitting the wall.
A Bigger Fuel Tank — and a Stronger Finish
CurraNZ does not just help you burn more fat – it also helps you start each session better fuelled. A 2025 study6, published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology and led by Dr Sam Shepherd, found that seven days of CurraNZ resulted in 39% higher pre-exercise muscle glycogen stores compared to placebo4.
Glycogen is the body’s critical carbohydrate fuel and is widely acknowledged as a limiting factor in endurance and high-intensity exercise. Starting a session with more of it is like setting off with a ‘fuller tank’.
At the same time, participants in the CurraNZ group burned 24 per cent more fat during exercise than the placebo group, meaning they also spared their glycogen for the moments that mattered most. Nine out of ten participants improved their performance in the final effort test.
Dr Shepherd said: “CurraNZ offers a science-backed advantage to enhance fuelling by boosting the body’s ability to refill muscle energy stores, recover more quickly and burn more fat during training.
“There is a real application for endurance athletes and high-intensity performance, particularly for people who train twice a day or do multi-day events, where there are short recovery periods between sessions.”
Faster Recovery, Less Soreness
The benefits extend beyond the workout itself. A University of Surrey study7 led by Dr Julie Hunt tested CurraNZ in 27 men and women undertaking strenuous resistance exercise. Participants taking one CurraNZ capsule (300mg) recovered muscle function within 24 hours. The placebo group took 72 hours – three times longer. They also experienced 47-49 per cent less muscle soreness at 24 and 48 hours and 84 per cent less muscle tissue damage at 96 hours compared with placebo.
This matters for anyone trying to maintain an exercise routine. Faster recovery means shorter gaps between sessions, less reason to skip training, and protection against the secondary tissue damage that makes delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) so disruptive.
Dr Hunt said: “The stark contrast with the blackcurrant group was impressive. You can see by the creatine kinase levels (a marker of muscle damage) that our exercise protocol caused significant muscle damage in the placebo group.”
How to Use It
- Take CurraNZ every day – not every other day. The fat-burning effect does not appear with intermittent use.
- Effects begin within seven days; continue to build over 14 days and beyond.
- Take two capsules (600mg) for fat oxidation and performance benefits. One capsule (300mg) is effective for recovery.
- Take approximately one to two hours before exercise where possible.
- Works across walking, running, cycling, gym training, and in hot conditions.
- No stimulants, no prescription required. Informed Sport batch-tested. Vegan and halal.
CurraNZ is the most clinically researched New Zealand blackcurrant extract on the global market. Whether your goal is to lose weight, perform better, recover faster, or simply get more from every session, the evidence is building that this natural daily supplement can meaningfully shift the dial – for almost everyone who takes it, and especially for those who have found fat loss stubbornly difficult.
Available at curranz.com and Amazon UK
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Our Editorial Team are writers and experts in their field. Their views and opinions may not always be the views of Wellbeing Magazine. If you are under the direction of medical supervision please speak to your doctor or therapist before following the advice and recommendations in these articles.
