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CurraNZ Capsules – New Zealand Blackcurrant Extract

CurraNZ is a capsule-type supplement made in New Zealand.

It’s a pretty simple product because the only ingredient is New Zealand blackcurrant extract.

However, New Zealand’s combination of harsh winters, hot summers, and strong ultraviolet sunlight causes the blackberries grown in New Zealand to be unusually rich in anthocyanins and other antioxidants.

Numerous studies show extracts taken from these purple nutritional powerhouses can boost physical performance and research conducted in the UK shows CurraNZ can improve fat burning capabilities as well.

A Closer Look at What CurraNZ is and How it Works

Each CurraNZ capsule contains 300mg of freeze-dried New Zealand blackcurrant extract. It takes 2,500 berries to make a single box of CurraNZ and every capsule provides 105mg of anthocyanins.

Anthocyanins are antioxidants that are naturally-occurring in many purple-coloured fruits and vegetables.

Research suggests consuming anthocyanins may provide an untold number of health benefits, including increased longevity and improved cognitive function.

One of the reasons why anthocyanins are so beneficial is they are capable of providing vasodilation.

This is a natural process where the blood vessel walls become more relaxed and dilate to provide improved circulation. This allows the muscles and vital organs to obtain an increased amount of oxygen and nutrients.

In the case of hard-working muscles, the improved flow of blood also helps to carry away lactic acid and other chemicals that build-up during exercise and have a limiting effect on physical performance and stamina.

Media Response to CurraNZ

CurraNZ was launched in the UK in January 2018 (and New Zealand and Australia a few years beforehand) and the fact that it had Vogue Williams as a product ambassador probably helped get things off to a good start.

She probably most famous for being the wife of, Westlife singer, Brian McFadden, but she’s also appeared in Dancing with the Stars and the dancing talent show Stepping Out.

Sharing her own experience with CurraNZ, Williams said, “I feel healthier and more energised and am so pleased to continue to work with an innovative brand that is going to continue to evolve in this space.” And then added, “This year purple really is the new black.”

An endorsement from a celebrity always attracts attention and the performance boosting capabilities of CurraNZ are given further credibility by the fact that Tottenham Hotspur first team nutritionist, Hannah Sheridan, encourages the team members to use it to help them improve their game. Other teams have apparently been quick to catch-on.

“During periods of intensified training such as pre-season or at altitude camps,” Sheridan explains, “athletes require a higher intake of anti-oxidants, which is where a natural supplement such as CurraNZ plays a huge role in recovery.”

However, one of the main reasons why CurraNZ has become such a newsworthy product is because researchers in the UK have discovered using it alongside a sufficient level of high-intensity exercise can significantly improve fat burning.

CurraNZ as a Fat Burner

A big part of the present interest in the fat burning ability of CurraNZ is due the results of one of several studies conducted by a team of researchers at the University of Chichester.

The researchers selected 14 men, all of them endurance-trained cyclists.

The study period was seven days and each of the men was given daily doses of CurraNZ (300mg) or a placebo. Data collected from samples taken during periods of exercise showed the supplement had boosted fat burning ability by an average of 21%.

Although all the participants were trained athletes, lead researcher, Professor Mark Willems, believes the extract could be put to good use as a weight loss aid.

“If the general public gets off the sofa and does some moderately-intensive exercise,” he stated, “while also taking blackcurrant extract for seven days, they’ll experience increased fat burning.”

Researchers at Liverpool John Moores University became curious to see if the extract could produce similar effects when used on women and their research suggests it may work slightly better for females.

This time the study involved 16 endurance-trained female cyclists, and CurraNZ was shown to improve the cyclist’s fat burning capabilities by an average of 27%. Lead researcher, Dr Sam Shepherd, speculated the improvement could be due to the extract’s ability to improve blood flow and pointed out, “Anything above 20% is typically what we expect to see with three-to-four weeks of regular endurance exercise training.”

Limiting Factors and Media Exaggeration

Despite the fact that the media continues to make CurraNZ sound like a powerful weight loss aid, researchers have only succeeded in proving the berry extract has the ability to improve fat burning capabilities while exercising.

People who don’t “get off the sofa” are unlikely to see any benefit at all and even those who do will probably need to buy a secondary supplement to keep keep their appetites under control. All of the study participants had a normal BMI.

They were not overweight and were unlikely to be used to overeating.

People who need to lose weight loss products are already overweight, have probably become so due to habitual overeating, and will need help to get their appetites under control. CurraNZ cannot provide that help and probably offers the most value as a sports supplement.