Published July 18, 2012 ENDOCRINOLOGY/METABOLISM Stone Fruits May Ward Off Metabolic Syndrome By Staff US Pharm. 2012;37(7):6. College Station, TX—Plums, peaches, and nectarines contain bioactive compounds that may fight off metabolic syndrome, new studies by Texas AgriLife Research at Texas A&M University have found. “Phenolic compounds present in these fruits have anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic properties in different cell lines and may also reduce the oxidation of bad cholesterol LDL which is associated to cardiovascular disease,” stated researcher Luis Cisneros-Zevallos, PhD. Uniquely, the various bioactive compounds in these stone fruits work simultaneously to combat the different components of the disease—obesity, inflammation, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. This is believed to be the first time that a fruit’s bioactive compounds have been demonstrated to potentially act on different fronts against a disease. To comment on this article, contact rdavidson@uspharmacist.com.