A natural compound found in apples may help protect againstobesity, according to a study in the journal PLoS ONE and reported by HealthDay News.

Researchers have long known that a natural occurring compoundcalled ursolic acid could help increase muscle mass and brown fat, which is aspecial type of fat that burns calories instead of storing them. This study isthe first to show that ursolic acid could also help fight obesity and metabolicsyndrome (a group of conditions that can lead to heart disease).