John Myers
Aronia berries have so many health benefits that you can do a regimen with them over and over again. For this, you drink z. For example, take a glass of Aronia juice half an hour after meals every day for four weeks.
Why you should not do without Aronia berries and Aronia juice!
Aronia berries have so many health benefits that you can do a regimen with them over and over again. For this, you drink z. For example, take a glass of Aronia juice half an hour after meals every day for four weeks.
Aronia berries can also be used fresh or dried, e.g. B. be eaten in muesli or fruit salad.
The Aronia berry is a powerful antioxidant and therefore a good helper in the fight against free radicals and chronic inflammation. It also has anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, and antibacterial effects. It can also reduce the side effects of some chemotherapy treatments and protect against radiation.
Where does the Aronia berry come from?
The Aronia berry, also known as the chokeberry, comes particularly close to the blueberry in terms of its external appearance. In terms of taste, however, the two small berries differ significantly, because, in contrast to the sweet blueberry, the Aronia berry tastes more tart and sour.
The Aronia plant has its origins in eastern North America. So it is not surprising that the natives of North America already knew about the health benefits of eating Aronia berries. Only at the beginning of the 20th century was the Aronia fruit introduced to the Soviet Union and other European countries.
In Russia, the precious berries have been used successfully in medicine for over 50 years. In the meantime, the small berry is also the focus of medical research in our latitudes. And the results of the scientific work are indeed impressive. No wonder, because the Aronia berry and its juice, the Aronia juice, are bursting with highly effective ingredients.
Aronia berries and Aronia juice not only provide vitamins and minerals
With regard to the health-promoting ingredients of Aronia berries and Aronia juice, vitamins A, C, E, K and the B complex (apart from vitamin B12) should be mentioned. When it comes to minerals and trace elements, Aronia can boast considerable amounts of calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and iron.
In terms of quantity, the largest and probably most interesting active ingredient in the Aronia berry is hidden in the large group of polyphenols, the main representatives of which are flavonoids and anthocyanins.
Polyphenols are considered immensely powerful antioxidants, of which the Aronia berry contains a very high amount compared to some other berries. Due to their extraordinarily strong antioxidant effect, a large number of health-promoting effects are attributed to polyphenols.
Aronia berries are rich in flavonoids
As polyphenols, flavonoids belong to the superordinate group of secondary plant substances. They give the plants their beautiful colors and protect them from harmful external influences.
Flavonoids repel predators, inhibit diseases, and protect the plant from UV radiation and fungal attack. Like all other polyphenols, flavonoids are mainly found in the peel or skin of the fruit.
Flavonoids also protect humans
In the human organism, flavonoids have a similar effect as in plants. However, their most significant effect is that they protect the body’s cells from oxidative damage caused by free radicals.
They also keep the vessels healthy by relaxing the vessel walls and improving blood flow. This property often results in a regulating effect on blood pressure, so flavonoids contribute to a healthy cardiovascular system overall.
Some flavonoids also show an antiviral, antimicrobial, antiallergic, and anti-carcinogenic effect.
Hardly any food contains more anthocyanins than the Aronia berry
Anthocyanins are assigned to the flavonoids as a subgroup. They owe their name to their deep blue color because kyanos is the Greek word for dark blue. Therefore, they can be found in almost all flowers and plants that have this intense blue color.
Anthocyanins can reduce platelet formation and have a positive effect on vision. In addition, they show anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic effects. Because of these properties, they are immensely valuable for keeping the body healthy.
Since the body forms free radicals itself in certain situations, it is of course also able to produce antioxidants itself. However, his ability to do so is so limited that he is no longer able to cope with the tide of free radicals hitting him today.
For this reason, the missing antioxidants must be ingested in the form of foods that are particularly rich in antioxidants. These foods include fruits, vegetables, salads, herbs, wild plants, sprouts, oilseeds, nuts, and natural oils and fats.
However, Aronia berries and Aronia juice have particularly powerful antioxidant potential.
Scientists are showing great interest in the Aronia berry
Its unique abundance of secondary plant substances also makes the Aronia berry interesting for medical research. Therefore, there are already a number of studies that have dealt with the effects of the Aronia berry in relation to health.
For example, the study showing the effects of the Aronia berry on colon cancer cells is extremely interesting.
Aronia inhibits colon cancer
The 2004 study examined the effects of three different fruit extracts from blueberries, blue grapes, and chokeberries on colon cancer cells. The reaction of both the affected cancer cells and the healthy intestinal cells was measured over a period of 72 hours.
The study found that all three extracts inhibited the growth of cancer cells. However, the Aronia extract showed the strongest effect. With the Aronia extract, cell growth was reduced by 50 percent after just 48 hours.
Aronia also showed the greatest effect in terms of inhibiting cell division in cancer cells.
The growth of the healthy intestinal cells was hardly affected within the entire 72 hours.
Aronia reduces tumor formation
In the study mentioned above, it was found that Aronia extract is able to inhibit the activity of a special enzyme (COX 2) that increases tumor formation. COX 2 is considered a tumor marker, so the activity of this enzyme plays a particularly important role in the early detection of cancer.
Another in vitro study came to the conclusion that a specific protein (CEACAM1) that suppresses tumor formation is activated when Aronia extract is taken in amounts that are normal in the diet.
Aronia for a strong immune system
Other published studies also show an enormous healing potential of the Aronia berry in relation to numerous other diseases and complaints.
Aronia protects the genetic material and the cardiovascular system as well as the stomach and liver. Aronia also has an antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral effect. In addition, chokeberry strengthens the immune system, protects against radioactive rays, and against the negative effects of cytostatics.
The study results on the health effects of the Aronia berry are so impressive that one would like to plant an Aronia hedge around the garden. Until you can harvest your own, the power of the Aronia berry can also be enjoyed in dried form or Aronia juice.
Tips for buying Aronia berries and Aronia juice
You should consider the following when buying Aronia berries or Aronia juice:
- Carefully dried berries have an even higher concentration of their valuable ingredients than fresh berries.
- When buying an Aronia product, always give preference to qualities from controlled organic cultivation. So you can be sure that the berries are not contaminated with harmful substances.
- With Aronia juice, it is also important to ensure that it is 100 percent direct juice and not a concentrate that has been “enriched” with water or other additives. Of course, the juice should not contain sugar or other sweeteners.
Other Aronia products
In addition to Aronia berries and Aronia juice (direct juice), there are no other products on the market that contain Aronia berries. They are sold in well-stocked health food stores or on the Internet as fruit spreads, fruit slices, or energy balls.
Of course, these products cannot replace Aronia berries or Aronia juice, but they are highly recommended as a healthy snack between meals.
