John Myers
Whether acai powder, chokeberry, or acerola fruit powder: Products like these are advertised as being particularly health-promoting because they contain concentrated healthy ingredients from the fruit. We investigate the extent to which the statements are correct and whether the purchase is worthwhile.
Caution is advised: fruit powder
Many people find it difficult to eat the five servings of fruit and vegetables recommended by the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) every day. It sounds temptingly easy to use freeze-dried fruit powder instead and to consume the vital substances of the food stirred into a drink or muesli as a side effect. In particular, so-called superfoods such as acai berries, acerola cherries, noni fruit, maqui, or aronia berries are advertised as true miracle cures that, as dietary supplements in powder form, are said to have certain positive effects on health. In most cases, this has not been scientifically proven, the consumer advice center warns. Exotic plants like lucuma are also excessively expensive, although they do nothing that domestic foods cannot do.
The original is better than the copy
So is a fruit powder with raspberry or strawberry better to easily cover the need for vitamins, minerals and trace elements with small amounts? Unfortunately it’s not that easy. In their natural form, the ingredients of fresh acerola cherries, for example, are absorbed and utilized differently by the body. The full range and the complex interplay of all the components of a fruit cannot be duplicated in a concentrate. During the manufacturing process of the fruit powder, there is also a loss of nutrients, which is why synthetic vitamins are often added. According to the consumer center, this can lead to overdoses of critical substances such as beta-carotene if the powder is consumed according to the motto “a lot helps a lot”. Fruit powder should therefore only be used in moderation, if at all.
Make fruit powder yourself: the solution?
The question remains whether the balance is better if you make fruit powder yourself instead of buying it. The idea behind it: You have control over the raw materials and the manufacturing process, so you are guaranteed to receive an organic fruit powder without additives, for example. You cannot freeze-dry it at home, instead you can extract the water from the fruit in the oven or dehydrator and then grind it. For example, rose hip powder can be made from the fruits of the dog rose in the garden. Whether industrially or home-grown, the problem of nutrient losses remains. However, the powder can be used as a natural colorant and flavoring agent, for example in the manufacture of pralines. For an optimal supply of nutrients, it is best to use fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables.
