About Aronia
Aronia is particularly high in antioxidants, especially the anthocyanins and pronanthocyanidins, dark pigments that give the berries their blue-black color. These same pigments protect human tissue by scavenging free radicals in our bodies that can lead to inflammation, mutations, and/or cancer, as well as other diseases associated with aging, such as diabetes. Total antioxidant levels are measured in ORAC units (click here for more information) and as you can see below, aronia berries are second only to Goji berries for fresh raw fruit.
Goji Berries…………………….25,300
Aronia Berries………16,062
Elderberries………………..14,697
Cranberries…………………..9,584
Black Currants………………7,960
Plum, Black Diamond…….7,581
Blueberries……………………6,552
Blackberries…………………..5,347
Red Raspberries……………4,882
Apple, Red Delicious………4,275
Many “new” miracle foods are surrounded by a lot of health claim hype, and aronia is no exception. However, many scientific studies have been published that back up aronia’s claims. Here are just a few.
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Colon Cancer Lala, G., Malik, M., Zhao, C., He, J., Kwon, Y., Giusti, M. M., & Magnuson, B. A. (2006). Anthocyanin-rich extracts inhibit multiple biomarkers of colon cancer in rats. Nutr. Cancer 54 (1): 84-93.
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Inflammation Han, G.-L., Li, C.-M., Mazza, G., & Yang, X.-G. (2005). Effect of anthocyanin rich fruit extract on PGE2 produced by endothelial cells. Wei Sheng Yan Jiu. 34 (5): 581
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Cardiovascular Disease Bell, D. R., & Gochenaur, K. (2006). Direct vasoactive and vasoprotective properties of anthocyanin-rich extracts. J Appl Physiol. 100 (4): 1164-70
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Liver Damage Valcheva-Kuzmanova, S., Borisova, P., Galunska, B., Krasnaliev, I., & Belcheva, A. (2004). Hepatoprotective effect of the natural fruit juice from Aronia melanocarpa on carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver damage in rats. Exp Toxicol Pathol. 56 (3): 195-201
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Diabetes Simeonov SB, Botushanov NP, Karahanian EB, Pavlova MB, Husianitis HK, Troev DM Effects of Aronia melanocarpa juice as part of the dietary regimen in patients with diabetes mellitus. Folia Med (Plovdiv). 2002;44(3):20-3.