Aronia Berry - A Bank of Antioxidants

Introduction

Aronia berries or chokeberries are small round fruits with a sharp sour taste. As it is a good source of antioxidants and micronutrients, it has become popular among health-conscious consumers. They resemble slightly small cranberries. It has various health benefits on consumption as it is one of the richest sources of antioxidants. It has a puckeringly sour flavor of taste with a bit sweeter taste.

They have grown the size of blueberries with a dark red or black appearance. It is considered a miracle food because of its nutrient composition. It helps in preventing various types of health diseases and conditions. It boosts the immune system and has cancer-fighting properties. It sometimes tastes slightly bitter or astringent, drying the mouth after use. It is due to the tannin content of the Aronia berry. It can be consumed in a variety of forms, such as fresh dried from frozen form and in the form of dietary supplements.

What Is Aronia Berry?

Aronia berries (Aronia Melanocarpa) are a fruit that originated from the eastern part of North America. It belongs to the family of rosacea of phylum amygdaloids. The plant grows approximately 0.79 to 1.18 inches with white flowers and dark purple berries. It is an excellent source of plant antioxidants and is believed to have various health benefits. It is also known as a miracle fruit or super fruit because of its various health benefits. It consists of multiple antioxidants such as phenols, anthocyanins, and flavonols.

What Are the Ways to Add Aronia Berry to Diet?

Following are the various ways to incorporate Aronia berries into the diet:

• It can be eaten in fresh raw form.

• It can be used in baking.

• It can be added to desserts.

• It can be consumed with beverages like tea, coffee, and wine.

• It can be incorporated in powder form into the diet. The powder contains the highest levels of anthocyanins, which helps in boosting the immune system. The powder can be added to smoothies sprinkled in salads bowl of oats and yogurt.

• It can be added to the diet in the form of juice. The juice should always be collected from fresh berries.

• It can be consumed in dried form as the polyphenols content is intact.

What Is the Nutritional Content of Aronia Berry?

Aronia berry is a fruit that contains various nutrients and antioxidants. It is nutrient-dense fruit with a minimal amount of calories. The berry has a high amount of vitamin C, manganese, and fiber. Vitamin A, E, iron, and folate are also present in Aronia berries. It is enriched with polyphenols, flavonoids, lutein, anthocyanin, and carotene, which act as potent antioxidants. Anthocyanin contributes to the dark color of berries. It contains very low fat, protein, calcium, and sodium content.

Following are the nutritional content of fruit served in quarter-cup serving.

• Calories - 45 kilo calories.

• Carbohydrate - 0.36 oz.

• Sugar - 0.11 oz.

• Fiber - 0.11 oz.

• Calcium - 0.71 oz.

• Iron - 0.01 oz.

• Vitamin C - 10 % of the daily value.

• Vitamin K - 9 % of the daily value.

• Manganese - 9 % of the daily value.

What Are the Health Benefits of Aronia Berries?

The health benefits of Aronia berries are listed below:

• Cancer Prevention - Aronia berries are enriched with antioxidant properties that help reduce cancer risk. Anthocyanin present in Aronia berries helps in the prevention and proliferation of colon cancer. It reduces the growth rate of cancer and helps reduce oxidative stress and the generation of free radicals in the body. It also reduces the risk of breast cancer in women.

• Chronic Disease Prevention - Aronia berries prevent chronic diseases as they contain a high amount of polyphenol antioxidants. It reduces the risks of diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and metabolic disease.

• Blood Pressure Maintenance - Aronia berries lower blood pressure levels by relaxing the tissue present in the walls of blood vessels. It improves blood flow and maintains blood pressure. It can be given to patients with high blood pressure.

• Cardiac Health - It improves cardiac health by maintaining blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It reduces low-density lipoprotein, thereby improving cardiac health.

• Immune Functions - Aronia berries possess immunomodulatory properties as they strengthen the immune system. It has strong antibacterial properties against the bacteria like Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli. It reduces the effect of bacterial toxins by producing a protective shield of biofilm. Ellagic acid and Myricetin are present in Aronia berries, helping to protect against the influenza virus.

• AntiInflammatory Properties - Aronia berries help in reducing inflammation. It inhibits the release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin 6, which helps reduce inflammation. The higher content of polyphenols present in Aronia berries also helps in reducing inflammation.

• Diabetes Control - It helps in managing diabetes by maintaining glucose metabolism. It reduces insulin resistance by regulating sugar levels.

• Urinary Tract Infection Prevention - Aronia berry reduces the risk of urinary tract infection because of its antimicrobial properties.

• Skin Health - Aronia berry improves skin health as it contains antioxidants and anti-aging properties. It helps protect from harmful ultraviolet radiation. It acts as a photoprotective agent in the skin. Vitamin C present in Aronia berries helps brighten the skin.

• Arthritis - Aronia berry is beneficial for arthritis patients as it reduces inflammation. The anthocyanin content of Aronia berry reduces inflammation.

• Hypercholesterolemia - Aronia berry improves hypercholesterolemia by decreasing cholesterol concentration and lipid peroxidation.

What Are the Downsides of Aronia Berry?

Aronia berry is nutrient-dense fruit. However, it contains tannins which cause dryness in the mouth. Tannins tend to bind with the proteins in saliva, resulting in mouth dryness. It tastes slightly bitter; therefore, people consume it with sugar. Excess consumption of Aronia berries can result in diarrhea or constipation. In addition, the polyphenol content of Aronia berries results in digestive problems if consumed in excess quantities. Therefore it is suggested to consume Aronia berries in moderate quantities.

Conclusion

Aronia berries can be a delicious and nutritious ingredient to the diet with salad or smoothies without adding extra calories. Aronia berries are a good option as it promotes overall health due to their potent antioxidants, vitamins, and mineral content. In addition, it has natural antibacterial and antifungal properties, which make it unique. It helps reduce the free radicals present in the body and helps with weight management. It can be consumed regularly as a health supplement. However, excessive consumption should be avoided as it can cause digestive problems resulting in diarrhea or constipation.