The aronia berry (Aronia melanocarpa) is a member of the rose family of flowering plants and sits in clusters nestled among the vibrant green leaves of an open, upright, spreading shrub. It can be eaten right off the plant, but causes such a puckering of the mouth that it has been given the common name of chokeberry. Thus, it finds more palatability in jams, jellies, syrups, fruit spirits, liqueurs, or in juice with other, sweeter, fruit.
Its dark, almost black, coloring is an indication of its medicinal value. Sharing healing attributes with other deeply-hued fruit such as blackberries, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, black currants, black elderberries, concord grapes, red raspberries, strawberries, plums, and apples, aronia berry offers a host of benefits.
Polyphenols are plant compounds found in fruit, vegetables, grains, legumes, and beverages that bring a significant level of protection with them, not only for the plants in which they occur, but for the people who consume them, and the aronia berry exhibits extremely high levels of polyphenols. Powerfully antioxidant, polyphenols have the ability to help reduce the risk of chronic disease. A wise maneuver is to incorporate into our diet the foods and beverages that contain substantial amounts of them. Along with aronia berry and other fruit such as those mentioned above, consider also cloves, chili peppers, cinnamon, curry powder, ginger, saffron, turmeric, apricots, red onions, spinach, black soybeans, soy tempeh, olives, whole wheat, dark chocolate, black and green teas, coffee, pomegranate juice, and red wine just to name a few available plant sources of polyphenols. By expanding our diet to include polyphenols from a variety of sources, we’re offered a wide diversity of healthful biological properties. For example: cerebrovascular and neuroprotective, cardioprotective, osteoprotective, gastrointestinal protective, anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, anti-asthmatic, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-aging.
Support offered by regular intake of polyphenols ranges in possibility for dementias, elevated cholesterol, blood clotting, high blood pressure, improved mineral absorption for better bone health, liver protection, better regulation of blood sugar levels, reduction of tumors, anti-microbial protection, and promotion of life span with improved quality of life.
It’s important to note, however, that polyphenols vary in types and content among differing plants. Even within the same type of plant, the polyphenol content can differ due to the cultivars used (a cultivar is a plant produced in cultivation by selective breeding), growing locales and climate conditions, levels of ripeness at times of harvest, and due to the kind and amount of processing and storage the plants undergo.
Although polyphenol content in the aronia berry generally tends to be quite high, the polyphenols expressed by this fruit are not, upon ingestion, that available to us. However, it is believed, based on all the possible benefits derived from the consumption of this berry, that biotransformation (chemical alterations of its polyphenols once they’re in our body) allows for the metabolic activation of their well-appreciated health benefits.
Further, it’s important to make comment upon the anti-viral effects of the aronia berry. Current studies of polyphenols indicate the possibility of quercetin (a polyphenol found in many sources, including the aronia berry) as a block to the human ace-2 receptor, the receptor favored by Sars-CoV-2 (Covid-19). Additionally, studies are looking at what may be a most profound anti-viral action on the part of aronia berry, green tea, and pomegranate juice combined to inactivate Sars-CoV-2. Because the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus can make access to us through the mouth, the suggested use of this combination is to rinse the mouth first before swallowing.
So, my suggestion is to eat aronia berries at every meal! Better yet, introduce a few dropperfuls of our Aronia Berry Liquid Extract into a cup of green tea or a glass of pomegranate juice. Rinse, swallow, repeat . . .
SOURCES: www.biorxiv.org, www.ncbi.nim.nih.gov
BOTANICAL SAFETY INFORMATION
Aronia Berry, Aronia melanocarpa, organic
Use with caution if diabetic and monitor blood sugar levels. Avoid with blood thinning medication. Avoid with medications that influence the liver. Avoid with Trabectedin.