by Aria Cian

Created on: May 13, 2008   Last Updated: June 16, 2008

The Aronia berry has been touted as one of the healthiest foods found in nature. With five times the anthocyanins and flavonoids found in cranberries and fifty percent more Vitamin C than cherries, it's no wonder the berry's popularity is growing. Claims on this dark violet berry include reducing effectiveness of viruses, increasing brain function, killing cancer cells(2), strengthening the heart(1), easing chronic inflammation, lessening peptic ulcers, preventing liver failure(3), stimulating circulation, preventing urinary tract infection, and treating diabetes.

However, you might want to think twice about grabbing a handful of these berries to snack on. The common name of the Aronia berry is chokeberry; and for good reason. Chokeberries generally have a strong astringent or bitter flavor that most people find unpleasant. Don't despair! Reaping the benefits of this wonder berry is easy. The berry provides a pleasant flavor when sweetened and it is often used in jams, juice cocktails, candies, pie fillings, and wines.

Native Americans and early American settlers were familiar with chokeberries, but they haven't been grown commercially in America for approximately one hundred years. Native Americans used the fruit for its dark dye and there have been reports of it being used for medicinal purposes. It is believed the root was crushed or chewed and applied to injuries to stop blood loss.

The chokeberry is native to North America, but enjoys more popularity in Russia, Poland and Eastern Europe. The juice is blended with apple juice in Europe, to add some color to the pale liquid. Dessert wines made with Aronia are popular in Lithuania. Ukrainians use Aronia to improve the color, sugar, and tannins of grape wines. Aronia and apple juices are mixed to produce red wine in Russia.

In addition to high levels of anthocyanins and flavonoids, Aronia berries contain vitamins including B2, B6, E, and folic acid. The chokeberry is garnering more attention due to the high concentration of anthocyanins. Recent studies have shown a strong connection between anthocyanins and many health benefits, including a suprising ability to fight some cancer processes, antioxidant properties, and an encouraging effect on brain function.

For our readers with a green thumb, it is worth noting that Aronia bushes are also popularly used as ornamental plants in gardening. The colorful shrub is easy to grow and extremely resistant to disease, drought, pollution, and insects.

References

1) Bell, D. R., & Gochenaur, K. (2006). Direct vasoactive and vasoprotective properties of anthocyanin-rich extracts. J Appl Physiol. 100 (4): 1164-70.

2) 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.

3) 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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