What's an Aronia Berry?
The aronia berry tree, also known as a 'chokeberry' tree, is a small family of shrub like plants that are in the Rosaceae family, native to and common throughout North America. There are three species overlapping, the red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia), the black chokeberry ( Aronia melanocarpa), and the purple chokeberry (Aronia Prunifolia). The chokeberry plants themselves are attractive plants that are used in lot of gardens just for there appearance.
The juice from all three berries in the aronia family is very bitter tasting, not sweet enough to be eaten on it's own. That is how it got the name chokeberry, in fact. The juice, however is easily mixed with sweetener or even just apple juice and can be delicious as a mixed juice. Also, aronia is commonly used in the making of wines, yogurts, and jams, and as a pigment for coloring clothing.
The chokeberry is extremely high in flavanoids, including the following phytonutrients: Cyanide3-galactoside, anthocyanin, epicatechin, caffeic acid, quercetin, delphinidin, petunidin, pelargonidin, peonidin, and malvidin. These chemicals are all flavanoids, which are also antioxidants. They are considered very effective in the prevention of diseases caused by oxidative stress such as colorectal cancer, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, peptic ulcers, eye inflammation, and liver failure.
Anthocyanins, in particular, are extremely abundant in aronia melanocarpa, which is the black variety of chokeberry. You can tell simply by squeezing one, because it's pigment is so extremely thick, much like iodine... This is because anthocyanin is the pigment itself, and the more anthocyanin you find in a fruit, the darker purple it will be. -That's what makes aronia so great as a clothing dye. It's also the reason why the USDA has recognized aronia melanocarpa as the fruit with the very highest ORAC score out of any they have tested!
Interestingly, the early Native Americans knew all about the health and medicinal properties of the aronia berry and used it for generations in their medicinal arsenal. The early settlers never seemed to discover its many uses, however. The use of Aronia berries seemed to die out with the natives, at least on this continent. Other fruits and berries were soon pushed on us through advertising, claiming to be the prefect dietary aid and metabolism booster. Naturally, with the onslaught of all of these other fruits, the chokeberry didn't have a chance to regain the spotlight. Now it is finally gaining momentum in the popularity polls as being one of the 'superfruits,' thanks to modern methods of scientific testing.
The aronia berry also contains vitamin c, vitamin b2, vitamin e, vitamin b6, folic acid as well as the whole list of flavanoids. The list of health benefits goes on and on, in fact, assisting urinary tract health, prevention of cardiovascular and heart disease, destruction of flu and cold bacteria and virus, blood pressure regulation, anti- inflammatory properties, digestive aid, and essential body oils. There will probably be more found as the study on this berry continues.
All over the world, including places in Poland, eastern Europe and even Russia, the chokeberry, or aronia berry has been used in the wines and jams. They have used this berry for Centuries now, ironically importing it soon after the United States stopped using it. Nowadays, however, the newfound popularity of aronia berry is allowing it to be found fresh at a few organic grocers and even the juice is sometimes sold as a dietary aid and metabolism enhancer. Soon, aronia berry will be everywhere. - 17273
The juice from all three berries in the aronia family is very bitter tasting, not sweet enough to be eaten on it's own. That is how it got the name chokeberry, in fact. The juice, however is easily mixed with sweetener or even just apple juice and can be delicious as a mixed juice. Also, aronia is commonly used in the making of wines, yogurts, and jams, and as a pigment for coloring clothing.
The chokeberry is extremely high in flavanoids, including the following phytonutrients: Cyanide3-galactoside, anthocyanin, epicatechin, caffeic acid, quercetin, delphinidin, petunidin, pelargonidin, peonidin, and malvidin. These chemicals are all flavanoids, which are also antioxidants. They are considered very effective in the prevention of diseases caused by oxidative stress such as colorectal cancer, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, peptic ulcers, eye inflammation, and liver failure.
Anthocyanins, in particular, are extremely abundant in aronia melanocarpa, which is the black variety of chokeberry. You can tell simply by squeezing one, because it's pigment is so extremely thick, much like iodine... This is because anthocyanin is the pigment itself, and the more anthocyanin you find in a fruit, the darker purple it will be. -That's what makes aronia so great as a clothing dye. It's also the reason why the USDA has recognized aronia melanocarpa as the fruit with the very highest ORAC score out of any they have tested!
Interestingly, the early Native Americans knew all about the health and medicinal properties of the aronia berry and used it for generations in their medicinal arsenal. The early settlers never seemed to discover its many uses, however. The use of Aronia berries seemed to die out with the natives, at least on this continent. Other fruits and berries were soon pushed on us through advertising, claiming to be the prefect dietary aid and metabolism booster. Naturally, with the onslaught of all of these other fruits, the chokeberry didn't have a chance to regain the spotlight. Now it is finally gaining momentum in the popularity polls as being one of the 'superfruits,' thanks to modern methods of scientific testing.
The aronia berry also contains vitamin c, vitamin b2, vitamin e, vitamin b6, folic acid as well as the whole list of flavanoids. The list of health benefits goes on and on, in fact, assisting urinary tract health, prevention of cardiovascular and heart disease, destruction of flu and cold bacteria and virus, blood pressure regulation, anti- inflammatory properties, digestive aid, and essential body oils. There will probably be more found as the study on this berry continues.
All over the world, including places in Poland, eastern Europe and even Russia, the chokeberry, or aronia berry has been used in the wines and jams. They have used this berry for Centuries now, ironically importing it soon after the United States stopped using it. Nowadays, however, the newfound popularity of aronia berry is allowing it to be found fresh at a few organic grocers and even the juice is sometimes sold as a dietary aid and metabolism enhancer. Soon, aronia berry will be everywhere. - 17273
posted by X - Men at
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