The aronia bush is a plant originated from the east coast of the United States of America and Canada. It belongs to a family of wild pants named “Chokeberry”, meaning sour berry. Aronia melanocarpa, or simply Black Chokeberry, belongs in the Rosaceae family and it has great pharmaceutical value. It is a deciduous bush with a height of about 1-3 meters. Aronia is a shrubby plant that became commonly farmed in Europe and Russia after World War II, after its acknowledgment of great pharmaceutical and nutritional value.
The plant leaves are bright to dark green in the summer, but change during autumn to various shades of red, like light pink, redish brown, red or even orange. It blooms during April and May with white flowers in small inflorescences. The fruit is small, approximately 10-12mm, round, with a light black hue that turns into a deep black shade when it ripens. In Greece, Aronia ripens mid-August till early September depending on clime. The plant begins bearing fruits after its third year of life and gradually increases.
Aronia properties
- High concentration in antioxidants
- Regulated high blood pressure
- 50ml of fresh Aronia juice three times a day help battle hypertension
- Prevents and deals with a number of cardiovascular diseases
- Reinforces connective tissues
- Decreases stress hormones levels
- Helps expel active agents and heavy metals from the body
- Has anticancer properties
- Increases body stamina and vitality, battles nervous disorders and fatigue, stimulates muscle and tissue growth, blood cell production and the metabolism
- Has antiseptic properties: it’s a powerful tool against the flu. Its high concentration in Iodine helps child development and relieves bronchitis
- Beneficial to pregnant women, children, diabetics, athletes and patients with multiple and complex treatments
- Helps fight urinary infections
- Used in gastritis, blood loss, anaemia, rheumatic disease
Hypoallergenic properties
Aronia fruits contain vitamins like A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, C, E, K, P.
Its concentration in pectin blocks radiation absorption from the body and helps shield the body from it.
Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (or simply ORAC) of Aronia berries is the highest amongst all other berries or fruits. ORAC is a method that measures the concentration of antioxidants in foods. Scientists believe that high ORAC food helps in antiaging, battling cancer and many other diseases. Research has shown that 30 Aronia berries give the body 7,400 ORAC units when the recommended daily dose is about 3,000 to 5,000 units per day.
