Antioxidant Rich Foods The capacity of black chokeberry berry juices to quench free radicals oscillated around the level of about 90%. “Goji berries are perhaps the most nutritious berry fruit on the planet” He's not the only one who recognizes the super-nutrients of this antioxidant-rich food. The good news is that this antioxidant rich food has a low glycemic index, which means the berries will not raise your insulin levels like some other fruits. Group President Colleen Nipp says the cooperative is capable of producing up to 20 million pounds of fruit per year and estimates the current economic impact at about $85 million, which includes plant sales, berry sales, processing costs, harvesting equipment, growing materials, irrigation equipment and sales of finished aronia products. In the past five years, more than 440 new aronia-containing products have been introduced worldwide, mostly in juices, wines and other beverages, about 60 of which are in the United States, according to the 2013 product traffic report of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Food Processing Center, supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's New Food Products Tracking Program. There are two main species of the chokeberry plant, also known as the chokeberry berry: chokeberry melanocarpa and chokeberry arbutifolia. Among the berries, chokeberry stands out as an antioxidant superstar. The health benefits of antioxidants and chokeberry are well documented in medical research publications about foods high in antioxidants. Black chokeberry berry is one of the common names for chokeberry melanocarpa. A study from 2016 examined the effects of chokeberry fruit juice in rats with liver damage. Many of the proposed health benefits of chokeberry are related to its high content of nutrients called polyphenols.
Chokeberry berries can be consumed fresh on their own or used as an ingredient in foods such as cakes, juices and tea. Chokeberries or their juice can be combined with other fruits such as pineapple, apples or strawberries to make a refreshing drink. Studies in the test tube show that the antioxidants in chokeberry berries can inhibit the activity of free radicals. The antioxidant fruits have a particularly high content of anthocyanins, which give the berries their dark blue to black colour. If you look at the ingredient label on dark-colored berry juices in your local grocery stores, you'll find that some manufacturers use aronia juice as an ingredient, said Clint McDonald, director of Harrison County Extension. Aronia berries are dark purple or black and grow on a deciduous shrub native to the Midwest, which has great potential for commercial fruit production. Chokeberry belongs to the rose family (rosacea) and is divided into: Red-berry chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia), purple-berry chokeberry (Aronia prunifolia) and blackberry chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa), which is the most common. Apart from being the best antioxidant and the best natural fighter against cancer, chokeberry also helps to lower high blood pressure by stopping the inflammatory process and relaxing the arteries with the help of proantocianidin. It is almost impossible to list all the positive aspects of this superfruit (the term superfruit has been used since 2005 for nutritious fruits with a considerable antioxidant content).