Mental Health

New Super Food on the Market

By Cheri Cheng | Update Date: Mar 07, 2013 12:34 PM EST

Berries, such as acai berries and blueberries have long been praised for their antioxidants and health benefits. However, according to some food experts, a new kind of super food has been rediscovered known as the aronia berries or chokeberries. Aronia berries have existed for decades and were used specifically by the Native Americans. Now, certain companies have started to market the berries by first informing consumers of the berries' benefits. The aronia berries are also cheaper and much easier to consume than other options like the mangosteen.

One of the leading manufacturers of aronia berry products is Westin Foods, which owns Mae's Health & Wellness. This company creates a line of these products that are generally less expensive than products with the traditional super berries. The aronia berries have a healthy amount of polyphenolic antioxidants that contribute to fighting cell-damaging free radicals that the body produces in response to stress, environmental pollution, exercise, medical x-rays, and other daily activities. One of the antioxidants present in the berries is called anthocyanin, which is known to help fight off certain types of cancers, cardiovascular diseases, chronic inflammation, and liver problems that develop from oxidative stress. The discovery of the antioxidant's health benefits was founded by studies from the U.S. National Library and Medicine.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) also stated that aronia berries have double the amount of antioxidant power when compared to cranberries and quadruple the amount when compared to pomegranates, strawberries, goji berries, and blueberries. In addition, aronia berries can be bought as a whole fruit and either eaten fresh or cooked into other foods. The acai berries, on the other hand, are usually only available in products with it already mixed in and in a powdered form most frequently used as a supplement. The director of marketing at Westin Foods, Tammy Ross described the flavor of the aronia berries to Yahoo! Shine.

"It's got kind of an astringent taste to it. It's very naturally tart. It's very similar in taste to a wine grape. What you're tasting in that tartness is actually very good for you - a type of an antioxidant and type of a compound that can be found in wine and can also be found in tea."

The berries can be found naturally in the bushes of North America with farmers from the Midwest starting to cultivate the super food. With this new option on the market, the trend in moving toward a healthier lifestyle might become easier for people. 

© 2023 Counsel & Heal All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Join the Conversation

Real Time Analytics