• It’s a Cookbook
    It’s a Philosophy
    It’s a Resource
logologologologo
  • FoodTrients 101 –
  • News –
      • Age Gracefully with Grace O
      • Ginger Hultin, Nutrition
      • Mark Rosenberg, MD
      • Robert Tostado, MD
      • Anti-Aging –
      • Beauty –
      • Food –
      • Health –
      • Exercise –
      • Celiac –
      • Life Extension
      • Books We Love –
      • FoodTrients Guides –
      • Newsletter –
      • capsule full of good foodAre Supplements Safe for You?
      • woman doing yogaSecrets of the Lymphatic System
      • woman fanning herselfWomen, Food, and Hormones: A Plan
      • "collagen" written on a chalkboardSave Your Eyes with Collagen
  • Recipes –
    • SEARCH BY:

      • Category:

      • Starters –
      • Soups –
      • Salads –
      • Main Dishes –
      • Sides –
      • Desserts –
      • Drinks –
      • Extras –
      • Spice Mixes –
      • All Recipes –
      • Or Search By:

      • Anti-inflammatory –
      • Antioxidant –
      • Beauty –
      • Detox –
      • Disease Prevention –
      • Gut Health –
      • Immunity Booster –
      • Mind –
      • Strength –
      • exotic fruit and granolaExotic Fruit Salad with Granola
      • chocolate mousseDark Chocolate Mousse
      • Green Tea NoodlesGreen Tea Noodles with Edamame
      • buffalo meat slidersTry Buffalo Sliders with Sweetened Cranberries
  • Resources –
  • About –
  • Shop –
  • Media –
  • Home Page
  • News
    • Age Gracefully
    • Anti-Aging
    • Beauty
    • Food
    • Ginger Hultin, MS RDN CSO
    • Health
    • Newsletter
  • Recipes
    • Starters
    • Soups
    • Salads
    • Main Dishes
    • Sides
    • Desserts
    • Drinks
    • Extras
    • Spice Mixes
  • Resources
    • Anti-Aging Resources
    • Health
    • Eating Well
    • Books We Love
  • About
    • About Grace O
    • Experts and Advisors
    • Contact Us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Pinterest
  • Shop
  • Media
    • In the Media
    • Press Releases
    • Videos
            No results See all results
            ✕
                      No results See all results

                      Chokeberry: Funny Name, Incredible Antioxidant

                      Published by Dr. Mark Rosenberg

                      Closeup of fresh juice and jam of ripe black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) in glass and berry in pot on white textured background

                      Like my patients, you often hear me talk about the importance of including optimal levels of antioxidants into your diet.  So far, we’ve talked about Vitamin A, C, Vitamin E, selenium, resveratrol, garlic, to name a few, and the incredible health benefits they confer like fighting heart disease, diabetes and cancer. We’ve talked about certain natural foods that contain high amounts of these powerful antioxidants like blueberries,dark blue-purple grapes, strawberries, yams, Brazil nuts, and almonds for starters.

                      Now, I’d like to tell you about another, new (to health research that is) superfood antioxidant that we haven’t talked about before. When I say the name of this berry to my patients they almost always wrinkle up their eyebrows and say “ a what-berry?” to which I repeat, a “chokeberry”. Even though it has a funny name, I’d like to tell you about the new fantastic health benefits researchers are now assigning to this ancient fruit.

                      Chokeberry: Old Fruit, New Health Star

                      The black chokeberry, or its scientific name, Aronia melanocarpa, has been around for ages. The Native Americans have long included it in their health remedies as a powerful medicine.  However, it hasn’t been until fairly recently that health researchers have begun to study the incredible health benefits of this rich food source, and the particular types of antioxidants they contain called anthocyaninsand flavonoids.

                      Chokeberry also grows as a red berry and has been found to contain the highest amount of anthocyanins of all North American berries. That is why I’m recommending my patients include this star berry in their diet.

                      I’ve always advised my patients to eat at least a serving a day of other berries, either strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, because of their high anthocyanin and flavonoid content.  Anthocyanins and flavonoids have been found by scientific research to scavenge free radicals in the human body and offer protection against cancer and other diseases.

                      In fact, cancer researchers found that chokeberry inhibited cancer growth of the esophagus by 30-60% and the esophagus 80%! Here are some of the other benefits of chokeberry:

                      • Rich source of Vitamins A, C, E, fiber, and minerals like potassium, manganese and iron.
                      • Rich source of flavonoid anti-oxidants like beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthins that greatly benefit eye health and vision, protecting against macular degeneration.
                      • Highest ORAC (oxygen radical absorbency capacity) level of foods yet known at 16,062 micromoles per 100 grams (1/2 cup) of berry. According to what source you use, this is at least 4-8 times higher than the ORAC value of the powerful blueberry!
                      • May help control blood sugar, diabetes and high blood pressure.

                      How Can I Add Chokeberry Into My Diet?

                      Chokeberry is not a common item to carry in most grocery produce sections. Their berries are much less sweet than other berries and require a little sweetening with either apple juice or stevia. You can, however, usually find them at a health food grocery store and/or would likely find them at a local organic farm that produces berries.

                      Chokeberry can also be purchased as syrups for pancakes (although may contains a lot of sugar). They can be picked and eaten (washed first) right from the tree, if you like the tartness, or prepared for different foods like pies, muffins, jams, or atop cereal or salads.

                      Chokeberry supplement is also available in powder form that you mix into water or another juice, or capsules. In addition, you can grow your own chokeberry bush right in your backyard! They grow particularly well in North America in almost all climates and are said to grow fairly rapidly. Birds, and other animals, generally tend to leave them alone because of their sourness and generally will only eat them if there is no other food source around.

                      Any Drawbacks To Chokeberry?

                      As I caution my patients, if there is one possible drawback to chokeberry it would be that because it contains oxalic acid, it may contribute to forming oxalate-type kidney stones in people who are prone to forming them.

                      If you have a history of forming kidney stones, go easy on consuming chokeberry, perhaps only consuming ¼ cup a few times a week rather than ½ cup. Be sure to drink adequate water to flush out the oxalate crystals before they can form stones. Or, check with your doctor for his recommendation about whether to consume chokeberry at all.

                      In addition, oxalic acid can interfere with the absorption of calcium and magnesium, even though chokeberry contains these same minerals. My best advice would be to refrain from consuming chokeberries when you are taking calcium supplements or dairy foods to be sure to absorb your calcium correctly.

                      As I frequently tell my patients, Mother Nature has given us an array of superfoods that can help us stay healthy if we only learn about them and make use of them! Adding some chokeberry to your diet a few times a week can help you fight free radical damage that can lead to serious diseases. At least give them a try! You may have found a new high powered berry to add to your arsenal of health-giving foods.

                      Share
                      Dr. Mark Rosenberg
                      Dr. Mark Rosenberg
                      Dr. Mark Rosenberg received his doctorate from Georgetown University School of Medicine in 1988 and has been involved with drug research since 1991. With numerous certifications in several different fields of medicine, psychology, healthy aging and fitness, Dr. Rosenberg has a wide breadth of experience in both the public and private sector with particular expertise in both the mechanism of cancer treatment failure and in treating obesity. He currently is researching new compounds to treat cancer and obesity, including receiving approval status for an investigational new drug that works with chemotherapy and a patent pending for an oral appetite suppressant. He is currently President of the Institute for Healthy Aging, Program Director of the Integrative Cancer Fellowship, and Chief Medical Officer of Rose Pharmaceuticals. His work has been published in various trade and academic journals. In addition to his many medical certifications, he also personally committed to physical fitness and is a certified physical fitness trainer.

                      Sign Up to get our
                      NEWSLETTER FREE

                      Select list(s) to subscribe to


                      By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: FoodTrients, 14011 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA, 91423, http://www.foodtrients.com. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact

                      Age Gracefully

                      • 0
                        Feeling Frisky? 15 Foods To Enhance Romance
                        February 2, 2023
                      • Hearty Winter Produce with Superpowers
                        January 30, 2023
                      • Rabbit Leaps into Lunar New Year
                        January 30, 2023
                      • 0
                        Discover the Many-Splendored Foods of Malta
                        January 30, 2023
                      • flu-fighting soup
                        Stay Well with These Super Flu-Fighting Foods
                        January 30, 2023

                      Latest Articles

                      • 0
                        How To Feel Better Faster During Colds & Flu
                        February 2, 2023
                      • 0
                        Feeling Frisky? 15 Foods To Enhance Romance
                        February 2, 2023
                      • 8 Ways To Save Money on a Gluten-Free Diet
                        February 1, 2023
                      • buffalo meat sliders0
                        Try Buffalo Sliders with Sweetened Cranberries
                        January 30, 2023
                      • The Essential Guide to Oils and Aromatherapy
                        January 30, 2023

                      SEE MORE

                      ABOUT

                      • Grace O
                      • Our Experts
                      • FoodTrients
                      • Board of Advisors
                      • FAQs

                      EXPLORE

                      • Age Gracefully by Grace O
                      • News
                      • Recipes
                      • Our Guides
                      • Resources
                      • Shop
                      • Media

                      CONNECT

                      • Contact Us
                      • Subscribe
                      • Facebook
                      • Pinterest
                      • Instagram
                      • Twitter
                      • YouTube

                      SIGN UP for our NEWSLETTER

                      Nourish your week! Get the latest wellness news and delicious recipes to help you age better.

                      Select list(s) to subscribe to


                      By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: FoodTrients, 14011 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA, 91423, http://www.foodtrients.com. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact

                      FoodTrients Trademark™ and copyright © 2011-2022 Triple G Enterprises. I Terms and Conditions I Privacy

                      This website is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. FoodTrients – A Recipe for Aging Beautifully Grace O, author and creator of FoodTrients® -- a philosophy, a cookbook and a resource -- has a new cookbook dedicated to age-defying and delicious recipes, The Age Beautifully Cookbook: Easy and Exotic Longevity Secrets from Around the World, which provides one hundred-plus recipes that promote health and well-being. The recipes are built on foundations of modern scientific research and ancient knowledge of medicinal herbs and natural ingredients from around the world. Since the publication of her first anti-aging book, The Age GRACEfully Cookbook, Grace O has identified eight categories of FoodTrients benefits (Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant, Immune Booster, Disease Prevention, Beauty, Strength, Mind, and Weight Loss) that are essential to fighting aging, which show how specific foods, herbs, and spices in the recipes help keep skin looking younger, prevent the diseases of aging, and increase energy and vitality. Grace O combines more exotic ingredients that add age-fighting benefits to familiar recipe favorites.

                                No results See all results