Posted on 04/25/2010 4:39:00 PM PDT by decimon
Chokeberry bushes have for centuries been residents of eastern deciduous forests where their bright red and dark purple fruits continue to be favorite snacks of local bird species. Native Americans have also traditionally eaten dried chokeberries and prepared teas from parts of the plant, and several domesticated varieties now grace contemporary lawns and gardens from coast to coast. However, the chokeberry (Aronia) is enjoying a new claim-to-fame as a potentially powerful antioxidant, and can now be found for sale in the dietary supplement and "health food" aisles of your local pharmacies and grocery stores.
What makes the humble chokeberry so healthful? Scientists think the answer lies in their unusually high levels of substances called anthocyanins (from the Greek anthos + kyanos meaning dark blue). There are many different anthocyanins in these colorful berries, but they all function as antioxidants – originally protecting the chokeberry seed from sunshine-induced oxidative stress. And when we eat them, they also appear to protect our bodies from a variety of damaging situations, including exposure to pollution and metabolically-derived free radicals. Indeed, a growing body of scientific literature has shown promising effects of chokeberry consumption on diseases ranging from cancer to obesity. These health-promoting effects may be due to the potent anti-inflammatory properties of anthocyanins, as uncontrolled inflammation is now universally recognized as a common thread in many of our most prevalent and deadly diseases. In addition, certain anthocyanins – including those found in chokeberry – have also been shown to improve blood sugar and the function of insulin.
To better understand how chokeberries influence health, Drs. Bolin Qin and Richard Anderson from the US Department of Agriculture in Beltsville, MD studied what happens when prediabetic rats are fed chokeberry extracts for an extended period of time. The results of their research will be presented on April 25 at the Experimental Biology 2010 meeting in Anaheim, CA. This presentation is part of the scientific program of the American Society for Nutrition, home of the world's leading nutrition researchers.
The researchers first made 18 male rats "prediabetic" or insulin insensitive by feeding them a fructose-rich diet for 6 weeks. Then they randomized the animals to continue drinking either pure water or water spiked with low or high levels of chokeberry extract (CellBerry®, Integrity Nutraceuticals International). After drinking this water for 6 weeks, the groups were compared in terms of body weight, body fat, blood glucose regulation, and molecular markers for inflammation.
Qin and Anderson found that at the end of the study the rats consuming the chokeberry-spiked water weighed less than the controls; both levels of chokeberry had the same effect in this regard. Similar beneficial effects of chokeberry consumption were found for body fat (specifically, that of the lower abdominal region). They also discovered that animals that had been drinking chokeberry extract had lower blood glucose and reduced levels of plasma triglycerides, cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol when compared to the control animals. These alterations would theoretically lead to lower risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease in humans. And to add even more evidence for a healthful impact of this super-berry, the researchers documented numerous alterations in expression of genes that would likely lead to reduced chronic inflammation and perhaps even lower cancer risk. For instance, drinking chokeberry extract lowered expression of the gene coding for interleukin-6 (IL-6), a protein that normally triggers inflammation following trauma or infection. Chronic overproduction of IL-6 has been documented in many diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, and atherosclerosis and is thought to be a partial cause of these conditions.
Of course, human studies will be needed before scientists can declare whether we derive the same health benefits from the chokeberry, but Qin and Anderson believe that their study "provides evidence that the chokeberry extract inhibits weight gain in insulin-resistant animals and that it modulates multiple genes associated with adipose tissue growth, blood glucose regulation, and inflammatory pathways." A final word to the wise: raw chokeberries are exceptionally bitter, so don't be tempted to harvest the shrubs in your backyard. Instead, look for this unassuming berry in fruit juice blends, jellies, and sweetened syrups.
###
Drs. Qin and Anderson are federal researchers in the Diet, Genomics, and Immunology Laboratory at the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, a component of the US Department of Agriculture. This study was supported, in part, by Integrity Nutraceuticals International (South Spring Hill, TN).
I have no idea!
CellBerry™
Cellular Oxidation Support Modulator*
What is CellBerry™?
CellBerry is derived from the chokeberry plant, also known as Aronia, indigenous to eastern North America.Known for its uniquely tart and tangy flavor, our highly refined extract of Aronia Melanocarpa undergoes a proprietary extraction process to standardize for high levels of anthocyanins.These extremely potent compounds have been shown in clinical research to have a host of antioxidant and other health enhancing benefits.*
How Does It Work?
The active compounds found in Aronia have long been known to have potent properties on health.Levels of anthocyanins and flavonoids are over five times greater than those found in cranberries, and boast years of research in the areas of cardiovascular, circulatory and immune health.*Aronia Melonocarpa specifically contains a deep purple almost black pigment that arises out of the dense phenolic anthocyanins.The sheer concentration of anthocyanins and proanthocyanin content is one of the highest values recorded among any plant.According to one study (Wu et al 2004) Aronia has one of the highest ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) values ever recorded at 16,100 micromoles of TE per 100 grams.
Application and Serving Size CellBerry is appropriate in a product to enhance overall health and provide extra protection from oxidative stress.* It can be administered in a capsule, tablet, powder or liquid.The recommended serving size for CellBerry is 50 mg of a 10% extract twice daily.
* This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Say that someone monitoring their blood sugar level (not me) were to try this CellBerry. If CellBerry reduces their glucose level then that should be evident, no?
sfl
“We will all be looking for natural remedies when 0care begins impacting us with doctor shortages.”
If there is a benefit to be had from this atrocious Obamacare (and you have to look really hard to find one), it might be that people will start to take care of their own health again, instead of living sedentary lifestyles with bad habits, and then expecting a doctor to give them a pill to fix all of that.
This study was supported, in part, by Integrity Nutraceuticals International (South Spring Hill, TN).
My money is on advertisement.
It should be obvious. It’s a question of how much.
Thanks.
No!!!
Bird physiology is very different from humans.
Even mammals vary greatly in their metabolism.
Birds eat hot chili peppers and don’t know they are HOT!
What we don't get, birds do. Rose breasted Grosbeaks have made this a stop on their migration route. They come by the thousands, stay a couple days and move on.
We don't mind, they are interesting and save us from a mess on the lawn. BTW There are ckokecherries coming up all over the woods around us.
I’ve been doing that for years already. I have bad reactions to a lot of RX’s. Not that some vits and minerals don’t have side effects...they are usually less harmful.
And having Fibromyalgia for 20 yrs has taught me to keep my weight down, and stay reasonably active.
I see my doc 2 times a year to get my 3 RX’s refilled or if something unexpected happens. I grew up poor, lived as a poor divorced mom for 10 years...I learned to make do. Made to much at $3.50 an hr for even food stamps. LOL
“My money is on advertisement.”
Who do you think pays for all those studies of pharmaceuticals? Of course it’s the pharma companies themselves.
The pharma companies spend more on advertising than just about any other industry.
Just this morning I was thinking of destroying some bushes that are growing in the wrong spot (for me) on my property. Guess I'll just transplant them instead now.
Did you feed the peppers to the birds yourself ..??
I mean .. really .. where would the birds get the chili peppers ..?? Your garden ..??
Chiltepin peppers are a wild pepper in Arizona and Texas!
The plants are hard to grow, but the birds eat the peppers and spread the seeds.
Interesting! Thanks for the link - I didn’t know birds were attracted to that type of food .. always believed they went for sweet things.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.