Take a stroll through the grocery store and you’ll find countless products touting catchy marketing terms designed to grab your attention and highlight their health benefits. Buzzwords like “all-natural”, “made with real fruit”, and “gluten-free” can be found plastered on packages everywhere you turn. One such buzzword that’s been tossed around quite a bit is the term “superfood.” 

Some might roll their eyes and dismiss the term “superfood” as just another marketing gimmick designed to convince you to spend more money. But, the truth is, there are some superior foods that give you more nutritional bang for your buck. One of these phenomenal foods full of potent nutrients is a little-known fruit called the Aronia berry.

Today we’re going to explore what exactly qualifies as a superfood, why Aronia berries more than make the cut, and how you can get your hands on these tasty berries. Let’s dive in.

What Is a Superfood?

There’s not technically a standard criterion for what exactly qualifies as a superfood. The term “superfoods” has been coined as a way to label nutrient-dense foods that are chock-full of a concentrated dose of health-boosting nutrients.¹ And Aronia berries are certainly worthy of the esteemed title of “superfood.”

What Is an Aronia Berry?

Aronia berries are a type of fruit native to North America and some parts of Europe. Aronia berries are also sometimes referred to as “chokeberries”, or “black chokeberries” – not to be confused with chokecherries, which are an entirely different fruit. 

These small, round berries look similar to cranberries and can be deep purple, red, or black in color. Aronia berries have been used for many years and Native Americans have long used Aronia berries to take advantage of their numerous health benefits and unique taste.

Aronia Berry Taste

So what exactly do Aronia berries taste like? While this question is a little tricky to answer, the best way to describe them is sort of like a combination of unsweetened tart cherries mixed with tart apples and a hint of dry red wine. Aronia berries have a sort of sharp, dry, and earthy taste that will definitely make your mouth pucker a little.² 

While some people might find fresh Aronia berries straight off the bush a tad too astringent, there’s still plenty of ways to enjoy Aronia berries. But before we dive into some of my favorite ways to enjoy these tart tasty berries, let’s explore their impressive health benefits. 

Aronia Berries’ Superfood Benefits

Aronia berries are bursting at the seams with some incredible nutrients like:

• Vitamin C 
• Fiber
• Potassium 
• Zinc
• Antioxidants
• Anthocyanins
• Carotenes
• Flavonoids
• Lutein
• Polyphenols

This impressive nutrient profile equates to some pretty remarkable health benefits. Regularly consuming Aronia berries has been found to aid in:^3,4,5

• Fighting cancer: Aronia berries can inhibit cancer cell growth and reduce the cellular damage done by cancerous cells.
• Improving insulin sensitivity: Aronia berries have been found to have anti-diabetic effects and can reverse the effects of insulin resistance.
• Boosting liver health: Aronia berries can have protective effects on your liver and even reduce or reverse the damage seen in liver disease.
• Improving heart health: Aronia berries can ward off the development of plaque in arteries and veins, improve blood vessel health and flexibility, and lower blood pressure.
• Preventing neurodegenerative diseases: Aronia berries have been found to inhibit certain enzymes that can contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

So how exactly can Aronia berries have such a vast variety of health benefits?

How Exactly Do Aronia Berries Exert Their Powerful Effects?

You might be thinking that the health-boosting benefits of Aronia berries sound too good to be true. But Aronia berries’ benefits can be better understood when we break down exactly how these itty-bitty berries interact with your body.

You see, Aronia berries contain ultra-concentrated doses of powerful micronutrients which:^6,7

• Modulate and boost your immune system by inhibiting the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines while strengthening your immune response.
• Exert potent anti-inflammatory effects by suppressing and mitigating unnecessary and harmful chronic inflammation.
• Skyrocket antioxidant levels which neutralizes harmful free radicals and reverses oxidative damage.
• Have powerful antimicrobial properties which impedes the growth and spread of invading bacteria, viruses, and fungi. This subsequently helps keep your immune system balanced and healthy.
• Promote specific detoxification enzymes that are key to helping your body effectively process and excrete damaging toxins.

Aronia berries' powerful anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting effects allow them to produce their impressive health benefits. That’s because chronic inflammation is the root cause of nearly every chronic disease known to mankind. So the more we can ramp down overall inflammation, the healthier and more effectively our bodies can function.

Now that you have an understanding of how powerful these little berries are, you're probably wondering how you can get your hands on some and the best ways to enjoy them.

So Where Can I Get Aronia Berries?

If you’re lucky, you might just live close enough to head out to a local farm and pick up some freshly harvested Aronia berries. In fact, if you’re in Illinois, you might even be able to get your hands on some delicious Aronia berries grown right on my own family's farm! Our Hodel family farm in Illinois started growing Aronia berries for their super high antioxidant potential and had a banner crop this year.

But if there are not any local Aronia berry farms, you can still find plenty of delicious Aronia berry products, Aronia berry juice, and even frozen Aronia berries online. The ways to enjoy Aronia berries are endless – I’ll link to some of my favorite recipes below.

Aronia Berry Recipes

Fresh or frozen Aronia berries can be used in place of any other kind of berries that a recipe might call for. You can sub Aronia berries in a Power Protein Smoothie, sprinkle them atop a Berry Wonderful Bowl or a cup of Dr. Jill’s Chia Pudding, or drizzle some Aronia berry syrup over a batch of Plantain Paleo Pancakes. 

You can browse all of these recipes along with many more over on my recipes page. And if you want to try some truly scrumptious Aronia berry products, you can head over and check out Calico Fields’ lineup of mouth-watering preserves, jellies, and syrups.

So, Are Aronia Berries Really as Great as They Sound?

While you’ll have to experience the taste of Aronia berries for yourself to truly decide if you love them as much as I do, there’s no arguing with the science. These tart and tasty berries pack a powerful punch when it comes to your health. This potent fruit definitely has earned its reputation as a “superfood” and certainly deserves its gaining popularity.

With that being said, Aronia berries – or any other superfood for that matter – aren’t a “cure-all” or “quick-fix”. 

There’s no single miracle food, supplement, or anything else that’s going to be the key to health. The day-to-day choices you make about the way you eat, move, sleep, and think create the foundation of your health – and “superfoods” like Aronia berries are simply a tool in your toolbelt to contribute to that foundation.

Helping you create and maintain a foundation of vibrant health is my mission. If you enjoyed this article and want to learn more about creating your own foundation of radiant, long-lasting health – check out my blog. It's full of research-backed information to help you make your health a priority. And if you want to take it to the next level, I encourage you to sign up for my newsletter – you’ll get access to exclusive content and my very best resources delivered straight to your inbox. All you have to do is enter your name and email address in the form below.

Now it’s time to hear from you. Were you surprised to learn about all of the amazing health benefits of Aronia berries? If you’ve tried Aronia berries, what are your favorite ways to enjoy them? Leave your questions and thoughts in the comments below!

References:

1. What makes superfood so super? | UC Davis
2. Aronia Berries – Black Chokeberry – Superfood Berry – (calicofieldslavender.com)
3. Fruits of Black Chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa in the Prevention of Chronic Diseases (nih.gov)
4. Health Benefits Aronia Berries, Aronia Berry Services of Northeast Iowa (aroniaberryservicesofneiowa.com)
5. Aronia Berries: Health Benefits, Nutrients, Preparation, and More (webmd.com)
6. Fruits of Black Chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa in the Prevention of Chronic Diseases (nih.gov)
7. Phytochemical profile of a blend of black chokeberry and lemon juice with cholinesterase inhibitory effect and antioxidant potential – ScienceDirect