Science

ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, a method of measuring the overall antioxidant power of foods and supplements. Antioxidants are an integral part of maintaining good health, especially with respect to aging and age-related disorders. Scientists have found that antioxidants increase our resistance to disease and boost our immune systems. The higher the ORAC, the higher the antioxidant activity. The following graph shows the ORAC levels of a variety of different fruits, including aroniaberries.

Berry Comparison

An extract from berries of Aronia melanocarpa modulates the generation of superoxide anion radicals in blood platelets from breast cancer patients.

Kedzierska M, Olas B, Wachowicz B, Stochmal A, Oleszek W, Jeziorski A, Piekarski J, Glowacki R. Department of General Biochemistry, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland. Planta Med. 2009 Oct;75(13):1405-9. Epub 2009 May 14.

Anthocyanin-rich aronox extract from aroniamelanocarpa E protects against 7B-hydroxycholesterol-induced apoptosis of endothelial cells.

Zapolska-Downar D, Nowicka G, Sygitowicz G, Jarosz M: Ann Nutr Metab 2008;53:283-294
(DOI: 10.1159/000191290)

Anthocyanins─an adjunct to cardiovascular therapy.

Kowalczyk E, Kopff A, Niedworok J, Kopff M, Jankowski A.
Department of Pharmacology, Basic Sciences Institute, Military Medical Academy, Łódź, Poland.
Kardiol Pol. 2002 Oct;57(10):332-6.

Antihyperlipidemic effect of Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice in rats fed a
high-cholesterol diet.

Valcheva-Kuzmanova S, Kuzmanov K, Mihova V, Krasnaliev I, Borisova P, Belcheva A.
Department of Preclinical and Clinical Pharmacology and Biochemistry, Medical University, 55 Marin Drinov Str., 9002 Varna, Bulgaria.
Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2007 Mar;62(1):19-24. Epub 2006 Nov 29.

Anti-inflammatory effects of aronia extract on rat endotoxin-induced uveitis.

Ohgami K, Ilieva I, Shiratori K, Koyama Y, Jin XH, Yoshida K, Kase S, Kitaichi N, Suzuki Y, Tanaka T, Ohno S. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2005 Jan;46(1):275-81.PMID: 15623784 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)─ A review on the characteristic components and potential health effects.

Kulling SE, Rawel HM.
Department of Food Chemistry, Institute of Nutritional Science, University of Potsdam, Nuthetal (OT Bergholz-Rehbrücke), Germany.
Planta Med. 2008 Oct;74(13):1625-34. Epub 2008 Oct 20.

Chokeberry polyphenols reduce pro-oxidative influence of oxidized fats in rat diets.

Frejnagel SS, Zduńczyk Z.
Department of Biological Analysis of Food, Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of PAS, Olsztyn, Poland.
Pol J Vet Sci. 2008;11(2):125-32.

Combination therapy of statin with flavonoids-rich extract from chokeberry fruits enhanced reduction in cardiovascular risk markers in patients after myocardial infarction.

Alternative Medicine Review, June, 2007 by M. Naruszewicz, I. Laniewska, B. Millo, M. Dluzniewski

Current knowledge of Aronia melanocarpa as a medicinal plant.

Valcheva-Kuzmanova SV, Belcheva A.
Department of Preclinical and Clinical Pharmacology and Biochemistry, Medical University, Varna, Bulgaria.
Folia Med (Plovdiv). 2006;48(2):11-7.

Effects of Aronia melanocarpa juice as part of the dietary regimen in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Simeonov SB, Botushanov NP, Karahanian EB, Pavlova MB, Husianitis HK, Troev DM.
Clinic of Endocrinology, Medical University, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
Folia Med (Plovdiv). 2002;44(3):20-3.

Hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Valcheva-Kuzmanova S, Kuzmanov K, Tancheva S, Belcheva A.
Department of Preclinical and Clinical Pharmacology and Biochemistry, Medical University, Varna, Bulgaria.
Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol. 2007 Mar;29(2):101-5.

Ingestion of black chokeberry fruit extract leads to intestinal and systemic changes in a rat model of prediabetes and hyperlipidemia.

Jurgoński A, Juśkiewicz J, Zduńczyk Z.
Department of Biological Analysis of Food, Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Olsztyn, Poland.
Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2008 Dec;63(4):176-82. Epub 2008 Aug 23

Lipid-lower effects of Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice in rats fed cholesterol-containing diets.

by: S. Valcheva-Kuzmanova, K. Kuzmanov, S. Tsanova-Savova, V. Mihova, I. Krasnaliev, P. Borisova, A. Belcheva
Journal of Food Biochemistry, Vol. 31, No. 5. (October 2007), pp. 589-602.

Protective effect of Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice pretreatment in a model of carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in rats.

Valcheva-Kuzmanova SV, Popova PB, Galunska BT, Belcheva A.
Department of Preclinical and Clinical Pharmacology and Biochemistry, Medical University, Varna, Bulgaria.
Folia Med (Plovdiv). 2006;48(2):57-62.

Studies on antioxidant properties of polyphenol-rich extract from berries of Aronia melanocarpa in blood platelets.

Olas B, Wachowicz B, Nowak P, Kedzierska M, Tomczak A, Stochmal A, Oleszek W, Jeziorski A, Piekarski J.
Department of General Biochemistry, University of Lodz, Poland.
J Physiol Pharmacol. 2008 Dec;59(4):823-35.