Aronia Berry Anthocyanins Activate Insulin Release
According to research, aronia berries have exceptionally high anthocyanin content1
Anthocyanins are the phytochemicals that give plants their bright colors. Fruits like aronia berries – whose anthocyanins provide deep blue, purple, or black hues – seem to be particularly beneficial for human health.
The high anthocyanidin content of aronia berries may help you control blood glucose, a big problem for most people. Even if you are not one of the 100 million-plus Americans and half billion people world-wide with diabetes or prediabetes, chances are you still need to lower your blood sugar.
A recent study indicates that fasting glucose levels above 80mg/dL (4.4 mmol) increase risk for heart disease2 and fasting glucose above 90 mg/dl (5 mmol) increases risk for brain lesions.3 Nobody wants either of those.
If you were a plant, your anthocyanins could save your life by fending off fungi and other invaders. The wonderful thing is that anthocyanins may help humans, too, by protecting us from pathogens and lowering blood glucose.
Testing the Glucose Control Claim
We decided to test the claim that aronia berries could facilitate insulin release and help control blood glucose, and that is when we were really impressed.
The day we wrote this blog post, Paul started his day with a fasting glucose of 84 mg/dl (4.7mmol) – slightly higher than optimal.
“So I decided to have some aronia berries to help lower it. I followed with a small course of three ounces of aronia berries, mixed with an ounce of cranberries and a few walnuts (5 grams). Following this little course, I exercised for 20 minutes. My next glucose reading was a 64 mg/dl (3.6 mmol) – fabulous!”
After testing aronia berries again and again like this, we conclude they can truly help control glucose levels. We also found a substantial body of scientific research, documenting the benefits of aronia berries for glucose control4 and other positive health effects.5,6,7
We were so impressed with aronia berries that we decided to feature them in the fruit recommendations of The CR Way to Great Glucose Control. This whole-life approach for successful glucose control is an adult education course that helps people manage their glucose levels in a healthful way. Aronia berries are part of a select group of super foods that we have tested personally and that offer life-transforming benefits beyond good taste and nutrient richness. Find out more about The CR Way to Great Glucose Control.
LivingTheCRWay
This blog post was written by Paul McGlothin and Meredith Averill, who have been at the vanguard of longevity research and practice for 25 years. They created LivingTheCRWay, a 501c (3) – not-for-profit, tax-deductible – organization with a vision: to help you live better longer.
LivingTheCRWay invites you to join an era when age-related decline is no longer inevitable. Optimal mental performance, microbiome health, stem cell health and repair, and preventing or fighting disease can be part of your lifestyle right now.
Meredith and I got lucky when we met Tom and Rick, the founders of Northwest Wild Foods. They introduced us to fruits that were new to us – fruits that not only taste good, but are so beneficial to health that we eat them regularly now like Aronia Berries.
We first purchased a Northwest Wild Foods Fruit Sampler, a helpful way to get to know the rare berries Northwest Wild Foods offers. Aronia berries, one of the offerings in the fruit sampler, stood out. At first, we liked aronia berries the least. But the more we ate them – the better we liked them.
Aronia berries are not as sweet as other berries and have a thick, chewy skin. We love that about them now. It helps us savor every bite of their intriguing, complex flavor.
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References
1 Antioxidant Activity and Polyphenols of Aronia in Comparison to other Berry Species. Lidija Jakobek, Marijan Šeruga, Martina Medvidović-Kosanović, Ivana Novak, Agriculturae conspectus scientificus, Vol.72, No.4, December 2007.
2 Fasting Glucose Levels Within the High Normal Range Predict Cardiovascular Outcome.
Kivity Shaye, MD; Tirosh Amir, MD, PhD; Segev Shlomo, MD; Sidi Yechezkel, MD
American Heart Journal. 2012;164(1):111-116.
3 Parameters of glucose metabolism and the aging brain: a magnetization transfer imaging study of brain macro- and microstructure in older adults without diabetes.
Akintola AA, van den Berg A, Altmann-Schneider I, Jansen SW, van Buchem MA, Slagboom PE, Westendorp RG, van Heemst D, van der Grond J. AGE.· August 2015
4 Insulin secretion by bioactive anthocyanins and anthocyanidins present in fruits.
J Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2005 Jan 12;53(1):28-31.
Jayaprakasam B1, Vareed SK, Olson LK, Nair MG
5 Neuroprotective effects of berry fruits on neurodegenerative diseases.
Neural Regeneration Research. 2014 Aug 15; 9(16): 1557–1566.
doi: 10.4103/1673-537
Subash S, Essa MM, Al-Adawi S, Memon MA, Manivasagam T, Akbar M.
6 Anthocyanins in aged blueberry-fed rats are found centrally and may enhance memory. Nutritional Neuroscience. 2005 Apr;8 (2):111-20.
Andres-Lacueva C, Shukitt-Hale B, Galli RL, Jauregui O, Lamuela-Raventos RM, Joseph JA.
7 Anthocyanins and their role in cancer prevention.
Cancer Letter. 2008 Oct 8;269(2):281-90. doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2008.05.020. Epub 2008 Jun 20.
Wang LS, Stoner GD.