Weight loss tip: Add Aronia berries or chokeberries to your diet

Weight Loss Tip 197 - Add Aronia berriesWeight Loss Tip 197 - Add Aronia berries

Chokeberries may reduce weight gain and modulate insulin

Weight Loss Tip 197 - Add Aronia berries

Weight Loss Tip 197 – Add Aronia berries

Chokeberries

Chokeberries

What the heck is a chokeberry?  The Chokeberry is of the Aronia genus of deciduous shrubs.  The shrubs that grow the berries are native to eastern North America and most commonly found in wet woods and swamps, and many feel they a nuisance or weed.  Chokeberries are cultivated as ornamental plants and as food products. The berries are small 1 cm fruits that have relatively thick, pigmented skin that come in several colors to include black, red, and blue.  The red berries are sweeter than the black ones, but both the black and blue chokeberries are richer in the antioxidants anthocyanins (the active component of the berry) than the red.  The sour berries can be eaten raw off the bush, but most often they are dried or freeze-dried into a powder.   The name “chokeberry” comes from the astringency of the fruits, which create a sensation making one’s mouth pucker.  If you are not familiar with these little berries and are trying to lose weight, I recommend that you read this article.  The results of the research may be interesting because they offer a variety of health benefits, including helping with weight loss.

In the last several years, the chokeberry has gained a little notoriety for its weight loss effects.  Nutritionists and fruit lovers around the world have come to realize its health benefits.  Doses of the extract of Aronia berry lowered epididymal fat, blood glucose, insulin, cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol.  Another study has shown that Aronia berries appear to reduce the effects of metabolic syndrome.  It is believed that the effects on metabolic syndrome are due to the insulin-lowering effects.  For more on the research on Aronia berry, read the research article.

The bottom line: Chokeberry extract decreases insulin resistance and fat storage.  The berries are low in calories and fat. They appear to have the ability to prevent the body from storing too much fat. The reduction in fat deposition is the strongest in the region around the abdomen.  

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About the Author

ChuckH
I am a family physician who has served in the US Army. In 2016, I found myself overweight, out of shape, and unhealthy, so I made a change to improve my health. This blog is the chronology of my path to better health and what I have learned along the way.

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