Aronia Berries for Heart Health

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of sickness and death in the United States. High blood pressure is even called the “silent killer” because there are little to no symptoms that sound the alarm. What’s fascinating about heart disease, however, is that no other condition among the leading causes of death is influenced so heavily by diet and supplements. Heart healthy diets and heart healthy supplements have a profound impact on overall markers of heart health (say that 3 times fast!).

Herein lies the catch. We know that diet and health behaviors are related to heart disease. But in this day of fad diets and self-proclaimed nutrition experts, what actually helps–and perhaps more importantly, what hurts? Berries, such as aronia melanocarpa (sometimes known as chokeberry) are reported to help improve cardiovascular health. So the leading supplier of aronia berries in the US, Artemis International, commissioned a meta-analysis from our research team. This analysis evaluated the effects of aronia melanocarpa (chokeberry) on blood pressure and total cholesterol. The study included 327 participants and also evaluated how factors such as age or aronia preparation type may impact the supplement’s efficacy.

The Study

Meta-analysis is a research method used when a substance has already been evaluated in controlled clinical trials and we need a larger level of evidence. It provides a consensus of the scientific evidence and allows our researchers to answer bigger questions about the effects of supplements.

In the case of aronia berries, meta-analysis was useful because it has the ability to resolve conflicts created when some studies show a benefit but others don’t. Does the supplement help? Or not? Meta-analysis answers those questions. It also allows our team or other researchers to look at factors that may impact how well a supplement works in a given population. So our team identified a goal with the analysis: 

The purpose of this analysis is to identify the effect size of supplementation with aronia berry extracts and to evaluate how age may influence these effects.

We set to work searching the scientific literature and requesting copies of unpublished works to ensure we had access to the entire body of knowledge on these berries. To be included in the analysis, studies could be conducted anywhere in the world, but must have evaluated aronia berry’s effects on blood pressure or total cholesterol. Studies that used alternative outcome markers, such as BMI, were excluded.

Findings: Aronia for Heart Health

Aronia was found to have a powerful effect on cardiovascular related markers. Supplementation for 6-8 weeks with a high quality aronia-based product resulted in a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure, which is a leading indicator of risk of cardiovascular disease. Supplementation also reduced total cholesterol. These effects were particularly significant in adults over the age of 50, making aronia supplementation a valuable tool to fight one of the leading health risks in this age group.

Aronia supplementation is a valuable ingredient in any formulation which targets heart health, especially if the target population is above the age of 50. For best results, consistent, daily use is required for a minimum of 6-8 weeks. 

For More Information

The study was published in the journal Journal of Dietary Supplements in August 2020. doi: 10.1080/19390211.2020.1800887

Disclosures

This study was commissioned and funded by Artemis International, a leading supplier of dark berries.