Aronia Berry Pomace
Sue McGarrigle ND DipION CNHC mBANT NN
Having strayed from our dietary roots and the long term health advantages of eating established traditional foods, it is somewhat bizarre that foods which were once commonplace are now being touted as the next ‘superfood’ or setting off the latest craze in order to deter degenerative disease and ageing. If only we could get the message across about the diverse nutrients contained within a broad spectrum of foods and the synergy that is generated by eating them in their natural state with their accompanying cofactors. Also when eating fruit or vegetables combined together they have even greater complementary effects rather than in isolation.
The inclusion of polyphenols in the diet cannot be understated. They are found in abundance in nature with rich sources in fruits and vegetables, teas and other plants and have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, and other biological properties, and may protect from oxidative stress and some diseases.
Polyphenols are divided into several groups, one of which is represented by flavonoids and their effects vary according to their composition. Long term consumption of a variety of polyphenols in the diet provides significant protection against the development and progression of many chronic pathological conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and neurodegenerative diseases which is shown in epidemiological studies and associated meta-analyses. The health effects of polyphenols however depend on the amount consumed and on their bioavailability. Polyphenol concentrations together with a few carotenoids constitute the only dietary antioxidants present in the colon, because vitamins C and E are absorbed in the upper segments of the intestine.
Aronia berry (Aronia melanocarpa) is commonly known as “black chokeberry,” and belongs to the rose family (rosaceae). Aronia is a woody perennial shrub that grows along woodland edges. In recent years, most of its native habitat has been lost to field crops and urbanisation. Aronia berries are now generating worldwide interest due to their superior content of plant compounds that have beneficial effects on human health with the UK now starting to plant crops. The berries are high in vitamins and minerals and are one of the richest plant sources of phenolic substances, mainly proanthocyanins and anthocyanins, quercetin, and caffeic acid. Evidence of health benefits is accumulating from large population studies, human feeding studies and cell culture studies.
A high quality juice rich in health related polyphenols (e.g. procyanidins, anthocyanins, phenolic acids) is produced during commercial juice processing of Aronia melanocarpa. The remaining processing by-product (Pomace), with contents comparable to berries or even higher, is a potential source for the production of healthy food ingredients with a high content of bioactive compounds. Aronia Berry Pomace consists of organic aronia berry skin and pips that are left when aronia berries are processed to become aronia berry juice. For the production of Aronia Berry Pomace these skins and pips are then carefully and gently dried, broken and chopped in order to preserve the valuable, effective nutrients. Aronia Berry Pomace contains the highest level of anthocyanins (flavonoid pigments) and oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPC’s-oligomers of catechin and epicatechin) with a high antioxidant effect.
OPC, are phenolic water soluble compounds that belong to the flavonoid family. Not all procyanidins have a biological effect. The OPCs’ intestinal absorption and thus their biological activity are based on their molecular weight. The OPC that offer the beneficial activities are primarily the dimers, trimers, tetramers and pentamers. They are called oligomers. Compounds formed from more than five sub-unit repetitions are called polymers
which have a much higher molecular weight. They are not easily absorbed, and consequently offer very weak biological action.
OPC is a complex of a specific molecule, flavan-3-ol molecule. It is unique that certain plants can bond flavan-3-ol molecules to form entirely new oligomeric molecular configurations called OPC. As an example two flavan-3-ol molecules together form a “dimer,” and three molecules bonded together form a “trimer.”
By itself, the flavan-3-ol molecule (also known as a catechin) is not highly bioavailable and has less biological activity than OPC in the body. However, bonded together as dimers and trimers [OPC] they become extremely biologically active in profoundly effective ways with many proven health benefits. OPC’s perform as free radical scavengers in the human body. In vitro experiments using single layers of Caco-2 cells as a model of absorption in the small intestine showed that only the dimers and trimers of flavanols are able to cross the intestinal epithelium.
Although research into Aronia is in its infancy there is appreciable evidence of the effectiveness of Aronia products in a broad range of pathological conditions mediated by uncontrolled oxidative processes. Aronia has a higher antioxidant effect than Vitamin C. The first site of the antioxidant action of Aronia polyphenols is the gastrointestinal tract where mainly proanthocyanidins and their metabolites released by the gut microflora act as radical scavengers. The mechanisms of the in vivo antioxidant activity of aronia polyphenols after absorption spreads out far beyond radical scavenging and includes suppressing the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), inhibition of pro-oxidant, and restoration of antioxidant enzymes, and probably also cellular signalling to regulate the level of antioxidant compounds and enzymes. However, more research is needed to fully understand the exact mechanisms of antioxidant activity in vivo. The polyphenolic compounds in Aronia Berry Pomace can help the absorption of water soluble nutrients within the gastrointestinal tract as well as having a protective role. But using it with other fruit an example being Pomegranate can enhance the polyphenolic benefit.
Apart from the antioxidant properties of Aronia in the blood and cells recent research is highlighting a variety of benefits for Aronia which include positive outcomes on heart markers including levels of cholesterol, lipid metabolism and peroxidation. Further a reduction in blood clotting potential, arterial relaxation, optimal systolic and diastolic blood pressure and arteriosclerosis. In diabetics a reduction in glucose levels improving glucose metabolism and insulin resistance. As an antiviral agent Aronia is beneficial against influenza virus, also as an anti-inflammatory and prevention of biofilm formation of E.coli and B.cereus. Further antioxidant protection has been seen against oxidative/nitrative effects of chemotherapy in breast cancer patients as well as reducing the activity of promutagenic enzymes; significantly hindering the release of superoxide radicals (ROS) and the induction of apoptosis in tumours of certain cancers. In Colon Cancer aronia has been shown to block cell cycle and reduce the number of cancer cells.
Scientists have noted that there are significant, known differences amongst berry types in terms of their levels of antioxidants, but berries antioxidant content alone may not explain all of their beneficial effects. A different study has enhanced understanding of the superlative protection provided specifically by extracts of berries that provide potent benefits, that even the whole berries themselves may not and different types of berry have been verified to provide protection against a unique set of diseases - therefore optimum disease protection may require getting a full range of berry types each day - which may only be possible with the use of supplemental extracts.
