Chokeberry: beneficial properties and contraindications

Chokeberry(aka Chokeberry) has recently attracted the attention of fitness enthusiasts and nutritionists due to its exceptional nutritional value.

This plant belongs to the Rosaceae family, which includes varieties such as red chokeberry and purple or Swedish rowan - a natural hybrid of the first two. Most often, chokeberry bushes are found in damp forests and swamps. They reach a height of 3 m. Chokeberry leaves have an elliptical shape and graceful “teeth” along the edges, but they do not have any hairs or bristles.

Chokeberry

The fruits of chokeberry are small (about 1 cm) with a relatively thick, pigmented shell. Red rowan berries have a sweeter taste than the black variety. The latter seem slightly bitter. However, black and purple fruits provide the greatest benefit to the body, as they are the richest sources of anthocyanins (a class of antioxidants). Rowan berries usually ripen at the end of September and can be collected for storage for the winter for about 2 more months. Unless, of course, the birds get ahead of you.

The benefits of chokeberry

Chokeberry is low in calories and fat. 100 g of fresh fruit contains 47 calories.

The black color of the berries is due to the large amount of phenolic flavonoids - phyto-chemicals called anthocyanins (560 - 1050 mg / 100 g fresh weight). In addition to shielding fruits from sunlight, anthocyanins contribute to their astringent flavor.

In total, 100 g of fresh fruit contains 1480 mg of anthocyanins,
The concentration of proanthocyanidin is 664 mg per 100 g.

Scientific studies have shown that consuming berries on a regular basis has an anti-aging effect and may help prevent cancer, neurological diseases, inflammation, diabetes and bacterial infections.

Laboratory analysis of anthocyanins in chokeberries revealed the following individual chemicals:

cyanidin-3-galactoside;
quercetin;
peonidin;
delphinidin;
petunidine;
epicatechin;
caffeic acid;
pelargonidin;
malvidin.

These flavonoid polyphenolic antioxidants have proven health benefits through their ability to remove dangerous oxygen-free radicals from the body.

However, the beneficial properties of chokeberry do not end there. Chokeberry preparations were first used to inhibit chemically induced esophageal cancer in rats. They reduced the severity of the disease by 30-60%, and the severity of colon cancer by 80%.

The medicinal properties of chokeberry were also effective in reducing sugar during experiments on diabetic rats. And in a 2002 study, a group of diabetic patients drank 200 ml of chokeberry juice every day for three months. The results showed that the subjects' blood sugar levels decreased.

Chokeberry and blood pressure are linked, a 2010 study found. It involved 25 people who suffered from metabolic syndrome, which causes high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. For 2 months they ate 100 mg of chokeberry. The researchers noticed that the subjects' blood pressure and cholesterol levels decreased significantly at the end of the study.

If you are planning to lose weight after winter, chokeberry is an excellent choice. Its benefit is to have a balancing effect on the body. This plant has the ability to prevent the body from accumulating fat, especially in the abdominal area.

The fruits of this plant are also rich in flavonoid antioxidants such as carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. The latter has a photo-filtering effect on UV rays and thus protects the eyes from macular degeneration in older people.

What are the benefits of chokeberry? It is a natural source of many antioxidant vitamins, such as:

vitamin C;
vitamin A;
vitamin E;
beta-carotene;
folic acid;

and minerals:

potassium;
iron;
manganese;

Just 100g of fresh berries provides about 35% of your daily vitamin C levels.

Potential harm of chokeberry

Chokeberries contain oxalic acid, a naturally occurring substance found in some fruits and vegetables. It may crystallize as oxalates (stones) in the urinary tract in some people. Therefore, persons whose medical history records the presence of oxalates in the urinary tract should not undergo prophylaxis or treatment with chokeberry. And when consuming chokeberry fruits, it is advisable to drink a lot of water to maintain normal diuresis.

Oxalic acid also prevents the absorption of minerals such as calcium and magnesium.

Important: Children under three years of age are not recommended to add fresh or dried rowan, as well as its juice, to their food.

Storage and use of chokeberry

In the wild, chokeberry fruits can be picked from the bush and eaten immediately after a simple wash. When purchasing from the store and making jam or preserves, choose berries that look fresh and have a shiny, clean surface. Throw away any wet or "spotted" fruit immediately, as they tend to spread mold to others.

Chokeberry berries can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week. Wash them in cold water immediately before use.

The raw material of chokeberry is quite hard, so its fruits are usually eaten in processed form. Chokeberry juice can be added to fruit drinks and jellies.

As a food product, rowan juice is mixed with other juices, such as apple, cranberry and grape. Chokeberry was first grown in Russia for decorative purposes. Only in the 1940s were its benefits fully appreciated and began to be used in juice products (mixed with apple juice), added to wines, compotes, tea and even pickles. And in Europe, its fruits are used to make food coloring, juice, alcoholic beverages and energy drinks.

When planted in the country, chokeberry will attract beneficial insects. It can withstand periods of drought and can be used as a windbreak and fruit-bearing hedge. Chokeberry is planted in spring or autumn. It does not tolerate shading, so the seedlings must be at least 2 meters apart from each other. It is best to plant it on drainage lands.

Chokeberry jam

What to cook from chokeberry

• Chokeberries are an excellent addition to ice cream and fruit salads.
• Chokeberries are also used to make juices, jams, cakes, muffins, pies and baby food.
• Chokeberry wine is easy to make at home. This is done as follows: take 1 liter of rowan berries, 1 kg of sugar and 100 grams of raisins. If the berries are very dirty, they can be lightly washed. Otherwise, there is no need to wash the berries. Place the berries in a 3-liter jar, add 350 grams of sugar and unwashed raisins. Fill ¾ of the bottle with cold filtered water. Cover the jar with a lid with a small hole and place it in a warm, dark place. Stir the wine daily by moving the jar in a circular motion. Every 7 days for 2 weeks, add 300 grams of sugar. The wine will ferment for a month. Then add the remaining sugar and wait until the fruit settles to the bottom of the jar. Leave it for another 14 days. After this period, the wine will be ready and can be poured into a separate container.
• The berries can be frozen, but frozen chokeberry does not lose its beneficial properties. In winter, chokeberry can be eaten raw, or made into compotes and jelly.
• To prepare 2 liters of rowan jam for the winter, you need to take 1 kg of berries and 1.5 kg of granulated sugar. Mix sugar with two glasses of boiled water and bring to a boil over low heat. Pour chokeberry fruits into the resulting syrup and boil for 5 minutes. After this, you can put the chokeberry jam into pre-sterilized jars.
• To make rowan tea, mix dried chokeberries with an equal amount of rose hips. Pour a glass of boiling water over a tablespoon of fruit and leave for an hour. This tea can be drunk 2-3 times a day to support immunity and prevent and treat atherosclerosis.