Introduction
The well-known high antioxidant levels in blueberries and chokeberries have resulted in concentrated research on conditions linked to oxidation. These include cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, impaired brain function, and other age related conditions.

Brain health
Studies have shown that adding blueberries to ones diet can help prevent some loss of memory. Loss of balance, and coordination and Alzheimer’s disease often seen with aging can be reduced by having a diet that includes blueberries. Dr. Robert Krikorian at the University of Cincinnati found older human subjects who were given the equivalent of two cups of blueberry juice per day scored higher on memory loss test. One person reported “I get the most specific brain boost from taking chokeberry”. Black chokeberry (Aronia) is brain food because it is dense with contents of phenolic phytochemicals, especially anthocyanins.

Metabolic syndrome
Metabolic Syndrome has become alarmingly common-1 out of 3 people over the age of 20 have it. Metabolic syndrome is a group of symptoms including high blood sugar, obesity, elevated blood pressure; abnormal cholesterol levels coupled with lack of exercise significantly increase a person’s risk of developing cardiovascular illness and diabetes. A blueberry supplemented diet can help improve the response to insulin and help keep the blood glucose lower. Professor William Cefalu reported that participants in a study who consumed a blueberry smoothie a day for six weeks experienced a 22 percent change their insulin sensitivity where as the control group’s sensitivity changed only 4.8 percent.

In a modest study reported in 2010, investigators found that the extract of chokeberry can help people with a metabolic syndrome (a group of health troubles associated with increased risk of diabetes and heart disease. The study found that patients with metabolic syndrome taking 100 mg (two drops) of chokeberry juice three times each day had significant decreases in Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and blood pressure.. A way to take chokeberry juice, which is quite bitter, is to mix it with apple juice or mix it in peanut butter.

Chokeberry and Diabetes
A modest study reported in 2002 indicated that black chokeberry may help keep blood sugar under control for people with diabetes. After drinking about 7/8 cup of a sugar-free chokeberry juice each day for three months there was an improvement in blood sugar levels. The chokeberry juice can be sweetened with stevia without increasing the sugar level in the drink. The diabetes patients showed a reduction in their fasting blood sugar levels. The total cholesterol levels also appeared to be reduced.

Laboratory analyses of anthocyanins in chokeberries have identified high amounts of flavonoid poly-phenolic antioxidants that have proven health benefits because they scavenge dangerous oxygen free radicals from the body. However the current limitations concerning chokeberry’s health benefits are a lack of sufficient scientific clinical studies. The reported studies have been small and not rigorously designed. (more…)