Aronia Juice: Excellent for Diabetes Treatment
In recent years, Romanians have been paying increasing attention to healthy eating. The shopping list includes more fruits and vegetables, as people realize that every food consumed has an important effect on the body.
One of the superfoods of this decade is aronia, whose properties have begun to be studied relatively recently. The small fruits are an excellent source of antioxidants and phytonutrients, as well as being rich in minerals and vitamins.
The fruit’s benefits for the body are numerous, from regulating blood pressure and preventing strokes to regenerating muscle tissue. One of the notable benefits for the human body is regulating blood glucose levels.
Anthocyanins, the secret of aronia berries
The intensely colored berries of these fruits have a high content of anthocyanins, also called anthocyanins. This substance with an antioxidant effect is a natural dye, being responsible for the blue, purple, and orange colors of the fruits. Fruits rich in anthocyanins were used since antiquity for food coloring. The high pH of anthocyanins and their distinct taste made fruits rich in these substances useful for food preservation. Currently, 539 anthocyanins are known.
The effect of anthocyanins on the body
When ingested, anthocyanins protect the body from the harmful effects of pollution. Research has shown that the beneficial effects of anthocyanins are due to their anti-inflammatory properties. Generalized inflammation is the common denominator of a considerable number of diseases facing humanity today, one of the most serious being cancer.
Diabetes and aronia berries
They regulate pancreatic function, being a significant aid in treating type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndromes. The latter refer to the group of factors that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes.
Certain anthocyanins in these fruits regulate blood sugar and stimulate insulin production.
The beneficial effects of these fruits can prevent the onset of diabetes and regulate blood sugar levels. A recent study shows that a fasting glucose level above 80mg/dl increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, and a level above 90mg/dl increases the risk of brain damage in adults without diabetes.
Aronia can also be used to alleviate complications of type 2 diabetes. Research has shown that a daily intake of 100 ml of aronia juice from these berries for 3 months significantly reduces blood glucose levels in diabetic patients. The results of this research have been correlated with other studies on the effects of nutrients rich in proanthocyanidins on the binding of sugar to red blood cells in diabetics.
Anthocyanins help the bodies of diabetics to successfully combat the enzyme that dissolves collagen and elastin, which leads to the normalization of collagen levels. They also effectively combat free radicals that lead to blood vessel damage and prevent the oxidation of harmful fats in the blood, the main cause of fat deposition on blood vessel walls. This leads to increased permeability of blood vessels.
These berries are useful in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, and to benefit from their effects, it is recommended to consume 100 ml of juice daily.