Posts
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Antioxidants and the black chokeberry
The message on most of these advertisements is simple: "Buy this product because it has antioxidants, and antioxidants are good for you."
But how true is it? The cause of this antioxidant craze dates back to the 1990s, according to a publication by Harvard's School of Public Health:
"Antioxidants came to public attention in the 1990s, when scientists began
to understand that free radical damage was involved in the early
stages of artery-clogging atherosclerosis and may contribute to cancer,
vision loss, and a host of other chronic conditions. Some studies
showed that people with low intakes of antioxidant-rich fruits and
vegetables were at greater risk for developing these chronic conditions
than were people who ate plenty of these fruits and vegetables."
The publication goes on to conclude that despite the rampant claims to the contrary by food and pharmaceutical companies, there is very little scientific evidence linking greater antioxidant consumption with the prevention of various types of diseases.
One thing we do know, however, is that people who eat a high amount of fruits and vegetables, which contain a high amount of antioxidants, are more resistant to various types of diseases than those who don't eat as much.
One plant that has seen a lot of attention recently thanks to the frenzy over antioxidants is Aronia melanocarpa, better known as the black chokeberry. The black chokeberry is a lovely shrub that sports white flowers and small, black fruit that has some of the highest antioxidant counts found in nature.
 |
| Black chokeberry jam |
Whispering Hills carries two kinds of black chokeberry this season: the Black Viking and Black Iroquois Beauty. Both will produce high yields of the delicious berries for you and the songbirds to enjoy, as well as provide a nice-looking hedge for your landscape.
Though new research is still in the process of confirming the radical health benefits of antioxidants, it is well-known that a good supply of them from chokeberries and other dark-colored berries is an important part of any diet.
Get your antioxidants from your backyard. Try the chokeberry!
For more reliable information on antioxidants, check out this article published by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
