Organic
Aronia from Foggy Ridge
Foggy Ridge Farm's main Aronia Products are Aronia Pudding and Aronia Tea.
Native to North America
Aronia (chokeberry) is a perennial shrub that is native to North America.
Aronia was once a staple in the diets of Native Americans for its health sustaining abilities.
The Aronia berry is having a resurgence in popularity today with news outlets such as CBS News and The Wall Street Journal publishing articles touting its high antioxidant values and it’s claimed ability to protect against cancer, dementia and stroke.
The Issue: Oxidation
Oxidation is the loss of electrons by a molecule, atom, or ion, and is why an apple slice turns brown, or how a cut on your skin becomes inflamed. In other words, oxidation is very damaging to your body, and is caused by daily living. Stress, environmental pollution, x-rays, and even exercise may cause oxidation. In the long term, oxidation may even cause cancer and heart disease.
How do you prevent it?
The oxidation process is prevented by consuming antioxidants. Antioxidants are a chemical compound found in foods, which are thought to protect the body’s cells from the damaging effects of oxidation. Everyday foods such as apples, strawberries, pinto beans and pecans have antioxidants, but Aronia has been found to have extraordinarily high antioxidant levels.
Aronia and Antioxidants
The Aronia berry is an extremely antioxidant rich food. Antioxidant levels are typically measured by the ORAC test, which stands for oxygen radical absorbance capacity. The USDA’s ORAC results have repeatedly found the Aronia berry to have one of the highest ORAC values ever recorded (See graph below).
In other words, the Aronia berry may help prevent the negative effects of oxidation more than any other food. This ultimately leads to a healthier lifestyle for you. As the Mayo Clinic states, “Antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, may help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals.” This food helps reduce the negative effects stress and pollution have on our bodies.
How to Eat Aronia
Berries are great in smoothies, oatmeal, dried for tea. We also make powder to sprinkle on yogurt.
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At Foggy Ridge, we cold press the berries for juice and use this in our Aronia Pudding. We then take the pressed skins and low temperature dry them, grind and blend with our teas. We dry them at a low temperature to maintain the antioxidants.