In principle, the aronia is a normal foodstuff that can be consumed by everyone with few exceptions. If you have a serious fructose intolerance or apple allergy, you should be careful when trying aronia products or discuss the matter with your doctor. You should also consult a doctor before consuming aronia if you’re on medication that might interact with food groups with a high vitamin K content. Otherwise, aronia products can be consumed by everyone and make an important contribution to a healthy diet.

It’s very important that the body receives a good supply of vitamins, especially during periods of strong growth and development. As such, aronia is absolutely suitable for children. As children weigh less, they only need a smaller amount of juice, but they tend to know quite instinctively how much will do them good. If children find the taste of aronia juice too bitter at first, it can also be mixed with water and other juices.

Aronia juice isn’t suitable for use as a hair dye. Even when the juice is left to soak into hair for a long time, a bluish colour can only be observed in blonde hair. However, this colour effect can be washed out again really quickly. White and natural-coloured garments dyed with aronia juice turn a certain shade of blue depending on the fabric. Fabrics dyed with aronia juice don’t absorb sweat odours so quickly, which is an added benefit of this method.

Pregnant women need more nutrients than anyone else, as they not only have to feed their own body, but also their unborn child. Aronia is recommended for its abundance of vitamins, minerals and secondary plant substances, as well as its ability to increase bioavailability. This means nutrients from other foods can be better absorbed by the body. Pregnant women are recommended to drink 100 ml of juice or a tablespoon of dried berries every day.

As with other berries like elderberries, blueberries and blackberries, eating aronia berries might give your teeth a bluish tinge for a short time. Just like with these other berries, however, these residues can be removed by drinking water or maintaining good dental hygiene.

Free radicals are believed to be one of the causes of cancer. Free radicals are produced completely naturally within the body (e.g. when breathing). In the right dose, they have the important function of fending off harmful microorganisms and foreign substances. However, most people now have excess free radicals due to too much stress, insufficient sleep, electronic smog and lots of other factors. This imbalance causes the body’s healthy cells to be attacked by free radicals. This can damage the DNA of originally healthy cells, leading to the development of cancer. Aronia contains lots of substances that act as antioxidants, such as polyphenols, OPCs, vitamin E and vitamin C. These function as radical scavengers to create a natural balance in the body. The substances contained in aronia also support the body during chemotherapy, i.e. when cancer has already broken out. During chemotherapy, poison is flushed into the body. This is because cancer cells have a very high metabolism, so they absorb the poison the quickest. This means these cells are also the first to die. Nevertheless, this process is extremely exhausting for the entire body, causing hair loss, nausea, loss of appetite and other symptoms. Aronia can have a positive effect, as its ingredients help to restore the immune system, increase the bioavailability of other essential nutrients, reduce inflammation, and flush out heavy metals and other toxins. In other words, aronia not only preventively protects the body against cancer; it also has a positive effect on existing cancer cells and following treatment.

The super ingredients found in aronia berries can reduce the build-up of cholesterol in the blood vessels to prevent the onset of vasoconstriction and hypertension. The regular consumption of aronia berries can also lower blood sugar levels. These effects have been proven in numerous studies. As such, aronia is a welcome addition to every diabetic’s diet. Pure aronia juice and dried aronia berries are especially recommended for diabetics, as these products don’t contain any added sugar or similar ingredients; they contain only the natural amount of sugar. However, aronia is no replacement for insulin or a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Just like the apple, the aronia belongs to the Rosaceae family. Therefore, a cross-allergy can’t be ruled out in very sensitive people. Given the small allergenic potential of the aronia berry, however, such a reaction is highly unlikely. The aronia also has an anti-inflammatory effect, making it anti-allergenic. In spite of this, people with a strong apple allergy should be careful when trying aronia berries.

People with lactose intolerance can safely enjoy aronia juice and dried berries, as they don’t contain any lactose. Both the juice and dried berries contain fructose. People with fructose intolerance should decide for themselves whether the fructose content of aronia juice and dried berries falls within their tolerable range.

Fatigue can have many causes: insufficient sleep; stress; intense physical or mental strain without breaks; a large meal; or a lack of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. In the latter case, the valuable ingredients found in aronia berries can provide long-term relief. Aronia berries not only contain secondary plant substances (OPCs and anthocyanins), but also a substantial amount of vitamins and minerals. This means they counteract bouts of sleepiness brought on by a lack of nutrients. So, aronia berries don’t make you tired; they give your body extra power and vitality.

You’re recommended to drink 100 ml of aronia juice every day. This can be enjoyed undiluted, or mixed with water or juice (e.g. grape juice). This intake should be spread throughout the day. Aronia juice should not be consumed on an empty stomach, as the high amount of tannic acid and tannins may overload the stomach and cause discomfort. If you’d rather eat dried berries, you’re recommended to take 1 tablespoon (= 15 g) to 2 tablespoons (15 g of dried berries have roughly the same antioxidant capacity as 100 ml of juice).