All About Aronia Berries

Aronia berries are a berry which grows on shrubs native to North America. There's two kinds of aronia berries—red berries and black berries, often called "chokeberries" due to their puckeringly sour flavor when eaten raw. The red berries are a bit sweeter than the darker variety. The black berries are about the size of blueberries and a bit darker in color, while the red aronia berries are a bit smaller.

What's So Great About Aronia Berries?

Touted as a superfood—and better than other superfoods such as acai berries since they're native to North America—aronia berry aficionados claim that the berries are practically a miracle food helping to diminish one's risk of just about every health problem, from colon cancer to high blood pressure to heart disease, while increasing all of those good buzz-wordy things your body needs, including boosting the immune system and providing antioxidants. They're marketed as "superberries" and "mega-high in antioxidants."

If all this sounds too good to be true, well it is. Sort of.

The Bottom Line on the Aronia Berry

Aronia berries may be all that proponents claim it is—and more—but all berries, in fact, contain anti-oxidants and cancer-fighting properties. As do most fruits and vegetables, from broccoli to the everyday apple.

Though they may be healthy and full of vitamins and anti-oxidants, you would be just as well off stacking your grocery cart full of fresh blueberries and leafy green vegetables, which are also healthy and full of anti-oxidants. Like other superfoods, such as goji berries and hemp, they are indeed healthy, and there's no reason to not enjoy your aronia berries if you like them, but don't expect to live until 95 just because you do!

How to Try Aronia Berries

You can make a delicious superfood smoothie with aronia berries and coconut.

Try shopping for aronia berries online. They can be purchased in whole frozen bags, gummy supplement form, concentrated juice form, supplement capsules or freeze dried powder