#Superfood Friday - Maqui Berry

MAQUI BERRY

Berries of all varieties have become all the buzz due to their health claiming benefits. Blueberries, Goji berries, acai berries, elderberries; all have been touted as superfoods and for good reason. They all contain high levels of antioxidants and a number of beneficial nutrients that help promote a healthy body. But few have heard of one of the greatest super berries of them all, Maqui berry.

Maqui (pronounced mah-ki) contains astonishing levels of antioxidant compounds. It has the highest ORAC level of any known berry at approximately 27,600 ORAC units/100g. Compare that to the powerful Acai berry which only has an ORAC value of approximately 16,000 units/ 100g. The Maqui berry’s ORAC values are more than 3x greater than Pomegranate, 5x greater than Blueberry, and 100x greater than red wine.

* Oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) is a method of measuring antioxidant capacities in biological samples in vitro.[1][2]

Maqui berries (Aristotelia chilensis) are deep purple berries native to South America and if you have the pleasure of traveling to Chile, more specifically the Patagonia region, you will notice maqui berry bushes grow wildly all over hillsides, throughout fields, and on the borders of forested areas.

Maqui berries are very rich in anthocyanins, which are purple pigments with very high antioxidant activity. Specifically, maqui berries contain high levels of anthocyanins called delphinidins. In maqui berry, these compounds are found in unusually high amounts. The delphinidins demonstrate potent anti-inflammatory activity, so they may help to reduce the risk of a variety of degenerative diseases that involve inflammation. These pigments may also inhibit the growth of colon cancer cells.

Some benefits of the maqui berry:

• Research suggests that consumption of anthocyanins may boost your defense against high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

• Preliminary studies indicate that anthocyanins may possess anti-cancer properties, fight obesity and enhance heart health

• Helps decrease levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol. Results revealed that maqui extract did help reduce LDL cholesterol levels, as well as fight oxidative stress and aid in prevention of atherosclerosis.

• Studies have shown maqui berries to exert anti-diabetic effects by improving fasting blood glucose levels and glucose tolerance.

• Contains an abundance of vitamin C, calcium, iron and potassium

Maqui berries taste delicious and are a great snack to eat fresh. They are sweet and bursting with flavour and can be a great addition to any smoothie. If you are unable to find them fresh, they can also be found in powder or juice form. Make sure to purchase organic, non-gmo maqui berry products that do not contain any fillers.

Be Nutritious and Enjoy!