What gives the body aronia (chokeberry) and to whom is it contraindicated?

Aronia chokeberry - a shrub that has long been used in traditional medicine, mainly for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. However, there are many contraindications for black rowan. Some people will benefit from sweet berries with a tart aftertaste, while others will exacerbate chronic ailments. We will tell you who can take Chokeberry, in what quantity and what to cook from it.

Berry Composition

Chokeberry fruits appear in early autumn, pick them in September and October. It is a natural source of vitamins, minerals, organic acids, pectins. It is thanks to the rich chemical composition of the chokeberry berries that have healing properties.

Table 1. The composition of the fruits of aronia

Substance name	% of the daily norm in 100 g of fruit	Beneficial features
Alimentary fiber	0.205	Normalize intestinal motility, remove toxins from the body, radionuclides
Vitamin A, beta-carotene	22% and 24%	Support healthy skin, reproductive system, improve eyesight
Vitamin C	0.167	Strengthens the immune system, increases the strength of blood vessels, prevents premature aging
Vitamin B5	0.1	Stimulates the production of glucocorticoids, which reduce the risk of heart disease, arthritis and allergies
Vitamin K	0.667	Increases blood coagulation, helps the body absorb calcium
Vitamin E	0.1	Slows down the aging process of cells, prevents cancer, protects the skin from the harmful effects of UV radiation
Potassium	0.073	Normalizes the water-salt balance in the body, blood pressure
Silicon	0.333	Strengthens bones, cartilage, teeth, reduces brittle hair
Iron	0.06	Supports thyroid health, prevents anemia, depression
Cobalt	1.5	Participates in the formation of vitamin B12, red blood cells, in the metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates
Selenium	0.416	Normalizes the production of thyroid hormones of the thyroid gland, prevents cancer, strengthens the immune system

In addition, the composition of black berries in small amounts contains vitamins of group B, PP, biotin, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iodine, chromium.

For medical purposes, chokeberry leaves are also used. They contain flavonoids and sorbic acid - substances that improve liver function and contribute to the outflow of bile.

Useful properties of Chokeberry

The healing properties of chokeberry were known to the ancient Indians. Natives of the North American continent ate the berry before surgery and used to disinfect wounds. In ancient Rome, chokeberry was used to strengthen the stomach, and in Russia - as a diuretic and sedative.

Consider what is useful black berry for health, according to modern doctors.

• Increases the protective function of the body

Mountain ash strengthens the human immune system, since it contains a lot of vitamins A, C, E, flavonoids. The maximum benefit will be if you eat fresh berries or drink rowan juice.

• Positive effect on the heart and blood vessels

Berries of black chokeberry have a hypotensive effect, that is, lower blood pressure. Doctors recommend that hypertensive patients include fresh fruits, jams, preserves, and especially mountain ash juice in their diet.In addition, chokeberry cleans vessels well, increases their strength and prevents the development of atherosclerosis.

• Has a hemostatic effect

Black rowan berries have a tart aftertaste and astringent properties due to the high content of vitamin K. The fruits accelerate wound healing and help with internal bleeding. Aronia is especially useful for women who suffer from painful and heavy menstruation.

• Increases the acidity of gastric juice

Chokeberry can be eaten by people who suffer from gastritis with low acidity. Berries stimulate appetite and accelerate the digestion of food. Help with bloating, diarrhea, nausea.

• Improves the condition of a person with a musculoskeletal system disease

The chokeberry contains silicon, calcium, phosphorus and other macrocells, which serve as the “building material” for bones. In addition, berries have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. They improve the well-being of a person with joint disease (in particular rheumatoid arthritis).

Harm and contraindications

If you constantly abuse the berries of chokeberry, then you can harm the body. For example, with an overdose of vitamin K, a person is concerned about nausea, diarrhea, dry skin, and internal hemorrhages. In addition, chokeberry contains many acids that can irritate the gastric mucosa and destroy tooth enamel.

Chokeberry has the following contraindications:

• Increased blood coagulation. Aronia berries thicken blood. In people with increased coagulability, they can lead to blood clots and rupture of blood vessels.
• Hypotension. At low pressure, doctors recommend abandoning the fruits of chokeberry or limit the use of the product, otherwise there is a risk of deterioration of well-being.
• The increased acidity of gastric juice. The list of contraindications also includes gastritis and ulcers, which developed against a background of increased acidity. Chokeberry will irritate the mucous membrane, aggravate erosion processes, cause pain and heartburn in a person.

With a tendency to constipation, leaning on black berries is not worth it. In large quantities, they "fix" the intestines.

It is possible for people with diabetes and pregnant women to eat chokeberry, but it is advisable to get a doctor's advice first.

How to take chokeberry for medicinal purposes?

Chokeberry will bring health benefits only if used correctly. With a lack of vitamins and anemia (anemia), it is enough to eat one handful of fresh berries 2 times a day. Just not on an empty stomach, so as not to cause irritation of the walls of the stomach. Below we consider what medicines can be prepared from chokeberry.

Rowan juice

To prepare rowan juice, use a juicer or squeeze berry puree with gauze. Dilute the drink with water in a 1: 1 ratio.

Rowan juice is useful in the following cases:

• from high blood pressure;
• with circulatory disorders, anemia, atherosclerosis;
• to cleanse the liver;
• for excretion of radionuclides from the body;
• with reduced thyroid function.

Contraindications for the drink are the same as for fresh berries. The beneficial properties of the juice begin to appear with regular use during the week.

Dried berries infusion

Dried rowan berries are just as healthy as fresh. You can buy raw materials in a pharmacy. Rowan infusion is drunk to strengthen immunity and normalize blood pressure.

Pour 3 tbsp. l dried fruit with two glasses of boiling water. Insist for a day. Drink half a glass in the morning, afternoon and evening 30 minutes before meals.

Leaf tea

From the leaves of chokeberry, an excellent diuretic, choleretic and anti-inflammatory agent is obtained. Tea helps get rid of edema, improve liver function, strengthen immunity. Topically, the drug is used for skin allergic reactions and rashes.

How to make mountain ash tea? Pour 1 tablespoon of dried leaves with a glass of boiling water. Insist 40-60 minutes. You can drink 50 ml of this drink 3 times a day (before meals).

How to harvest fruits for the winter - 4 simple recipes

From chokeberry, you can prepare delicious desserts and drinks that taste better than fresh fruits. And also part of the vitamins is stored as part of the preparations, which allows you to pamper your body in winter.

Jam

Rowan jam has a delicate taste with subtle bitterness. To prepare it, you will need the following ingredients:

• rowan fruits - 1 kg;
• sugar - 1 kg;
• water - 400 ml.

Boil water in a pan, add sugar. Stir until it is completely dissolved. Add berries, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir constantly.

Remove the berries from the stove and cool. Then put on the fire again and cook until a thick consistency is obtained. Pour the prepared jam into sterilized jars and roll it up.

Compote

Stewed chokeberry compote saturates the body with vitamins, tones and perfectly quenches thirst.

Prepare the following products:

• rowan fruits - 300 g;
• medium-sized apples - 3 pcs.;
• sugar - 1 cup;
• citric acid - ¼ teaspoon;
• water - 2.5 liters.

Peel the apples, remove the core and seeds. Put the fruit on the bottom of a 3 liter jar with black berries. Pour boiling water and leave for half an hour.

Pour the infusion into the pan (leave berries and fruits in a jar), add sugar and citric acid. Put the mixture on the stove, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Pour the liquid back into a 3-liter jar of fruit and berries, roll up.

Wine

To make wine you will need:

• 5 kg of chokeberry berries;
• 800 g of sugar;
• litere of water.

Mash unwashed fruits with mashed hands and mix with 600 g of sugar. Cover the mass with gauze and put in a warm place for 7 days. Stir the contents daily.

Strain the mass. Mix berry cake with 200 g of sugar, cover with gauze and put in a warm place again. Pour filtered juice into a glass jar. Put on a rubber glove with a small hole in your finger. Put the mixture in a dark place at room temperature.

Berry squeezes with sugar will need to be squeezed again after a week and the resulting liquid is poured into the main container.

After 2 months, strain the wine. Bottle and leave to ripen for another 3-4 months.

Tincture

If you don’t have the time and energy to mess around with wine, try making mountain ash tincture with vodka. To do this, take the following ingredients:

• rowan fruits - 300 g;
• sugar - 1 cup;
• spices - 3 peas of allspice and 3 peas of black, 3 sticks of cloves;
• vodka - 800 ml.

Grind the berries in a blender, mix with sugar and spices. Transfer to a glass jar. Put the mixture in a dark place at room temperature for 7 days. Shake the contents daily.

Pour vodka into the mixture and let it brew for 2 weeks. Strain the tincture through several layers of gauze, bottle and store in the refrigerator.

Which mountain ash is more beneficial - red or aronia?

Mountain ash and chokeberry chokeberry belong to the same family. Fresh red berries are practically not consumed, because they have a bitter taste and low sugar content. But such fruits have found application in the production of alcoholic beverages, jelly, marmalade, sweets. And what mountain ash is more useful?

Red berries are significantly ahead of black ones in the content of the following substances:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• magnesium.

But in chokeberry there are more trace elements (especially iodine, selenium, chromium), there are vitamins of group B and K.

Thus, each berry is useful in its own way. If you want to strengthen the immune system and maintain youthful skin, choose red. But aronia can help better normalize metabolism and heal heart ailments.

Thus, chokeberry is a generous gift of autumn, a storehouse of vitamins and other useful substances. Its berries have a more pleasant taste than cranberries, viburnum, lingonberries and other September fruits. From chokeberry it is easy to prepare drinks with a deep, rich taste that will warm the body in the cold season. If you have no contraindications, do not ignore the healthy black berry.