A newly-published meta-analysis on the cardiovascular benefits of aronia berry, commissioned by Artemis International, concluded based on numerous outcomes that exist within the clinical trials to date that this fruit wields benefits to cardiovascular health, including a significant lowering of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as cholesterol levels.
 
The study concluded that a daily dose of the fruit, also known as chokeberry, for an average of 6-8 weeks was effective at producing this therapeutic effect, concluding that this nutritional intervention was both safe and effective.
 
“The goal of this project was to get to the ‘heart of the matter’ about whether aronia definitively has true, statistically-sound, observable and clinically-relevant health outcomes to improve heart health – namely blood pressure and cholesterol levels,” Melanie Bush, director of science at Artemis International, said.
 
To ensure the accuracy of the data pooled from the trials, a 26-point quality assessment was used to rule out studies with issues such as publication bias and insufficient statistical power to ensure that the meta-analysis only represented studies of high quality that were available in widespread literature.
 
The benefits of aronia on both of these areas were more pronounced among individuals who were aged 50 years and older.
 
Based on the results, the authors concluded that the normalizing and targeted effects of aronia can support the use of this ingredient for both preventative and treatment applications of high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol levels.
 
“Keeping healthy during these times is not just a matter of the immune system – keeping your heart and cardiovascular system strong and in a healthy balance is crucial in times of COVID concerns and beyond,” Bush said.