Aronia – our mental and emotional health!

Author Jai Thornell
www.loveit.se

There are plenty of good studies on the phenomenal effects of aronia berries on our physical organism. But do they have any impact on our mental and emotional health and if so, how?

Holistic health for many people means talking about the body, the mind and the emotional state. Personally, I would say that what sits the mind, we put in the body. And that affects everything that we are. When we try to separate the parts from the whole, we usually make a big mistake. Human beings are extremely complicated in their structure and at the same time we like to simplify things. “If only I wasn’t in pain, everything would be fine” is a statement that may feel completely true at the time it is said. But before you had pain in your body, there were other things you felt. In the mind there were perhaps worries and in the emotions there was stress.

There is only 100% of you!

For example, at times in our lives when we feel grief, we often become physically tired. This is because a lot of energy is used to process the grief. Then it is difficult for the energy to suffice and the body says no by making you feel tired. So there is an interaction in other words that can be good to know and understand. Therefore, what you give your body also affects your mental and emotional health.

As I mentioned in the introduction, there are lots of studies on the amazing effects of aronia berries on the body. But what about studies on its effects on mental or psychological health?

Research on the effect of aronia berries on mental health is still relatively limited, but there are some interesting indications – particularly regarding their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which may indirectly affect brain function.

Here is a summary of what the research suggests so far:

Antioxidants and cognitive function

• Oxidative stress plays a major role in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
• Aronia berries contain high levels of anthocyanins and polyphenols, which have been shown to protect brain cells in animal and cell studies.
• A study published in Nutrients (2019) showed that flavonoids from berries in general can improve cognitive function, but aronia was included in a mix, so it is not possible to isolate its effect.

In other words, there is indirect support that aronia may help protect the brain via its antioxidants – but direct evidence of improved mental function in humans is still weak so more research is needed.

Inflammation and mood

Low-grade inflammation has been linked to depression, anxiety and brain fog. As aronia has been shown to lower inflammatory markers in the body (such as CRP and TNF-α in some studies), there is a strong possibility that this could improve mental wellbeing.

A small study on rats from 2017 showed that aronia extract could reduce anxiety behaviors – but the study is not yet verified on humans.

Studies in humans show improved psychomotor speed, increased concentration and some cognitive support.
There are few well-controlled studies on how aronia berries directly affect psychological well-being, depression, concentration or memory in humans.

• Long-term RCT of middle-aged, obese subjects
  A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study with 101 participants taking either 90 mg or 150 mg of aronia extract daily for 24 weeks. Results were improved psychomotor speed and reduction of diastolic blood pressure at high dose.

• Short-term study in young adults
  A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study showed improved concentration and psychomotor performance after short-term intake of aronia extract in young adults.

Studies in rats (preclinical studies) show reduced anxiety/depression, improved memory and neuroprotective protection

• Reduced anxiety and depression
  One month of unrestricted intake of aronia drink (> 20 ml/kg daily) produced “anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like behaviors” in rats, possibly due to MAO-A/MAO-B inhibition
  Another study showed that aronia drink (10 ml/kg) for 21-30 days produced a “dose- and time-dependent antianxiety effect” in the elevated plus-maze test.

• Neuroprotection and improved memory
  Study showed that aronia drink improves short-term memory and movement function in aging rats.

• Brain protection against heavy metals
  Long-term treatment with aronia extract protected brain tissue against oxidative stress caused by cadmium exposure.

• Memory protection against chemically induced damage
  Aronia extract improved memory in rats with scopolamine-induced memory impairment through increased BDNF and CREB activation.

Your body is your temple that you inhabit!

When we nourish our bodies, we also give ourselves mental and emotional love. We say we are worthy of all the best. We say that we count. Our temple is the one we inhabit. Therefore, make sure to grow aronia berries and other divine plants and trees near the entrance of your temple so that you have access to what heals and keeps life joyfully alive in you. And if you can’t grow them yourself, there are those who are happy to share Mother Earth’s best produce with you too!

©Jai Thornell
www.loveit.se

References:
Ahles, S., Stevens, Y. R., Joris, P. J., Vauzour, D., Adam, J., de Groot, E., & Plat, J. (2020).
The effect of longterm Aronia melanocarpa extract supplementation on cognitive performance, mood, and vascular function: A randomized controlled trial in healthy, middleaged individuals. Nutrients, 12(8), 2475. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12082475 rimi.imi.bg.ac.rs+15mdpi.com+15research-portal.uea.ac.uk+15

Ahles, S., … Vauzour, D. (2024).
Shortterm Aronia melanocarpa extract supplementation improves cognitive performance: A randomized, doubleblind, placebocontrolled crossover study in healthy young adults. European Journal of Nutrition. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-024-03381-3 solabianutrition.com+2link.springer.com+2nutraingredients.com+2

Banskota, A.H., et al. (2016).
Reduction of anxietylike and depressionlike behaviors in rats after one month of drinking Aronia melanocarpa berry juice: In vivo evaluation of MAOA/MAOB inhibition. Food & Function, 7, e.g., 2016. researchgate.net+15pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+15sciencedirect.com+15

Jaremek, W., et al. (2019).
Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice reveals neuroprotective effect and improves cognitive and locomotor functions of aged rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology.