I would grade the quality of the metanalysis as C level but the findings may lead to more insights. (Examine summary followed by original paper.)
Detail on “purified.”
MEDOX (also identified as MP865) is a unique combination of anthocyanins obtained by purification from black currants (Ribes nigrum L.) and from bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus). The purification process (MEDOX is made in an in-house developed,
high tech., patented, chromatographic process) yields highly purified anthocyanines presented as capsules of 80 mg pure anthocyanins plus 115 mg polyphenols.
I agree the pills would be a standardized formula and more consistent, but these studies on aronia talk a lot about curing metabolic syndrome etc… and I have to wonder if it is because they feed the akkermansia muciniphila:
Anthocyanin supplementation in adults at risk for dementia: a randomized controlled trial on its cardiometabolic and anti-inflammatory biomarker effects
Great articles thank you. I get over 700mg/day in the form of aronia berries in my kefir. I let the kefir go extra long and they actually taste acceptably good in there. The only thing that really makes them taste good is the miracle berry, and they’re about a buck apiece. Not worth it.
This reminds me I was thinking of planting a black sorghum, I need to look for seed.
We’ve been doing a marathon planting and it’s almost over. Maybe tomorrow.
About a decade ago there was a serious effort to get people to grow aronia for profit. A small company was selling clones, which are hard to make (I tried). We planted a couple acres. We know several people that planted much more and a couple that planted 40. Poland can apparently sell them for 50 cents a pound. It costs that much to harvest them. We were promised 4 dollars a pound, and these are organic. There was never a market. Coops were formed and the growers were never paid. We never bought equipment thank god and aren’t really out much but the labor. I have a freezer full as they are very easy to pick by hand.
We also know a guy that planted elderberries. The yield and equipment are much worse for this one. Flavor might be a little better, but they still need help. They grow wild and nobody even bothers to pick them. They’re all pit with just a little flesh around. Cook them down or run through a victorio strainer.
We are a little too far north for blackberries. I have a small patch in the garden, maybe 10 plants which last year gave a great yield. This winter was too cold and the stalks didn’t survive. It just set me back a year because the fruit comes on the old stalks. This is the best tasting option by far, just bad luck that they don’t grow here easily.
One of the most noteworthy lines in the study was, “Anthocyanin supplementation reduces CRP and cardiovascular disease biomarkers in individuals at risk of dementia, especially when there is increased inflammation at baseline.” I see this relationship across a range of anti-inflammatory foods and supplements. We need a few studies that segment and identify the effects on individuals whose pre-study inflammatory markers are in the lowest quartile. Note: I’m not assuming that the absolute lowest levels of these markers is a desirable metabolic state. It seems possible that the benefit curve would reverse at extremely low levels. A few good studies might fill in this informational gap.
