How we rate
“Strong” = several concordant meta-analyses or systematic reviews. “Moderate” = one synthesis, or several controlled trials. “Limited” = early trials only. The rating is about the quality of the studies, not about how useful the supplement is.
Aronia
Aronia: a black berry rich in polyphenols. An extract slightly lowers LDL cholesterol and softens arteries in a few trials; nothing clear on blood pressure or athletic performance.
Benefits
- LDL cholesterol: in 49 former smokers, 500 mg of extract per day for 12 weeks lowered LDL by 11% and total cholesterol by 8% compared to placebo.
- Cholesterol in meta-analysis: out of seven randomized trials, HDL rises by 1.48 mg/dl; total cholesterol and LDL drop mainly in trials lasting less than 10 weeks.
- Arteries: in 66 healthy men, extract or berry powder for 12 weeks improved arterial dilation by 0.9 to 1.2 percentage points compared to placebo.
- Arterial stiffness: in 102 middle-aged adults with slightly high blood pressure, 12 weeks of extract improved pulse wave velocity and augmentation index.
- Glycemia: in a review of 17 studies, the four pooled trials show a lower blood glucose of 0.44 mmol/l with aronia.
- Antioxidant defenses: in 70 adults who ate few fruits and vegetables, 300 mg of extract per day for 8 weeks boosted glutathione after 30 minutes on a treadmill.
- Post-exercise: in 19 rowers, 150 ml of juice per day for 8 weeks lowered TNF-alpha after a 2000 m test and raised the blood's antioxidant capacity.
Precautions
Tolerance: in 40 women who drank 100 ml of juice twice a day, only half tolerated it without complaint; certain LDL and VLDL fractions rose during the treatment, then returned to baseline upon cessation. Blood pressure: a meta-analysis of seven trials even finds slightly higher diastolic blood pressure with aronia (2.55 mmHg higher). Coagulation: in 38 people with metabolic syndrome, the extract inhibited platelet aggregation and coagulation potential; if you are taking anticoagulant treatment, talk to your doctor. Limitations: blood pressure and cholesterol: another, more favorable meta-analysis finds a decrease in systolic blood pressure and total cholesterol mainly after age 50, but a review of 17 studies finds no effect on weight, triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL, or blood pressure. Subgroups: in 109 men with slightly high cholesterol, 90 days of aronia changed nothing in the group as a whole; effects only appear in certain subgroups (over 40 years old, overweight). Inflammation: in former smokers, 12 weeks of extract improved neither inflammation nor oxidative stress; in type 2 diabetics, neither blood pressure nor CRP moved. Sport: a review of ten trials in athletes judges the evidence insufficient for performance, inflammation, platelets, and iron; the trials in this fact sheet involving athletes included 16 to 32 people. Trials without a control group: positive results in 143 metabolic syndrome patients and 35 type 2 diabetics come from open-label trials without a placebo.
Recommended dosage
Extract: 90 to 500 mg per day; juice: 100 to 150 ml per day. Trial duration: 30 days to 24 weeks.
How to take it
- Format: extract in capsules (90 to 500 mg), juice (100 to 150 ml), or powdered berries, depending on the trials.
- For cholesterol: 500 mg of extract per day for 12 weeks, in the clearest trial, among former smokers.
- For arteries: an extract providing 116 mg of polyphenols (the equivalent of 75 g of berries) or whole berry powder (the equivalent of 10 g), daily for 12 weeks.
- In sports: 150 ml of juice per day for 8 weeks in rowers; 6 g of freeze-dried extract per day for 90 days in 22 young football players.
- Single or multiple doses: 100 mg three times a day in a trial involving people with metabolic syndrome; no study in this fact sheet compares a single dose to multiple doses.
- What does not work: blood pressure does not drop significantly in most controlled trials.
Did you know?
Aronia acts quickly on the arteries: in 66 healthy men, arterial dilation improved as early as 2 hours after the first dose of extract (1.1 percentage points higher), and the effect still held after 12 weeks.
What the studies say
This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials investigated the effects of aronia consumption on lipid profile, blood pressure, and inflammation markers. It revealed a significant increase in HDL cholesterol and a reduction in total and LDL cholesterol in patients supplementing with aronia. A dose of 300 mg/day of aronia was associated with a reduction in triglycerides.
Rahmani J, Clark C, Kord Varkaneh H, Lakiang T, Vasanthan LT, Onyeche V, Mousavi SM, Zhang Y, Zhang Y. — Phytotherapy research : PTR (2019) — View the source study
For information only: not a substitute for medical advice. Dietary supplements are not a replacement for a varied, balanced diet. Learn more