Are Aronia berries poisonous to humans?
Aronia berries are certainly not poisonous and quite frankly present us with an abundance of healthy goodness. In fact, aronia berries are considered to be nature’s most concentrated antioxidant berry.
Aronia has very high contents of numerous antioxidants, including polyphenols, proanthocyanidins, anthocyanins, flavonols, and flavanones (9–12). In a study where 143 different plant samples were analysed for polyphenols, the highest contents of these compounds were found in aronia ( Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5068402/. https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/138/3/562/4670253 ).
That being said, just like when out in nature seeing other naturally occurring foods (for example mushrooms where some types are delicious, others are hazardous), it is important to remain very aware of your surroundings of what species of berries you have located, so you are not mistakenly collecting a hazardous material.
It is important to understand that there is a difference between chokeberries (Aronia) and chokecherries (Prunus) although the fruit itself initially may appear to be rather similar. (Chokecherries also have a single single pit, while Aronia (chokeberry) has a few minuscule seeds which are hard to appreciate).
On the other hand, parts of the chokecherry plant are toxic to both humans and animals because stomach acid reacts with the contents of chokecherry seeds, leaves, twigs, and bark to release cyanide which is toxic to humans and other mammals. (Chokecherry fruit itself is sour but edible).
If you come across an aronia bush growing in the wild be sure to stop and enjoy the berries or take some handfuls and save them for later.
Is it possible to eat too many Aronia berries?
One might wonder if it is possible to eat too many Aronia berries in one sitting. This is highly unlikely to be the case (unless you find yourself to be allergic to aronia berries, but this has not been reported—seek prompt medical care if you think this has become the case.). There have been no reported episodes of aronia poisoning.
The most likely “side effect” is the mouth-drying quality on the tongue.
Rarely, with very high consumption, some people had reported diarrhea or bloating.
As a berry and a nutraceutical, there is not an official government recommended dose. Some nutritional experts would say that approximately a minimum of 3000-5000 ORAC units (oxygen radical absorbance capacity, a laboratory measure of antioxidant capacity) per day.
These sources would say about 30 aronia berries per day is generally recommended, which will provide approximately 7000 ORAC units.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) at one time had designed and published a table which contained the ORAC content of selected foods. USDA stopped publishing and updating the ORAC tables because of concerns that it was unknown regarding associations of ORAC quantity and how much antioxidant activity happens at the actual cell level in the body.
Like many food-based nutrients, some advocates say to eat a few berries throughout the day rather than in a single sitting to help absorption.
What do Aronia Berries taste like?
Aronia berries have a distinctly unique flavor that is not easily forgotten. Some who indulge themselves with the small berries describe the taste as earthy and bland, others describe it as very drying and tart on the tongue. Many people eat them directly or sprinkle aronia on their oatmeal or mix them in a smoothie. Berries that were picked later in the season tend to have a higher sugar content. Other than eating them directly or drinking the juice directly (probably a minority of aronia fans), many people do tend to mix their Aronia into a variety of other juices, smoothies, jams, jellies, pies, etc.
Many complex foods and beverages require an acquisition for the appreciation of the unique characteristics and depth of flavor such as with cheeses, wines, beers, and whiskeys.
Aronia taste appreciation is similar for many people. Once your palate has acquired the appreciation for the unique characteristics of the aronia complex flavor, you then can enjoy the nuances of the aronia, which some prefer pure, and others prefer as part of a mix.
One method of modifying the flavor would be to add honey, sugar. or other sweetener. Many enjoy honey in their aronia juice. More recently, some specialized producers have incorporated aronia into their mead beverages. There are also mead recipes online which have incorporated aronia.
Aronia also mixes well with many other fruit juices which make very tasty combinations while retaining the benefits of the berry.
Rick had done his own taste testing experiment on aronia which had some interesting findings (he mixed Aronia with a variety of items). You can find it here:
Honestly speaking, some will still find aronia to have a very unusual flavor. Some have described aronia as a “superfood that tastes like a superfood”, and appreciate it for its amazing healthful components, rather than its flavor profile.
Where can I buy Aronia?
Although expanding in the United States in the past few years, Aronia berries and aronia products are not as easy to come by as other common fruits such as blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Availability does seem to increase each year as knowledge of Aronia increases.
Tracking down a market that regularly orders aronia juice or aronia extract may at first be a challenge but it is important to understand that most organic stores can make special orders for the product.
Occasionally one might be able to find aronia juice in the health sections at stores such as Walmart, Hy-vee, or at specialty organic markets.
In general, as a premium superfood, you can expect and find that aronia juice is somewhat higher in price than a similar sized bottle of grape juice or apple juice. It is also possible to get aronia concentrate. Sweetened/Dried Aronia (similar to the sweetened/dried cranberries) may be another option. (Sweetened/dried Aronia are very good mixed with nuts, like in a trail mix.)
Prices will vary depending on content, location of berry farm source to your location, organic certification, and other juices or other components added. For some general examples: a 24 fluid ounce container of 100% pure aronia juice not from concentrate, might cost USD $20-$30, while a concentrated aronia liquid product may run USD $30-$50 for a similar sized bottle.
Drinking only a few ounces per day is a standard recommendation, so a bottle will last more than other juices ingested by the glassful. If the price seems a bit daunting to start, you can always start out with purchase of a high quality aronia product that has a lower concentration of aronia juice or comes in a smaller sized container.
Key Take Away Points:
- Aronia is not poisonous to humans.
- Aronia is nature’s most concentrated antioxidant berry.
- Many people eat or drink aronia products regularly because of its high concentration of antioxidants and other components.
- Aronia complex flavor is unique from any other berry and some people will need to acquire the taste appreciation.
Have fun exploring Aronia!