(NaturalNews) Deep in the Patagonia region of southern Chile grows a wild berry known as maqui that natives have been eating for ages. This powerful superfruit, which is now beginning to make its way into the U.S., is considered to be the most antioxidant-rich superfruit in the world. Its nutrient profile offers amazing protection against cholesterol buildup and disease-causing inflammation in a way unmatched by most other fruits.
A recent
Fox News report highlights the fact that maqui grows so abundantly in the wilds of Chile that it does not even have to be formally cultivated. As the popularity of the
fruit continues to grow, natives simply harvest increasing amounts of it from the many maqui bushes that dot the hillsides and surround Chile's many vast forests.
According to Dr. Juan Hancke, a medical doctor who has devoted numerous years of research into learning about maqui, the fruit is extremely rich in a variety of powerful antioxidants. These include anthocyanins, delphinidin, malvidin, petunidin, cumarins, triterpenes, flavanoids, and cyanidin. The delphinidins in particular, he says, significantly reduce
inflammation, which thus prevents the diseases brought about by inflammation -- except without causing the harmful side effects of pharmaceutical drugs.
Everything from cancer, to arthritis, to cardiovascular
disease is spurred on by inflammation, so consuming mega-doses of antioxidants from sources like maqui is a great way to help prevent these and other diseases. The
Fox report explains that any disease ending in "itis" is an inflammatory disease, which represents many of the chronic conditions that people face today.
Consuming maqui has also been shown to greatly increase
insulin production levels in the body. Individuals with diabetes or pre-diabetes can eat maqui to increase insulin and suppress
blood glucose levels, as well as prevent the development of new fat cells. And the berry also helps regulate
cholesterol and triglyceride levels by encouraging
healthy blood flow, preventing cholesterol oxidation, and discouraging plaque buildup in the arteries.
Maqui berries contain powerful antibacterial compounds as well, which make them an effective food-based medicine for deterring and treating infections. They also boost overall immunity and support healthy bones and joints.
Sources for this story include:http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/01/26/marvelous-maqui-berry/
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