Environmental Nutrition

Are maqui berries good for you?

The recent craze over exotic "superfruits" such as acai berries and mangosteen has food and dietary supplement manufacturers on the lookout for their next "superfruit" star. And the new destination on the "superfruit" map is the Patagonia area of South America, the home of the maqui berry. The Internet is already abuzz over "magic" maqui berries, which promise to help you lose weight, flush toxins, clear skin, boost energy and even fight cancer. But is the maqui berry boom nothing but a bust?

The maqui berry (Aristotelia chilensis) is a small, purple berry that has a refreshing yet not overly sweet taste. Legend has it that the Mapuche Indians of the region long used it as natural medicine for treating a number of ailments. Today, it's easy to find maqui berry juice or supplements sold on the Internet. Very little scientific information on maqui berries has been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Scientists from Chile and Mexico performed a laboratory study on samples of maqui berries, publishing their findings in a 2010 issue of Food Chemistry. They identified numerous plant compounds, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, anthocyanins and a proanthocyanidin, in the berry, which probably contribute to its very high antioxidant activity. And that's about all we know about this mysterious fruit.

However, a growing body of science indicates that antioxidants from plant foods may reduce cellular oxidative damage in the body, which may help protect against chronic diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and cardiovascular disease. In particular, anthocyanins -- a group of more than 300 compounds responsible for the red, purple or blue colors of plants, such as blueberries, attract a great deal of attention from researchers. Anthocyanins are difficult to study because they react easily with other compounds, and scientists still need to understand how they are utilized in the body. Yet various anthocyanins have been linked with benefits, such as visual acuity, anti-cancer activity, and protection against oxidative stress linked with the development of heart disease.

There's no doubt that maqui berries can contribute a dose of health-protective plant compounds. But there's also no doubt that they are being peddled vigorously by some disreputable vendors who promise unsubstantiated health benefits if you consume their product daily -- which may set you back about $30 a bottle. Until the science proves otherwise, you would be better off spending that money on a variety of colorful fruits and veggies to provide a rainbow of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients in your diet every day.

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