Naturopathy wonder berries without effect?

Miracle-berries Goji, Noni, Acerola and Acai should be healthy and rejuvenate

09/18/2013

Exotic berries such as goji, noni or acai are currently popular with many health-conscious people. Among other things, they should help against diabetes and cancer and have a rejuvenating effect. It is difficult to answer whether these are miracle berries, because scientific research is often missing. Yet, many of the exotic fruits are proven to contain high levels of beneficial ingredients such as vitamin C or antioxidants.

Wonder berries available as dried fruit, juice or powder
While many proponents of natural healing profess the exotic fruits, others demonize them. Critical voices usually complain about the high prices and the lack of scientific evidence for the effectiveness. Even among experts, the fruits are controversial. So is Hilke Steinecke, a biologist in the Palm Garden in Frankfurt am Main, the opinion that especially the attraction of the exotic is responsible for the popularity of the berries, as they told the news agency „dpa“ explained. Acerola cherries are from Mexico, Acai from the Amazon, Noni originally from Hawaii, and the Goji berry from the Himalayas, where she is said to have eaten Buddha, explains the expert. The urge for the exotic is also being promoted through the Internet and the desire for particularly natural and new remedies and beauty products.

Meanwhile, the fruits are available almost everywhere in the world. In Germany you can now buy them in the supermarket. They are usually offered in dried form, as juice or powder, because they would not survive the long transport as freshly harvested fruit. „However, because they are highly sensitive, they are almost never fresh, "confirms Steinecke." However, fruit can be processed, but the health-promoting effect can be influenced. „Many substances are in the shell. When apple peeling I also throw away parts of the protection, "said Bernhard Watzl, Professor of Physiology and Biochemistry of nutrition at the Max Rubner Institute in Karlsruhe, told the news agency.

Effect of acerola is confirmed by experts
Since the juices from many berries are bitter or not tasty, they are usually mixed with other drinks or food. Also, the powder is usually offered in combination with other ingredients as a mixture. As Heinrich Stevens of the Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food in Bonn told the news agency, Acerola be used for example in jam or ice cream.

The fruits of the acerola plant are among those with the highest content of natural vitamin C. Therefore, Acerola is used to prevent and treat many diseases such as diabetes, allergies, cardiovascular diseases, infections, rheumatism and even cancer and be there „indispensable, "explains Stevens, who is one of the most important anti-oxidants, making him one of the most effective antidotes to free radicals that can damage cell structures and genetic material, and the aging process is often associated with the effects of free radicals.

„Fruits have a special spectrum of ingredients such as phytochemicals that affect health, "reports Watzl, which includes antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, polyphenols and minerals, and polyphenols perform a special function for the plant, protecting it from pests protect. „Because we have evolved in millions of years depending on plants, polyphenols also affect us. "Nevertheless, Watzl doubts that the supposed miracle berries are healthier than other fruits. „They help as much as the apple, the orange. "In addition, some domestic varieties such as blueberries, raspberries or strawberries sometimes even have a higher content of certain polyphenols According to the Max-Rubner-Institut, domestic blueberries contain more magnesium than, for example, acai.

Gojibeere is now also native to Germany
The goji berry also enjoys great popularity. It is usually sold dried in small bags, which can cost around ten euros. However, only a few know that behind Goji hides the common buckthorn. The plant, which is also known as the Chinese wolfberry or the common devil's twine, is now also native to us and grows on many a road embankment. Goji berries should stimulate the metabolism and protect against wrinkles. However, scientific studies are largely missing.

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the fruit has been used for millennia to increase the yin. According to the TCM, deficiency of Yin in the liver and kidneys is manifested by symptoms such as colds, night sweats, drowsiness, tiredness, fatigue, diabetes, premature aging, weakness in the back and knees, dizziness, tinnitus and low vision, anemia, overexertion, impotence, impotence and infertility. In addition, goji berries are used in China to treat high blood pressure, high blood sugar, strengthen the immune system, treat eye problems and prevent and treat cancer. (Ag)