{"id":394,"date":"2011-01-17T21:56:44","date_gmt":"2011-01-17T21:56:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vitamins.ultimatefatburner.com\/?p=394"},"modified":"2015-02-25T10:42:36","modified_gmt":"2015-02-25T15:42:36","slug":"maqui-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ultimatefatburner.com\/vitamins\/maqui-review.html","title":{"rendered":"Maqui Berry: Is Maqui the Ultimate Superfruit?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By now you’ve undoubtedly seen a number of ads, “informational” articles and blog posts touting the amazing virtues of the maqui berry<\/strong>. According to “The University of Google,” maqui berry products can miraculously help you shed excess weight and detoxify your body. Radiant health is just a few swallows (and dollars!) away!<\/p>\n

What’s the truth behind the hype?<\/p>\n

“Maqui” is Aristotelia chilensis<\/em>*: an evergreen shrub that produces small, edible dark purple berries. Also known as “Chilean Wineberry,” the species is sacred to the Mapuche people of Chile, who see it as a symbol of benevolence. “Maqui” is the Mapuche name for the plant, which means “black berry.”<\/p>\n

Maqui berries are rich in anthocyanins<\/a> and other antioxidant polyphenols. In fact, a 2002 study<\/a> suggested that, overall, maqui had a “higher phenol content” and…total antioxidant reactivity” than several other commercial berries. In keeping with their traditional use, maqui berries also appear to have strong anti-inflammatory activity<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So far, so good.<\/p>\n

While there are no human studies on maqui (the few studies available are either in-vitro or use mice\/rats), research strongly suggests that including polyphenol-rich vegetables and fruits in your diet may reduce the risk of degenerative diseases.<\/p>\n

In particular, berry anthocyanins have been shown to have anti-cancer<\/a>, anti-inflammatory<\/a> and anti-diabetic<\/a> effects.<\/p>\n

Thus, it’s reasonable to assume that the potential health benefits of maqui are at least on a par with better-known\/researched “superfruits” such as blueberry or pomegranate.<\/p>\n

Of course, that’s not good enough for some marketers, who claim (or imply) that maqui leaves the competition in the dust\u2014including the last “best” superfruit, acai.<\/p>\n

These claims are based on maqui’s polyphenol content and ORAC score, which are alleged to be much higher than the values for other “superfruits.”<\/p>\n

For the record, maqui’s numbers do<\/em> look good, based on data from Novelle International<\/a>, the manufacturer of “Maqui Superberry” juice. I chose this product as an example because it was analyzed by Brunswick Laboratories<\/a>, an industry leader in ORAC testing.<\/p>\n

According to the company web site, “Maqui Superberry” has an ORAC score of 4396 umolesTE\/oz. The closest competing product tested, POM Wonderful, has a score of 993 umolesTE\/oz. (TE = “Trolox Equivalents”).<\/p>\n

Novelle also provides a product comparison chart of total phenols<\/a>. Maqui Superberry weighs in at 8.36mg\/ml, vs. 3.8mg\/ml, 3.5mg\/ml and 2.3mg\/ml for pomegranate juice, red wine and blueberry juice, respectively.<\/p>\n

So maqui is clearly the winner! The ads are right… right?<\/p>\n

Well… not so fast. Let’s take a look at what those numbers really mean… and don’t<\/em> mean.<\/p>\n

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To begin with, ORAC is an in-vitro (benchtop) test<\/a>, and may not accurately predict what happens inside the body.<\/p>\n

In addition, there’s no consensus on what an “optimal” ORAC intake is, nor the best way to achieve it. Is a single serving of a high-ORAC supplement the equivalent of 5\u20139 servings of more ordinary vegetables and fruits? Is consuming the equivalent of\u2014say\u201415000 units “better” than consuming 10,000 units?<\/p>\n

No one knows… which is why ORAC is still more of a marketing term, than an informative one for consumers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Secondly, amounts<\/em> matter.<\/p>\n

For example, the recommended dose for Maqui Superberry is 2 tbsp. (1 fl. oz.) per day. And since it’s on the pricey side (I paid $29.99 US for a 16 oz. bottle at Vitamin Shoppe), an ounce is all most people will realistically consume. However, most people drinking pomegranate juice or red wine will likely consume more: at least 4 fl. oz. at a time.<\/p>\n

Thus, they could consume at least as much\u2014if not more\u2014antioxidant polyphenols using standard servings of readily available supermarket products.<\/p>\n

So if you’re trying to boost your polyphenol intake, there are plenty of alternatives to maqui… at best, it’s a more concentrated source. Time… AND more research will tell whether maqui actually provides any unique health benefits.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, if you’re curious to try maqui, look for products…<\/p>\n