I’m in love again inlove.
As most of you probably know by now, I have a bit of a love affair with super foods! I do have some of my trusted favourites but I’m always open to trying something new. So I have fallen in love again, this time with Maqui Berry. Call me superficial but part of me has fallen purely for its looks – the most beautiful deep purple colour that illuminates any dish it is added to (smoothies, cakes, chia pudding). Thankfully there is much more to Maqui Berry than just it’s looks – it has plenty of nutritional benefits to boast about and is just delicious!
Maqui Berry – the most beautiful superfood!
Maqui Berry (also called the Chilean Wineberry) is yet another South American Superfood, this one originates from the Patagonian region on Chile. Similar to Acai berries and blueberries, Maqui berries contain anthocyanin (which I have mentioned in my Black Rice article previously). Anthocyanins are the red, purple or blue pigments found in plants, these pigments act as powerful antioxidants.
Antioxidant Properties
Antioxidants help to fight free radicals that cause cellular damage and premature ageing. Maqui berries have been shown to have particularly high levels of antioxidants dues to their extra oxygen molecules. Have you noticed that there are a lot of superfoods out there claiming their super antioxidant powers? You might be asking how does Maqui Berry measure up? The best way to measure the antioxidant content in food is by using the ORAC scale.
ORAC Values
ORAC stands of Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity and is a unit measurement for antioxidants. It is believed that foods with the highest ORAC value will help to neutralise free radicals. ORAC test reports from Brunswick Laboratories have shown the Maqui Berry yielded 6,120 per gram – so what does this mean? It means that in these studies Maqui Berry outperformed all other fruits for ORAC values and has the highest antioxidant value of any fruit – even higher than the beloved Acai (confirmed by Brunswick Laboratories).
Potential Health Benefits
- Powerful Antioxidant
- Antibacterial Properties
- Weight loss
- Anti-inflammatory
- Increased levels of good cholesterol HDL
- Excellent Detoxifier
Nourishing Hub Maqui Berry Raw Superfood Cheesecake
So here it is – filled with antioxidants from the maqui berry powder and blueberries + packed full of nutrients rich ingredients.
Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Vegan, Dairy Free, Raw, Delicious
Maqui Powder can easily be added to smoothies, chia puddings, desserts or sweet treats.
