Fermented chokeberry products and their possible health effects
What it found
In people, fermented chokeberry products may raise a gut hormone linked to insulin, while animal and lab studies suggest effects on weight, immunity and blood sugar.
The authors say the human evidence is still limited.
What they found
Studies in people
Human trial findings
One 8-week trial in people with type 2 diabetes found that a snack bar with fermented chokeberry pulp raised a gut hormone called glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide and HDL cholesterol, and lowered total cholesterol. Blood pressure, adiponectin and hs-CRP did not change.
Study limits
The human trials had problems with people not sticking to the protocol and inconsistent doses. The authors say these issues need to be fixed in future studies.
Animal and lab studies
Animal study results
In obese mice, fermented chokeberry extract reduced body weight, blood triglycerides, fasting blood glucose and insulin. Other animal studies found effects on the immune system and less inflammation.
Lab test effects
In lab tests on cells, fermented chokeberry products showed antioxidant, anti-diabetes and skin-lightening effects. These were tested in cells and test tubes, not in people.
Other findings
Taste and flavour
Sensory tests found that fermented chokeberry products had diverse flavours and were generally acceptable to tasters. Adding chokeberry juice to drinks and yogurts improved some sensory scores.
Compound changes
Fermentation changed the mix of phenolic compounds in chokeberry. In many products, total phenolic content went up, but in water kefir it went down. The authors say the effect depends on the microorganism used.
What the authors conclude
“Through continuous scientific research, fermented chokeberry products may emerge as functional foods contributing to human health.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say that despite some promising findings in human and animal trials, challenges such as participant adherence and dosing inconsistencies force further protocol improvements.
- They suggest that through continuous scientific research, fermented chokeberry products may emerge as functional foods contributing to human health.
How it was done
Chokeberry is rich in phenolic compounds, but these compounds are poorly absorbed by the body. The authors wanted to see whether fermenting chokeberry could improve absorption and health effects.
The authors searched three databases up to June 2024 for studies on fermented chokeberry products. They included human trials, animal studies and lab experiments that looked at composition, taste and health effects.
What it can’t tell you
- The human evidence comes from a small number of trials, so it cannot show whether fermented chokeberry products work for everyone.
- Animal and lab results cannot be directly applied to people.
- The review cannot say whether fermented chokeberry products are safe or effective in the long term.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
- Authors work at
- Technische Universität Berlin, Germany; "Iuliu Hațieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Romania; University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Romania
The paper
- Title
- Fermented black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott) products - A systematic review on the composition and current scientific evidence of possible health benefits
- Type
- Systematic review
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Frumuzachi O, Rohn S, Mocan A (2024). Fermented black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott) products - A systematic review on the composition and current scientific evidence of possible health benefits. Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.). doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2024.115094Free full textPubMed 39614570DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error