Maqui Berry Fruit - The World's Wonder Fruit

The Maqui berry fruit is considered nowadays as the world's newest medical marvel. It is widely known as the fruit with the highest level of antioxidants, surpassing that of even the Acai berry. When this wonder fruit was discovered by scientists in the tropical rain forests of equatorial Chile, they didn't realize the potential of this fruit. The only thing that they knew was that this rare and exotic fruit has been used by the Mapuche Indians of Chile for a long time. The natives claimed this fruit to have curative and strengthening powers, and there's plenty of reasons to believe the claims since they are backed up by scientific research.

One of the tests done on the Maqui berry was the ORAC or the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity test. This test measures the amount of antioxidants which are present in the fruit's frozen pulp. Scientists have tested several fruits against this test, but the Maqui berry reigns supreme as the berry with the highest level of antioxidants. With the benefits you gain from a small amount of antioxidants, just think of what this wonder berry could provide! Since it is pretty much brimming and exploding with antioxidants, when you eat a hundred grams of this fruit, you get an amount of 27,600. That value is much higher than the Acai berry's which is at 16,700 per 100 grams.

The Maqui berry fruit is one of the best dietary supplements as it is very, very rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants are important for the body for the fact that they help eliminate and flush out the toxins and harmful chemicals. They are also good at fixing and repairing the body cells and

About the Maqui Berry

For a long time, people interested in maintaining a slim figure, have looked towards various medications made out of herbal extracts. Of late a new entrant has entered this field. Maqui berry is found in the Patagonia region of Chile as is slated to become one of the largest and one of the world’s most successful weight loss supplements of the world. Few people had any inkling about this berry from Chile which is also known as Aristotelia till it was mentioned by TV celebrity Rachael Ray during the course of one of her shows.

Since then, the interest of the people in this evergreen liliaceous shrub, which grows in the shaded woods in the mountains of Chile, has increased by leaps and bounds. This berry grows in wilderness and is not cultivated. It is plucked and eaten fresh or preserved for later consumption. The extract of this berry also contains a red colored pigment which is used for coloring wines. As a matter of fact, maqui berry is fast replacing elderberries for the purpose of wine colorization in France. This point is substantiated by the fact that nearly 315.705 kilos of this berry was imported by France in 1887… way up from 500 kilos imported in 1884.

The Mapuches Indians are consuming the fruits and stems of this plant for curing various ailments. According to the reports of a research conducted by Brunswick laboratories, maqui berry contains the highest level of antioxidants amongst all fruits. The antioxidants contained in this berry boast of an extra molecule of oxygen that help combat the free radical way before it can do any harm to the human system. Though our body is self sufficient and generates its own supply of antioxidants, the stress and strain of life combined with the aging process outputs more amount of free radicals than they can combat efficiently.

For those who do not know, these antioxidants are responsible for combating inflammation and oxidative stress and the resultant cell damage. Of late, aristotelia maqui has been offered for sale in London by the name of maqui berries. These berries, the extracts of which are also used to color wines, are now being made available for their medicinal properties. It is quite easy to differentiate these berries from other berries because of their coloring properties.

If anyone wets these berries and rubs them on paper, a purple stain will be formed on the paper. The fruit of the maqui berries are similar in size to that of khamnus cathartica and also look like black pepper. On examining the fruit one will observe that it comprises of four sections each of which contains a small triangular seed. Many people are fooled and consider the maqui berries to be buckthorn berries, but the lack of adherent calyx differentiates maqui berry from the buckthorn berries. Be prepared to give your health with the extracts of this berry from Chile which is making its presence felt in a big way.

Maqui Berries used for Coloring Wine

Wines are not just recognized by their age, but also by their flavor and what is most important, their color. Throughout the ages, humankind has used many types of colors, both natural and synthetic for coloring wine. While the synthetic colors serve their purpose quite well and are suitable for coloring wine, it is preferable that natural colors are used for wine coloring. Just search the net and you will find that there are many natural wine coloring agents that are used by leading breweries and distilleries for coloring wine.

If you observe carefully, you will also find the name maqui berries present in the list of natural coloring agents that are used for wine coloring. This berry has been available for a long time in the shady mountainous regions of Chile and is popular among wineries as the preferred choice for coloring wine. Take some maqui berries and moisten them with water. Now rub them on a piece of paper and you will observe that a deep violet colored smear visible on the paper. This natural coloring agent, present in maqui berries is being used more and more by wineries all over the world for the sole purpose of coloring their liquor products.

This common Chilean shrub has long been consumed by the natives of that country either freshly plucked or preserved for later consumption. Maqui berries belong to linden (Tiliaceat) group of shrubs and boasts of a fiber rich inner bark which is used for manufacturing the famous Russian mats. The fiber obtained from this berry is also used in Chili for the manufacture of cordage. Wines that are colored using the extracts of maqui berries display a mild violet color that also serves the purpose of enhancing the appeal of the wine.

Most wine aficionados who drink wine colored by maqui berries are not aware of the antioxidant properties of these berries. The oxidants present in the extracts of maqui berries serve a dual purpose when they are used for wine coloring. Not only do they impart a vibrant and rich color to the wine, the antioxidant properties also increase the shelf life of the wine. Many wineries across the world are nowadays importing maqui berries for their colorant properties, with France leading the rest of the countries. In fact, the popularity of the color of the maqui berries can be gauged by the fact that these berries have been able to replace elderberries that were previously used as a coloring agent for wines manufactured in France.