Maqui berry’s health benefits have been studied by different researchers across time and all have come to one conclusion: maqui berry extract is a powerful antioxidant. It is common knowledge that fruits and vegetables are significant health boosters and must be included in our diets always. Maqui berry is one such example because it has been proven to have useful health benefits. Whilst many health benefits of many plants are not evidence-based, those of Maqui berry have been studies widely.

It is important to note that under normal circumstances, our bodies produce many free radicals (oxidants or oxidative agents) that are harmful to our cells and are linked to many non-communicable diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, obesity, and respiratory disorders among others.

That is why our bodies need antioxidants that offer our bodies a buffer against the free toxic radicals produced during the normal metabolic process. The health benefits of maqui berry are highly dependent on their antioxidative activity.

Maqui berries, purple-black berries that are dominantly found in Chile and Argentina, are rich in anthocyanins.  What are anthocyanins? These are a type of flavonoids that give Maqui berries their red-purple color. Flavonoids, such as anthocyanins are good antioxidants. To delve in further, of all anthocyanins, the delphinidins have the most potent anti-oxidative group. They anthocyanins found in Maqui berries are rich in delphinidins and that is why maqui berry extract is considered a powerful antioxidant and this has been evidenced by numerous studies on maqui berries.

Maqui berry extracts have been found to have blood-glucose-lowering effects, boost tear fluid production, or simply help in minimizing oxidative stress on the body. The delphinidins exclusively found in maqui berry extract have been found to decrease platelet activity and therefore vital in improving blood circulation.  This makes maqui berry extract a vital supplement for people with stroke or poor blood circulation disorders.

In addition, respiratory disorders such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, asthma, cystic fibrosis, emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have been found to cause high pulmonary oxidative stress and inflammatory processes similar to those caused by smoking.

Epidemiological studies suggest that a high intake of fruits and vegetables exerts health-promoting effects on lung injury and function, probably due to the abundance of vitamins and polyphenols with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, or mitochondrial regulatory properties in these foodstuffs.

This is also supported by the fact that deficiencies in antioxidant vitamins are frequently described in patients suffering from respiratory diseases while intervention studies indicate that vitamin supplementation might improve their health state.

On the other hand, flavonoid-rich diets are negatively associated with chronic cough and it has been shown that apple intake, as well as that of red wine, decreases the risk of asthma. Though experimental studies indicate that polyphenol administration improves lung injury in animal models, no intervention studies about this matter were carried out in humans.

One study has found that maqui berry extract has a high concentration of polyphenols and the anthocyanins delphinidin and cyaniding. The health benefits of maqui berry have been exploited for a long time in Chile and Argentina owing to the berry’s antioxidative activity. Maqui has been traditionally used in Chilean folk medicine for its antidiarrheic, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic properties; extracts of this berry are actually commercialized as nutraceuticals, mainly based on their high antioxidant activity.

Maqui also improved hyperglycemia and insulin resistance in obese mice fed a high-fat diet, probably through the modulation of glucose metabolism in the skeletal muscle and liver.

The health benefits of maqui extract at this level are associated with how it normalizes IL-6 (a type of cell messenger that promotes inflammatory responses) and H₂O₂ (free radicals) concentrations in exhaled breath condensates (EBCs) from humans with mild smoking habits. These findings suggest that dietary polyphenols, which are domain in maqui extract, might be considered as an interesting alternative for the dietary management of respiratory disorders.

To sum up, maqui berry extract is rich in antioxidants of the delphinidin and cyaniding. By offering a high antioxidant activity, maqui berry extract helps lower the risk of chronic diseases such as respiratory disorders, eye disorders, cardiovascular disorders, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. The antioxidative effect is vital in the motion of eye health eyes are at a high risk of oxidative stress.

Maqui berry and Weight Loss

Because of a high concentration of polyphenols, maqui berry is effective in weight reduction. Polyphenols promote weight loss by reducing calorie intake, stimulating fat breakdown, and boosting the growth of friendly gut bacteria.

These are the reasons why you need to maqui berry extract in your diet. You can review our recommended brand of maqui berry drink and tabs.