Is This Highly Concentrated, Energy-Rich Berry The New Acai Berry?

The Nordic redcurrant, known for its rich supply of polyphenols — micronutrients that possess antioxidant properties that help prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease — is being harnessed by a Danish company called Asiros, whose goal is to introduce highly-concentrated redcurrant as a healthful food supplement.

The powder, named Ribetril, is a concentrated form of the active compound Ribetril A, a polyphenol found only in select berries in the Ribes genus, a member of gooseberry family. Among its benefits touted by Asiros are the promises of increased energy, and "mitochondrial benefits."

According to FoodNavigator, Ribetril is already sold in Denmark in a product called MitoActive, which offers "counteraction of tiredness and fatigue." The product is targeted at "athletes seeking improved performance and recovery, as well as general consumers seeking more energy on a daily basis."

Asiros is currently accumulating "human data," in an effort to gain wider acceptance of Ribetril.