The Acai berry fruit is native to Central and South America, from Belize southward to Brazil and Peru. It is known by the natives as “içá-çai”, which means “fruit that cries.” These palms thrive mainly in swamps and floodplains. This is probably the reason why they have been ignored by urban dwellers until now. The berry itself is a small drupe, roughly the size of an ordinary grape. It is dark purple in color, and has a large seed. The Acai palm bears fruit twice a year, and the fruit is harvested by people for food. When consumed, the berry leaves a slight hint of bitter after taste, which resembles that of chocolate. It can be prepared in many different ways and is therefore convenient for consumption.
Acai Berry as a Potent Antioxidant
Among all the reported benefits the Acai berry, the antioxidant properties are given the most attention. This unique property can be attributed to active biologic compounds found in the Acai berry particularly in its pulp. These compounds include anthocyannins, flavanoid-like compounds, as well as proanthocyanidins and resveratrol. All these are potent antioxidants that can rid the body of harmful toxins and free radicals. The body produces oxygen free radicals that destroy and damage healthy cells. Healthy body cells translate to a healthy body as a whole. High levels of antioxidants also enable the body to fight off disease and infections as well as help people attain higher energy and endurance level. This is particularly helpful as we go through the rigors of everyday living in today’s fast paced world.
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This antioxidant property of the acai berry is backed by solid scientific evidence. The Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity (ORAC) assay is a test developed for the USDA to measure the antioxidant speed and power of foods and supplements. Studies suggest that for the average person to cope with all the reactive oxygen that the body encounters everyday, food and beverages totaling an ORAC value of about 1,670 per day are needed. It’s been estimated that at least 80-90 percent of the world’s population is unable to consume even half of this required daily level. At 3,800 ORAC value per gram, Acai is regarded to be extremely high on the ORAC scale and provides levels several times that of other anthocyanin-rich fruits and vegetables, such as cherries, cranberries and mulberries.
Recent studies have also demonstrated that blood antioxidant capacity starts to peak within two hours of consuming Acaí berry. This is goes to show how much benefits you can reap for your body if you take Acai on a regular basis.
Acai Berry for Enhanced Blood Circulation
Poor circulation can lead to a multitude of medical conditions such as clotting abnormalities and arteriosclerosis. Arteriosclerosis is a disease wherein the walls of blood vessels harden and become less elastic. Anthocyannins and phytosterols present in Acai in huge amounts hold the key to address this problem. Together, they efficiently protect against low density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation. These LDLs are also called bad cholesterol because they adhere to blood vessel walls and clump together forming what is called a plaque. This obscures the flow of blood and becomes more dangerous when they detach from the blood vessel wall and go with the bloodflow. When this happens the plaque is now termed an ambolus. This is potentially dangerous when the embolus reaches smaller vessels with smaller diameter as it may completely block the vessel and impede blood flow. This particularly happens in the brain resulting to cerebrovascular accident or stroke. Anthocyanins maintain the integrity of the endothelial cells that line blood vessel walls in order to prevent the plaque from forming.
Acai as an Aid for Good Digestion
Just like most berries, Acai berries are also a healthy source of natural fiber which is beneficial for the cardiovascular system, digestive tract, and colon health. The freeze dried Acai powder contains 14 grams of fiber in every 100 grams of pulp. This is relatively high and may help lower blood cholesterol and promotes a healthy digestive system.
Acai for a Healthy Heart
Acai berry is packed with essential fatty acids. About 50% of the fruit is fat with 74% unsaturated fats such as Omega 3, Omega 6 (Linoleic Acid) and Omega 9 (Oleic Acid). Around 60% Omega 9 helps lower LDL (bad cholesterol) while maintaining HDL (good cholesterol) levels.
The renowned research regarding the “French Paradox” implicates anthocyanins as being the antioxidant that protects the French from heart disease. The French are generally known to consume food and beverages that are largely reputed to be bad for the heart and yet they have a very low rate of heart disease compared to citizens of their neighboring countries. It is believed that red wine is responsible for this low incidence of heart disease among the people in France. The secret is the anthocyannins present in red wine but it is important to note that while red wine wine has good quantities of anthocyanins, the Acai berry has been shown to contain up to 30 times the anthocyanins levels of red wine. No other fruit can make a similar claim.
Acai Berry as an Excellent Source of Vitamins and Minerals
A research conducted by the AIMBR Life Sciences, found that the acai fruit is loaded with vitamins and minerals. These include vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, C, D, E, beta-carotne, boron, calcium, copper, folate, iodine, manganes, magnesium, molybdenum, potassium, selenium and zinc. These are all essential for normal tissue growth and metabolism.
Acai Berry as an Excellent Source of Amino Acids and Protein
In an effort to further unravel the secrets of the acai berry, scientists had discovered and identified 19 different types of amino acids in Acai berry. They also found out that the fruit is contains over 8 grams of protein per 100 gram serving. This translates to healthy muscles as they are primarily made up of amino acids and protein.
Acai as an Aid to Weight Control
Acai berry has become popular in many diet products because it helps the body to process foods more efficiently, burn fat faster making it easier to lose weight. The essential fatty acids enhances weight loss by helping the body to run smoother and helping to maintain a normal metabolism, thus burning more of the excess food that eventually gets turned into fat. Fiber also helps the body to get rid of the excess food before it’s converted to body fat. It also helps to suppress the appetite because the individual’s stomach has a sense of being “full.”
Acai Berry as an Aid to Control Diabetes
Another benefit of acai is its low glycemic index (GI). The glycemic index basically shows the ranking of carbohydrates based how they affect the body’s blood sugar levels. The faster carbohydrates are broken down and digested, the higher the glycemic index. Carbohydrates that breakdown slowly, releasing glucose little by little into the blood stream, have a low glycemic index. Foods that are low in glycemic levels are slow to digest and can be absorbed into the body’s bloodstream. Consequently, they cause the body’s blood sugar and insulin levels to rise slowly. Low glycemic index diets have been shown to improve both glucose and lipid levels in diabetic individuals which also reduces the risk of various complications of diabetes.
Acai Berry as an Aid to Prevent Osteoporosis
Acai contains a significant amount of dietary calcium, the mineral that is the main constituent of bones. Women are at higher risk for developing osteoporosis later in life so their RDA for calcium is higher than men. They can then take Acai supplements to attain the calcium levels required for healthy bones. Calcium also helps to streghten the bones and prevent fractures, which is a common complication of osteoporosis. The bones that are susceptible to fractures are those in the hip, spine and wrist. In women, the decline in calcium levels is more pronounced after menopause that is why they need to increase their daily calcium intake.
Acai Berry as an Aid to Improve Vision
Anthocyanins and other antioxidants such as Vitamin A are thought to improve vision through various mechanisms. In fact, in World War II, British fighter pilots were thought to gain increased night vision through an intake of large amounts of bilberry. The British were correct because vitamin A deficiency typically leads to night blindness or the inability to see clearly at night. A later nutritional analysis attributed the vision improvement to anthocyanins and other antioxidants.
Acai as a Disease Fighter
It is not surprising that the Acai berry, with all its medicinal properties is being recommended and considered for a multitude of diseases. Here are some of them.
Acai berry is a natural anti-depressant due to its positive influence on serotonin levels. It is likewise a natural histamine blocker which helps alleviate some allergies including asthma. It also naturally fights inflammation at the cellular level by inhibiting COX 2 enzymes. This is why the Acai berry is highly recommended to people suffering from arthritis and other inflammatory disorders.
The Acai berry is now being considered in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease as it is rich in vitamins C and E. A recent study reveals that vitamin E can slow the advancement of Alzheimer’s by as much as 25%. Acai is also being extensively studied for its anti-cancer properties. A study in Florida showed that acai prevented the proliferation of leukemia cells in vitro. It has also shown potential to inhibit the rapid growth of cells that trigger breast, lung, liver and colon cancer. It is basically a natural antimutagenic agent that helps prevent DNA damage and lowers the risks associated with carcinogens and mutagens.
Having mentioned all these health benefits and the seemingly limitless medicinal properties of Acai currently under investigation, it would be a good idea to take Acai berry supplements or even incorporate some Acai berries into our daily diet. If you are wanting the health benefits of the fruit you will want a freezed dried supplement that will deliver 100% Acai. Most juices on the market contain very little acai and the bulk of the juice is made up of several different juices that are not exotic. Juices also contain additives and preservatives to give it a longer shelf-life and prevent the juice from going rancid. Getting freezed dried Acai will not leave you second guessing the purity of your supplement.
