Sunday, January 11, 2009

The TRUTH about Acai Berry

By Bob Parkins

The most powerful antioxidant on earth is the Acai berry.

Acai (ah-sigh-EE), is a fruit of the palm berry plant, and has been reported to contain more antioxidants than red wine, while boasting 10 times the antioxidant benefits of grapes and 2x that of blueberries and has a beguiling berry-like flavor and a strong chocolate overtone.

Acai berry is basically a POWERFUL antioxidant, and many television shows, including Oprah, have praised it for the natural remedy it offers to various problems (specifically weight loss).

Acai has been used for many generations by the natives of Brazil. Acai is a Brazilian berry original from the Amazon Region that is considered to be one of nature's most complete and healthy foods. Acai berries are produced by a palm tree known scientifically as Euterpe oleracea, common in floodplain areas of the Amazon River. Acai only grows in the Amazon Rainforest and is very perishable.

Acai users report the Following Health Benefits:

Weight loss

Relieves arthritis pain

Helps to clear skin of warts

Reduces the occurrence of seizures

Helps to reduce physical injuries & speed up recovery

Helps stabilize normal blood sugar levels

Helps improve patients suffering from leukemia

Fights general depression

Helps Improve Strength

Is an extremely powerful free radical fighter

High levels of fibers

Cleanses and detoxifies the body of infectious toxins

Strengthens your immune system

Enhances sexual desire and performance

Fights cancerous cells

Slows down the aging process

Makes your skin look youngr and healthier

Alleviates diabetes

Normalizes and regulates cholesterol levels

Helps maintain healthy heart function

Minimizes inflammation

Improves circulation

Prevents arthrosclerosis

Enhances visual acuity

In a study of three populations in the Amazon region of Brazil, Aa palm was described as the most important plant species of the region. Acai makes up a major component of diet (up to 42% of the total food intake by weight) and is economically valuable in the region .

Beverages containing Aa are more popular than milk in the southern hemisphere. The juice and pulp of Aa fruits (Euterpe oleracea) are frequently used in various juice blends, smoothies, sodas, and other beverages. In northern Brazil, Aa (or jussara, which is one of the fruit's common folk names) is traditionally served in gourds called "cuias" with tapioca and, depending on the local preference, can be consumed either salty or sweet (sugar, rapadura and honey are known to be used in the mix). Several companies now manufacture juices, health drinks, yogurts, and sorbets made from Aa berries.

As the high fat content of Aa indicates it would deteriorate rapidly after harvest, its raw material is generally available outside the immediate growing region only as juice or fruit pulp that has been frozen or processed as a pulp powder or freeze-dried powder. .

NBC's Today did a feature story on Aa in 2004, and more recently researchers at the University of Florida tested the attributes of Aa to discover it actually destroyed cultured leukemia cells. Acai's high vitamin C content also relieves symptoms of asthma according to the University of Florida News.

There have never been any reported side effects to taking Aa in any form.

The Bottom Line on Acai While the claims made about Acai often seem too good to be true, this may be one case where the old adage proves wrong. - 14915

About the Author:

No comments: