Acai Berry (pronunciation : ah-sigh-EE) comes from the same family of fruits like cranberry and blueberry. Acai has been a traditional staple food of Amazon basin tribes for centuries. Acai berry is known to possess immune-stimulating, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.
What Is Acai Berries ?
Acai Berry is a small, dark purple colored fruit that is native to the rain forests of Central and South American countries like Brazil and Peru. The berry is about the size of a grape and tastes somewhat like a combination of chocolate and cranberry.
Acai Berry can be enjoyed in natural, salty or sweet form. It is extensively used in beverages such as smoothies, juices, energy drinks, flavored liqueurs and in food products like yogurts, jelly and ice creams.
Since they become rancid and spoil quickly therefore fresh acai berries are not readily available in most markets.
Benefits Of Acai – Why Acai Berry is Good For Overall Health ?
Acai Berry has very high levels of anti-oxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals that would benefit overall health and fitness.
- Acai berries are extraordinarily rich in Antioxidants and have a ORAC score (Oxygen Radical Absorbency Capacity)of over 3,500 and that is far superior to any other form of fruit that has been officially tested and categorized. This is 10 times more antioxidants than red grapes and 10 to 30 times more antioxidants than red wine. This extraordinary amount of antioxidants that protect the tissues and cells of the body.
Acai Nutrition Information
- Fresh acai berries contain nearly 50 percent fat. Luckily , this fat content is primarily Oleic acid (Omega-9), Linoleic acid (Omega-6) and Omega-3 fatty acids which are heart-healthy fats, essential for the cardiovascular system and proper neurological function . These healthy fatty acids are the same oils that are found in olive oil.
- Among the vitamins, the Carotenoids or Vitamin A is quite abundant in the Acai berry. For example 100 grams of freeze dried acai pulp contains 1002 IU of Vitamin A which fulfills approx. 33% of daily need.
- Acai berry is also a rich source of Amino acids & organic vegetable Protein that is easily processed and transported to the muscles as compared to the regular animal protein.
- Acai berry is a very good source of Dietary Fiber. A bowl of natural acai berries is sufficient for one’s daily requirement of fiber.
- Acai berry has a significant amount of calcium, which can help prevent osteoporosis, especially in women. Calcium helps to strengthen the bones and prevent bone fractures.
- Also present in Acai berries are potassium, magnesium, copper, zinc and several other minerals in trace quantities.
Acai Berry Health Benefits
Acai berry has been an important source of food to the indigenous Caboclo people of the Brazilian Amazon for thousands of years. It still forms an important part of the Amazonian diet today. The acai berry is said to helpful for a variety of health concerns including weight loss, arthritis, high cholesterol, cancer, erectile dysfunction, detoxification and improving overall health.
- Fights Heart Disease : Like red wine, Acai Berries are extremely high in Anthocyanins – a form of plant antioxidant associated with the ability to lower cholesterol levels in the blood stream. It is also rich in heart healthy fatty acids like Omega-9 and Omega-6 . These compounds help reduce LDL-cholesterol level and raise good HDL-cholesterol levels in the body and thus help prevent heart disease.
- Slows Down Aging : Acai berry have anti-aging effect due to presence of high level of anthocyanins and strong antioxidant nutrient content. Free radicals are produced in humans as the body ages. These harmful free radicals tend to destroy the healthy body cells and initiates the process of aging. Antioxidants help eliminate the free radicals from the body and help in halting or slowing down the aging process.
- Helps Fight Cancer : A Study at the University of Florida discovered that acai berries caused human cancer cells to self destruct 86% of the time. While this research has only been shown in a cell culture model, it is likely that it will have the same effect on human beings. Consumption of Antioxidants rich food is one of the best ways to lower the risk of getting cancer.
- Cleansing and Detoxification : The high fiber in content can also help to prevent colon cancer and improve the digestion process. The fiber in the acai berry helps in removal of harmful toxins from the digestive track and intestines.
- Improves Healthy Skin : Acai berry is rich in vitamins and minerals like phytosterols, vitamins E, manganese, chromium, copper, boron which helps to keep skin healthy. Skin conditions such as acne, psoriasis and eczema show improvement. Historically, Brazilians have effectively used acai berries to treat digestive disorders and skin conditions.
- Increased Stamina And Energy : One of the most significant benefit of acai berry is that besides providing carbohydrates and nutrition, it helps in increasing stamina and energy levels. There have been 19 different amino acids found in Acai berries. Amino Acids are the building block of protein. It’s regular intake in any form aids in strengthening immune system and boosting body’s ability to fight infections and disease.
- Relieves Arthritis
- Increased Resistance To Disease Like Flu And Fever
- Improved Cholesterol Ratios And Increased Blood Circulation
- Helpful In Curing Erectile Dysfunction
Acai Side Effects
Acai Berry is a natural and safe fruit from the Amazon rain-forests. In case of juice, pulp or any dietary supplement do take notice of the proposed serving and also try to not eat more than is proposed. Over-consumption of any kind of food is not advisable.
- If you are allergic to fruits like blueberries or cranberries, then Acai Berry may be not suitable for you.
- Acai is also not advisable for people who have pollen allergies.
- There have been some reported cases of loss of appetite but have not been confirmed so far by any studies.
- Pregnant or Breast feeding women can have natural fruit or juice in moderation but any sort of acai dietary supplement is not advisable without first consulting with the doctor.
Herbs like Acai Berry , when taken along with a sensible diet and exercise plan may help you to reach your health goals faster. Markets are flooded with acai berry pills, acai berry powder, acai berry tablets and various other dietary supplements. Instead of acai supplement, it is preferable to consume raw, juice, pulp or puree form of Acai Berry.