Why is Acai Berry Necessary In Your Everyday Diet?

1. What is Acai Berry?

Acai berry is a special kind of berry, loaded with nutrients and antioxidants. It was found that “antioxidants in acai berries are able to enter human cells and perform oxygen quenching function at very low doeses” (Schauss et al, 2006). It comes from a type of palm tree found in Brazil, native to the Amazon rainforest region. It grows to a height of above 15 meters and produces purple berries.

2. What are the benefits of Acai Berry? 

• Slimming

In a pilot study carried out on obese men and women, it was found that acai berry can help to reduce glucose and insulin levels signifiantly. There was also a reduction in total cholesterol (Udani, 2011)

• Heals

Due to its high nutritional value, Acai can be used to treat various ailments and aids in quicker recovery. It was also found to have anti-inflammatory activities (Kang et al, 2011) and thus may find applications in allergic and autoimmune disorders (Prior et al, 2006)

• Improves Skin and Hair.

 The consumption of Acai berry supplements helps to improve skin’s visual appearance and physiological functions (Gan et al, 2007). It is also found to be an effective cure for hyperpigmentation (Fowler et al, 2010).

• Anti-Aging

Acai berry contains extremely high levels of antioxidants (Kang et al 2010), amino acids and omega fatty acids which help to slow the aging process by boosting immune and metabolic function and removing destructive free radicals from our bodies. Acai berry also has superoxide scavenging (SOD) capacity in blood, which is considered very important in maintaining antioxidant level. The most widely studied SOD from natural source is wheat sprout which ranges from 160 to 500 units/g. In contrast, SOD for acai was 1614 units/g which implies that acai has extremely high scavenging capacity and is by far the highest found in any fruit or vegetable (Schauss, 2006).

• More Vitamins and Minerals than most fruits

Acai contains the vitamins and minerals of fruits, but also boasts a range of unique plant chemical compounds found only in Acai berries. A study by Dr. Stephen Talcott conducted at the University of Florida showed that there are 50-75 yet to be identified active natural compounds in Acai

3. What are the potential side effects?

Some of the side effects are:

• Excessive intake of Acai berries can increase bleeding. This is a very common side effect of some of the herbal organic supplements used for weight loss.
• An ingredient Echinacea can cause some acute liver problems.
• Diarrhea which can be influenced by some of the ingredients of Acai berries.
• Increase of the blood pressure
• It can set off allergies for people who are allergic to pollen .

General advice:

• Pregnant women should check with their doctor before using.
• For supplements, always read the label or ask your doctor before using. 

4. How can I incorporate Acai berry into my daily meals?

Acai berries are typically added to juices and smoothies.   For the powder form, you could sprinkle acai on just about anything, including for example, Seafood, Poultry, Salads, Vegetables, Rice, Porridge, Cereals, Yogurt or Desserts   It can also be incorporated into baking – bread, muffins, cakes.    

5. Who is Acai Berry suitable for?

1. Vegans and Vegetarians – it is an excellent source of protein.
2. People who are Energy deprived / Recovering from illness – Acai berries is an immune-stimulating, healing, energy-boosting fruit.
3. People fighting the signs of aging – Acai berries are extremely high in antioxidants which contribute to an ability to slow or reverse the aging process
4. People who want a healthy heart – ability to lower cholesterol levels in the blood stream.
5. Couples trying to have a baby – It is believed by the Brazlians that Acai is a great sex stimulant and also provides endurance, energy and strength
6. Everyone!

References    

1. Fowler Jr, J. F., Woolery-Lloyd, H., Waldorf, H., & Saini, R. (2010). Innovations in natural ingredients and their use in skin care. Journal of drugs in dermatology: JDD, 9(6 Suppl), S72-81.

 

2. Gan, D., Hines, M., Aravena, J., & Jones, B. (2007). S. Patent Application 11/624,985.

 

3. Kang, J., Li, Z., Wu, T., Jensen, G. S., Schauss, A. G., & Wu, X. (2010). Anti-oxidant capacities of flavonoid compounds isolated from acai pulp (Euterpe oleracea Mart.). Food Chemistry, 122(3), 610-617.

 

4. Kang, J., Xie, C., Li, Z., Nagarajan, S., Schauss, A. G., Wu, T., & Wu, X. (2011). Flavonoids from acai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) pulp and their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Food chemistry, 128(1), 152-157.

 

5. Schauss, A. G., Wu, X., Prior, R. L., Ou, B., Huang, D., Owens, J., … & Shanbrom, E. (2006). Antioxidant capacity and other bioactivities of the freeze-dried Amazonian palm berry, Euterpe oleraceae mart.(acai). Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 54(22), 8604-8610.