The Amazing Acai Berry: A Super Antioxidant
This Amazon rainforest berry tastes like a chocolate and berry concoction (think black forest cake without the sugar) and is a staple of Indian tribe diets. The most popular of the exotic fruits, thanks to Oprah and Dr. Perricone, acai can be found at your local smoothie shop, in the freezer section or refrigerated juice aisle of natural food stores or in a capsule as a dietary supplement. Like any extract, acai berry extract increases the benefits of the berry by getting a large volume into a small package. Research has shown that acai berries have more antioxidant power than cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries or blueberries.
This is a good thing according to two studies in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry that found acai to exhibit an extremely high antioxidant capacity proving that it may prove to have significant health benefits. The first report found that freeze-dried acai fruit pulp or skin powder had the highest free-radical fighting properties of any fruit or vegetable tested for the compounds to date. In addition, acai was found to be a potential cycloxygenase, as known as COX inhibitor, which means that it has some of the same properties as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Celebrex that are prescribed to ease arthritis inflammation. How can a berry have such inflammation-killer instincts? The current theory is that acai’s antioxidants, even when consumed in low doses, are able to enter our cells in a fully functional form that enables them to quench oxygen.
In the second study, researchers found that acai’s antioxidant prowess may come mainly from the phytochemicals anthocyanins and their relatives as well as other flavonoids. Anthocyanins give fruits and vegetables their red, blue and purple hues and help the body fight off inflammation. Resveratrol—known for help dilate blood vessels, reduced triglyceride levels and LDL cholesterol levels, and lower oxidative stress in the body by altering fat metabolism, oxidative stress and inflammatory markers—was found in acai but at low concentrations.
That’s not all: These are not the only compounds that give this berry its superfood status. Fatty acids are also found in acai. In fact, oleic acid (53.9%) and palmitic acid (26.7%) were found to be the two dominant fatty acids in this fruit. An April 2005 study in the journal Chest found that oleic acid helps your heart function more efficiently. Nineteen amino acids were found to makeup 7.59% of the berry; thus providing you with the building blocks needed for healthy muscles. In addition, the body’s digestive system can benefit from the fruit’s fiber even though this may or may not be carried over into an extract.
Ultimately, adding acai to your diet will feed your body antioxidants readying your cells for any free-radicals that may invade. There may also be benefits to the fatty acids found in your heart, keeping it physically powerful, your muscle’s amino acids making them stronger and your digestive system allowing it to stay regular.
