Is Acai Berry Beneficial To You or Is It Just Another Hyped-Up Super Fruit?

By Benjamin Waters


Acai berries are small dark purple berries that are as about as big as a small grape. The Acai Palm tree in Brazil bears this delicious fruit.

When you first taste them, they have an after-taste like cranberries. If you enjoy eating raspberries as well, you will like acai berries.

The Acai Palm tree naturally thrives in the swamps and floodplains of Brazil. The soil there is moist, well-drained, and acidic. This is why it bears such good fruit.

This tree brings forth purple flowers that are small. These small purple flowers grow in clusters. After the flowers grow and mature, green fruits emerge and grow into bunches.

Before the natives can enjoy these delicious berries, they must wait 4-5 years before fruit is born from the Acai Palm. The acai berry has a diameter of one inch with one seed inside. When the berries become a purple dark hue, they are ripe for the pickings.

Acai berries are a rich source of nutrients and the natives of Brazil have been taking full advantage of this for centuries. Not only do they taste good but they are also used to treat different skin conditions.

Tea is brewed from the acai seeds to bring a fever down. Menstrual pain and diabetes are treated by boiling the acai root and eaten.

The Power of Antioxidants

The dark purple color that acai berries have come from naturally occurring compounds called anthocyanins. These same compounds also give other colorful plants their purple, red, and blue colors.

Anthocyanins are not only the coloring crayon for plants but they also function the same way as antioxidants do.

Vegetables and fruits are a rich source of antioxidants because they are plant-based foods. Antioxidants help to get rid of damaged cells that can cause you harm, such as aging prematurely and cancer-causing cells.

A testing method that is often used by the Department of Agriculture called ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) was originally formulated in the U.S. ORAC measures the absorbent capacity of oxygen radicals in foodstuffs.

ORAC works by measuring the level of antioxidant activity in the food we eat, mainly the ingredients. An ORAC number that is favorable has a high reading from that particular food.

When acai berries were tested using the ORAC method, they returned the highest ORAC value than any other fruit or vegetable at the time this article was written.

Acai berries leave blueberries and red wine in the dust when it comes to the amount of anthocyanins and antioxidants. They have 2x as many antioxidants as blueberries and 30x more anthocyanins as red wine has!

They also are a rich source of vitamins B1, B3, B2, E, and C. These berries are nutrient rich with potassium, phosphorous, fiber, calcium, and proteins. These vitamins and nutrients are very much needed by our bodies if we are going to remain healthy.

Vitamin C is needed to strengthen our immune system, promote excellent eye and heart health; and it helps to prevent premature aging. Some vitamin C rich foods are mangoes, cabbage, oranges, and potatoes.

Acai berries fight against the aging process by producing new collagen proteins deep within the dermis layer of the skin, which lies underneath the epidermis, which is the top layer of your skin. Acai berries also have other potent nutrients that help to protect your skin from UV damage. The effects of UV light exposure on your skin can lead to skin wrinkling and premature aging.

Added Benefits

Phytosterols are also compounds that naturally occur in acai berries. Plants produce these compounds to remain turgid and healthy.

Phytosterols in humans inhibit the intestines from the absorption of cholesterol. This is how acai berries help us to lose weight and raise our HDLs. Acai berries are also used by the cosmetics industry to provide better and healthier skin care products.

For example, acai berry powder is being used in some facial treatments to naturally fight against premature aging. This is a growing field of study to harness the many health benefits of the acai berry.

Women who have problems with skin wrinkling and acne have noticed younger and more beautiful skin while using acai powder. Moreover, more research still needs to be done to see what other hidden secrets the acai berry has to offer.




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