The Acai Berry (pronounced ah-sigh-EE) is often called a "Superfood" due to it's due to it's dense nutritional qualities and numerous health benefits. But what exactly are Acai berries?

The Acai fruit only grows high atop a plant in the Amazon basin of South America and the locals have known about it for centuries where it's known for it's legendary health benefits and healing powers. However, only recently has the rest of the world become aware of this almost magical fruit. Although it was used by health insiders previously it was really brought to our attention originally due largely in part to anti-aging expert and doctor, Dr. Nicolas Perricone who was featured on the Oprah Winfrey show,now other Hollywood celebrities have also begun to endorse it.

One of the reasons the Acai Berry remained almost unknown was because the potency of the fruit deteriorates rapidly and loses it's powerful properties soon after it's harvested, thus exporting Acai berries was not feasible until lately. Modern technology has provided the solution with better harvesting techniques, pasteurizing and flash freezing they're able to preserve most of the vitamins and nutrients in the form of supplements and Acai berry juice. Acai berry supplements are now commonly found in health food stores and supermarkets in the form of pills, extracts, powders, etc.

Recently many of the individuals and marketer's tend to enhance the effectiveness of the acai berry elevating it to possess almost supernatural powers. Well it's considered a superfood, and is 100% natural, but...

The Acai Berry - What Exactly Does It Do?

There's been no long term research studies yet, however one should keep in mind that the Acai berry really hasn't been around long enough (outside of South America) to be brought to our attention and do any research on it's effects on the human body until recently. But the initial research shows a very positive effect on cardiovascular disease, anti-aging, cancer and weight loss. The studies conducted at the University of Florida and Science Daily looks very positive.

What we do know is that berries in general are very good for you, however this little berry ounce for ounce is one of the most densely nutritious and powerful foods available while providing numerous healthy benefits. The acai berry is packed with antioxidant's, vitamins, essential fatty acids and dietary fiber and has a cholesterol lowering effect and helps to maintain a healthy heart. This becomes a bigger issue as the human body weakens with age, after decades of build up disease starts to attack the body as it gets weaker.

Health Benefits of Acai fruit may include:

anti-aging protection
protection against cardiovascular heart disease
protection against degenerative diseases such as and cancer
helps to keep arteries from hardening
increased energy levels and vitality
increased immune system to ward off colds, flu and other diseases
healthier looking skin
improved vision
improved blood circulation
better sleep
enhanced weight loss

What are the health benefits of acai berry?

Acai Berry Cardiovascular Protection

Ounce for ounce it would be difficult to find comparable foods that provides the health benefits, acai is densely packed with vitamins and nutrients. The antioxidant's in acai berries helps to improve the cardiovascular health by helping to maintain a healthy heart and lowering cholesterol. The acai berry is packed with phytonutrients and anthocyanins and has 10 - 30 times the antioxidant levels as grapes or red wine.

Antioxidant's help to protect the body against the damages caused by everyday life (pollution, foods, etc.) and age. The body produces oxygen free radicals that destroy and damage the cells in your body, antioxidant's help to counteract the damaging effects, thus slowing down the aging process among other things. Free radicals have been linked to cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other diseases.

Oxygen free radicals and saturated fats cause plaque to form on artery walls blocking the blood flow, this usually happens over time as we age, normally this takes place over decades. But when it does happen it stops the blood flow and the result is a heart attack or stroke. Approximately 750,000 people in the United States suffer heart attacks and strokes a year, and about 1/3 of them die or remain permanently disabled. Eastern countries tend to have a much lower heart attack and stroke victims, Western technology - fast foods, junk foods, saturated fats, trans fat, etc. promotes unhealthy eating habits.

In one of the early research studies involving people, the acai berry diet has proven it's ability to be absorbed in the human body when consumed as juice and pulp. Blood and urine samples at 12 and 24 hours after consumption showed a significant increase in antioxidant activity in the blood. Both acai pulp and acai juice showed significant absorption of antioxidant anthocyanins into the blood and antioxidant effects.

Essential Fatty Acids in Acai

The acai berry also contains an abundance of the essential fatty acids omega 3 and omega 6 which the body needs to function normally. I know it sounds bad, but it isn't. These fatty acids help to lower the bad cholesterol (LDL) while raising the good cholesterol (HDL) and helps in maintaining a healthy heart and preventing strokes and other potential health problems.

It's also high in dietary fiber of which most people don't get enough of. Fiber isn't digested by the human body so it just passes right through the body and is excreted as waste. However, cholesterol, excess food and other toxins attaches itself to the fiber as it passes through the body and takes the bad stuff right along with it as well, thus the cholesterol lowering effect.

Acai Berry Weight Loss

Acai berries also has become popular in many weight loss and diet products because it helps your body to process foods better and burn fat more efficiently in turn making it easier to lose weight. The essential fatty acids enhances the weight loss by helping the body to run smoother and helping to maintain a normal metabolism, thus burning more of the excess food that eventually gets turned into fat. And the fiber also helps the body to get rid of the excess food before it's converted to body fat. Also both the fats and the fiber helps to suppress the appetite.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't just an acai thing. Many of these vitamins and nutrients can be found in other foods and supplements as well, however you'd be hard pressed to find it all combined into one food like the acai fruit. Plus it's 100% natural.

The acai berry is a potentially powerful food, however you should understand that much of the potency of the fruit may have been destroyed in the processing or commercialization. Personally I've found that the acai supplements found at health food stores tend to have more of the vitamins and nutrients preserved, while those found on supermarket shelves tend to be more commercialized and much of the nutrients being destroyed by processing. Some acai berry juices have been watered down or have added sugars (fructose, sucrose, glucose, artificial sweeteners, etc.) added to them. Acai tastes kind of "tangy" or sour, commercial brands sometimes tend to add a little something to make it sweeter.

Store bought blends, smoothies, fruit drinks and acai blended with other fruits have the acai name, but isn't as good for you as acai preserved as close to natural as possible. The thing to keep in mind also is that the effects will vary. If for instance you live a healthy lifestyle and already eat healthy and nutritious meals, you probably won't see a significant difference, it's not a magic pill. However, if your diet lacks some of these vitamins and nutrients it could make a big difference in your health and lifestyle.

The health benefits of the acai berry are numerous, and it has some very positive weight loss qualities. If you've ever wondered does acai help you to lose weight or what are the health benefits of acai give it a try today and see what everyone's raving about, from normal everyday people to famous Hollywood celebrities.

Adam Clark
June 01, 2009

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adam_Clark

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