The acai berry is a small, little fruit that is only grown in the rainforests of Brazil. What makes this little berry so amazing is that it has been discovered that the acai berry has some of the highest antioxidant and anthocyanins levels of any fruit found on Earth. The acai berry has 10 times the antioxidant level of red grapes and twice the antioxidant levels of another powerful fruit, the blueberry. The acai berry also boasts 10 to 30 times the antioxidant levels of red wine.
The acai berry contains several specific substances with high antioxidant activity called anthocyanins and flavonoids. The anthocyanins are responsible for the deep red, purple and blue colors that are found in many healthy foods. Foods that are high in anthocyanins are exceptionally nutritious and they are usually very deeply colored from deep reds to deep purples to almost black. This would include blueberries, red grapes, and plums and of course, the acai berry.
Stress creates unstable atoms and molecules in the body that are called free radicals. A free radical can be described as a molecule or atom that has a single unpaired electron. An antioxidant such as anthocyanins and flavonoids will pair up the random electron and thereby neutralize the molecule. Both anthocyanins and flavonoids are strong antioxidants that protect the body from free radicals and other stessors.
Antioxidant capacity is classified by a number referred to as an ORAC score. An ORAC score measures the capability of a substance to neutralize free radicals in a test tube. The higher the number of the ORAC scores the stronger the antioxidant properties of the substance being tested. The acai berry has an extremely high ORAC score. Many of the products made with the acai berry have retained this high ORAC capacity.
Surprisingly for a fruit, the acai berry is also loaded with essential fatty acids which are crucial to good health and amino acids which are the building blocks of proteins. Nearly half of the edible portion of the acai berry is comprised of fat and 74% of that fat is the unsaturated healthy fats Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9. The acai berry is also composed of 19 different amino acids.
There is an abundance of vitamins and plant sterols contained in the acai berry. Plant sterols are reputed to provide a number of health benefits. Vitamins have long been known to be crucial to our health. The acai berry contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C and E along with plenty of the minerals calcium, magnesium, copper, potassium and zinc.
Even with all of these astounding health benefits one of the nicest things about the acai berry is that it tastes delicious and it provides a substantial dose of fiber. Acai berry products range from dried berries to a delicious juice and even various products made from the extract. Acai berries can be used in desserts, smoothies and more.
Research will continue to be conducted on the acai berry but the discoveries so far have been pretty astounding. The acai berry can aid in weight loss and the protection against diseases. The acai berry offers tremendous nutritional benefits that are advantageous to human health.