The tiny, little acai berry can offer you an abundance of health benefits. It is jam-packed with antioxidants, essential fatty acids and amino acids. It is also delicious with a taste similar to a cross between a grape, a blueberry and a raspberry or maybe even berries dipped in dark chocolate.
The acai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) berry is one of the healthiest nutritional discoveries of this century. It has one of the highest antioxidant capacities of any food, a synergistic combination of healthy fats and next to perfect essential amino acid complex. Even so, it is rather rare as it can only be found in the Amazon rainforest.
An antioxidant is a molecule capable of slowing or preventing the oxidation of other molecules. While oxidation is imperative to life, it can also damage our cells, which can lead to premature aging, many diseases and even being overweight. This is why nature has given us so many nutritious foods that are loaded with antioxidants. The acai berry has some of the highest antioxidant levels of any food on the planet.
Food can be measured by antioxidant capacity. This measurement is termed ORAC, or Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. The acai berry has 10 x the ORAC as red grapes, 2 times the ORAC of blueberries and even 10 to 30 times that of red wine. In fact, the acai berry has the highest ORAC of any other berry found so far.
The acai berry also contains essential fatty acids. The fatty acid content of the acai berry is high in monounsaturated oleic acid, similar to olive oil. Oleic acid is crucial because it makes the cell membranes more supple. This helps all of the hormone, neurotransmitters and insulin receptors throughout our bodies’ work more effectively. Excessive insulin levels have beenassociated with numerous diseases, the most common of course, being diabetes, but also cardiovascular diseases and metabolic syndrome, which is believed to be a factor in obesity and other maladies.
Research on the acai berry is proving that it is a dietary powerhouse, even a superfood. Superfood is a term coined to describe a food with a high phytonutrient content that is believed to offer health benefits as a result.
The acai berry is proving to be advantageous in weight loss, the prevention of age-related decline, and the prevention of diseases.
The acai berry is extremely perishable so it is not available throughout the world as a fresh fruit but only in its processed forms, like juice or supplements.
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