Posted by
acaiberry on Saturday, September 19, 2009 1:14:41 PM
acai berry
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 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, pastuerizing 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 marketers 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 intial 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 antioxidants, 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 anti-oxidents 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 acai berry acai berry acai berry acai berry acai berry
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berry acai berry acai berry acai berry and has 10 - 30 times the
antioxidant levels as grapes or
red wine.
Antioxidents 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, antioxidants help to counteract the damaging effects, thus
slowing down the aging process among other things. Free radicals have
been acai berry acai berry acai berry acai berry acai berry acai berry
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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 acai berry acai berry acai berry acai berry
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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 acai berry acai berry acai berry acai berry
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 acai berry acai berry acai berry acai
berry acai berry acai berrypreventing 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. acai berry acai berry acai
berry acai berry acai berry acai berry acai berry acai berry 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.
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