Acai Berry - Does It Really Work?

Acai Berry a Super Food or a nutritious fruit ?
The berry extremely popular health food, acai has lost its luster ? Find out .

Acai berry ( Euterpe oleracea / Euterpe cuatrecasana ) is basically a drupe (fruit ) of a tall slender palm , tropical reaching a height of over 60 feet. The genus Euterpe is named after the Greek goddess of music. The dark purple fruit , about the size of a large blueberry , is produced in branched panicles of 500 to 900 fruits. It has a single large seed that forms most of the fruit and the only edible part is the pulp that surrounds the seed.

This Brazilian berry , used for centuries by Native suddenly increased in popularity as a health food with antioxidant properties after it was unveiled on the Oprah Winfrey . After numerous blogs , announcements and advertising intensive firms , the fruit found its way into the market as a dietary supplement and a vital ingredient in beauty products.


Acai Berry - Does it Really Work ?

Acai berry is touted to have many benefits . Some are as follows:

Its antioxidant properties delay aging and make the skin look younger.

It improves digestion and increases energy levels .

Increases male virility and improved sexual performance.

It reduces or reverses diabetes , heart disease , cancer and other chronic diseases.

Helps reduce cholesterol.

Acai Berry is certainly a nutritious fruit . The analysis of 100 g of dry powder of lyophilized acai fruit pulp and skin reveals the nutritional content :

Calories - 533.9

Total Carbohydrate - 52.2 g

Dietary fiber - 44.2 g

Sugars - Low

Protein - 8.1 g

Total Fat - 32.5 g

Vitamin C - insignificant , vitamin A - 1002U , calcium - 260 mg , Iron - 4.4 mg , aspartic acid and glutamic acid .

In addition to the above nutrients, acai berry is rich in anthocyanins, a type of flavonoid compound may have preventive and therapeutic roles in a number of diseases including diabetes and heart disease due to its anti- oxidant properties.

However, a study published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition reported that anthocyanins contribute only 10 percent of the total antioxidant capacity of the fruit. Moreover, up to 30 percent of its antioxidant capacity is lost during the long term storage . Heating also reduces researchers from Texas A & M University , USA phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of acai berry according , Who studied the chemical composition and antioxidant properties of acai . But the good news comes from a study by Texas AgriLife Research scientists , published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry , they found that both the pulp and juice acai berry anthocyanins could absorb significantly in the blood and show antioxidant effects. Scientists also believed that , although the fruit has some good qualities , " is not a solution to all diseases and could only be part of a balanced diet . '

To summarize , the acai berry can not be a 'super food ", but definitely healthy food with :

large amount of dietary fiber that aids digestion ;

naturally low in sugar, so it is favorable for people with diabetes ;

rich in anthocyanins which helps reduce oxidative stress, and

a wonderful flavor of red wine and chocolate.

Acai Berry is NOT to the extent that was intended to be of help:

in the diet;

for anti-aging and longevity, and

in the reduction or reversal of diabetes , heart disease , and cancer.

As stated earlier , the acai berry should be just one component of a balanced diet .