Super Food: The Acai Palm Berry
The Acai (pronounced ah-SAH-ee) berry is the latest super antioxidant food sweeping the world. This small round fruit is produced by the Acai Palm which is native to Central and South America floodplains and swamps. The fruit is rich in anthocyanin / anthocyanidin phytonutrients which are members of the flavonoid class of antioxidants. The dark purple berry, which tastes something like a blend of berries and chocolate, supposedly contains 10 to 30 times the flavonoids contained in red wine. The pulp is also rich in B vitamins, minerals, protein, Vitamin E, caffeine, fiber and essential fatty acids (such as Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9). This wonder food is purported to fight cancer, control cholesterol, increase energy, improve your sex life and help you lose weight. The University of Florida is studying its cancer fighting properties and Dr. Nicholas Perricone has recommended it as one of his “top 10 superfoods for age-defying beauty” on Oprah Winfrey's talk show, and in an article in “Oprah” magazine and also in his book “The Perricone Promise”. This little berry has been touted as one of the most nutritious and healthy foods in the world.
The studies being conducted at the University of Florida have determined that the Brazilian berry destroys cultured leukemia cancer cells. This study was not intended to show whether acai berries could prevent leukemia in people as it was only a cell-culture model. This is not a unique effect as other fruits such as grapes, guavas and mangoes contained antioxidant products that also destroyed cultured cancer cells. A lot of claims are being made but research has just started on the acai berry. Another study is underway to investigate the effects of acai's antioxidants on human subjects.
The acai berry is a small dark blue fruit, similar in size to a blueberry or small grape but with less pulp, that grows in clusters or panicles of approximately 800 berries on Acai palm trees. The tribes of the Amazon knew of the health properties of this fruit for centuries and traditionally pulped it to make wine. The berries contain a thin layer of edible pulp surrounding a large seed. These palms are extremely prevalent in the floodplain areas of the Amazon River and are easy to cultivate as a replacement tree in areas where the rain forest has been destroyed. The slender palms grow from 40 to 80 feet tall and have leaves up to 10 feet long. Each palm can produce more than 50 pounds of berries annually. The harvesting of this powerful antioxidant rich product has become a major industry in Brazil and employs up to 30,000 people on a daily basis to harvest and process the product. Unfortunately the fruit deteriorates rapidly after harvesting (active properties can disappear after 24 hours) and so it is restricted to being eaten in the growing region or being processed and shipped as juice or frozen pulp. This industry has become an economic and environmentally-friendly alternative to unsustainable harvesting of hearts of palm, logging and conversion of the rain forest to farming or ranching. During the last decade in Brazil, acai has become a major food fad and Brazilians consume the frozen pulp alone or in yogurt, ice cream, smoothies, drinks, fruit or as a cereal topping. The frozen pulp tastes like a blueberry sorbet or ice cream with a hint of chocolate.
Acai can be difficult to find outside of South America although the frozen pulp and juices are starting to be imported into the US and Canada. Your best chance of finding the product is in health food stores or the health food section of your supermarket. Make sure that the acai berry is wild harvested and quickly frozen to retain its maximum nutrient value. Also in the US, acai is being sold as an ingredient in a number of beverages, and as frozen fruit that can be added to home-made smoothies as well as in health food extracts and supplements.
--
Mark Ransome is a contributing editor and writer for the popular new website Benefits of Antioxidants. Visitors will have access to a new free diet and weight loss program: The Psychiatrist’s Weight Loss Program.
Source: http://www.articletrader.com
More Resources
Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting
More Nutrition Information:
- Group 1
- Group 2
- Group 3
- Group 4
- Group 5
- Group 6
- Group 7
- Group 8
- Group 9
- Group 10
- Group 11
- Group 12
- Group 13
- Group 14
- Group 15
- Group 16
- Group 17
- Group 18
- Group 19
- Group 20
- Group 21
- Group 22
- Group 23
- Group 24
- Group 25
- Group 26
- Group 27
- Group 28
- Group 29
- Group 30
- Group 31
- Group 32
- Group 33
- Group 34
- Group 35
- Group 36
- Group 37
- Group 38
- Group 39
- Group 40
Related Articles
Vegetarian Lifestyle
Being vegetarian is one of the greatest things in the world. From good health to sufficient energy in your daily life.
Constipation Cures Exposed!
If you're suffering from constipation, you are no doubt looking for some answers to bring relief. Treatments for constipation vary with the type of constipation from which you're suffering.
Do You Know What You Are Eating?
With all the news about Splenda of late and the FTC, I had a client ask me the other day, "so what's the deal with Splenda, it's just sugar that has been processed!". I asked him if he knew what Splenda was and he said no.
Nuts To You... Just One Way to a Healthy Heart
Nuts are readily available and provide a highly nutritious food. In addition to protein, carbohydrate, and fat, nuts contain many other important nutrients: fiber, vitamin E, folic acid, potassium, and magnesium.
You Are What You Eat
You've no doubt heard the saying, "You are what you eat", as it typically pertains to encouraging people to be more health conscious- and really consider each food before it enters the mouth! In America in fact, a commercial for a popular brand of cereal bars actually depicted people walking out of donut shops and bakeries in costumes of the food that they ordered for breakfast, and of course, everyone stared at the donut shaped person walking into the office. The idea behind the phrase, "you are what you eat", is if you don't want to look like you eat donuts every morning for breakfast and fast food every night for dinner, you need to eat healthier.
Cherries - A Natural Joint Pain Killer
Fruit Advantage Tart Cherry capsules are a nutritious, all-natural alternative for the more than 70 million people in the U.S.
Eating to Health? Think Again!
So, what is new about this that you already don't know? Think again. It is not what-you-are-aware that is important, but are-you -alert, that is.
The Cholesterol Myth
Cholesterol. What images come to mind when you see this word? Is it positive or negative? Is it health, or is it heart disease?If what came to mind was negative, as something to avoid, and heart disease, then the pharmaceutical companies food industries have been successful in getting you to believe a fabricated myth!According to George V.
You are Closer to Being Vitamin C Deficient Than You Think
Okay, so you think you are doing pretty well with your diet. You prepare most of your meals at home, don't eat much junk food and aren't a fast food eater only rarely.
Dietary Guideline USA
Are you sick and tired of the confusion about our dietary guideline? Don't do this, do that, no not this, lose weight this way and on and on. Too much fat, more of this and it goes on and on and on.
Introduction To Cocaine Addiction
Coke, more commonly known as cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant which instantly affects the brain after introducing it to the body. The effects of this drug are extremely pleasurable and give a false sense of euphria.
Busy Mums Guide to Losing Weight
Hormonal changes during pregnancy, and quite normal fat gain often makes many women feel unattractive and sometimes quite depressed. Many women still believe that "eating for two" is the way to go during pregnancy.
Combat High Blood Pressure and Cholesterol with Soybeans
You may have heard of the "Portfolio Diet" wherein it has been clinically accepted that increasing the intake of soy based foods can reduce levels of LDL cholesterol as much as some statin drugs.Well, now it seems that soybeans have another health-giving quality: they also reduce blood pressure.
Getting Your Target
What is health? Everyone wants this thing called health, and yet most people have never thought about what their "target of health" actually looks like. If you and your family were healthy, what would it be like?It is like this: Imagine you are shooting a bow and arrow at a definite target and you have no idea what the target is.
Organic Eating - Why Bother?
Originally, all foods were "organic" - grown and prepared without pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, hormones, irradiation to prevent spoilage, and microwave cooking.Our food these days, whether of vegetable or animal origin, is not only deficient in nutrients but also full of pollutants and farm chemicals.
Functional Foods Are Becoming More Popular...
Established in 1989 by Stephen DeFelice, "Foundation for Innovation in Medicine" defined "Nutraceutical", as a food, dietary suppplement, or medical food that has a medical or health benefit, including the prevention and treatment of disease. Today, it is hard to separate the definition of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods.
The Importance of Nutrition and Lifestyle
Eating healthy and taking care of yourself is essential to obtain optimal wellness. Most people roll their eyes or moan when confronted with these ideas, but, in reality, taking care of yourself is not as hard, time consuming, expensive, or dull as most would have you believe.
What is Organic Farming?
Organic farming is the production of food using all natural methods - avoiding all synthetic chemicals and genetically modified organisms. Its' core philosophy is that of sustainability or 'zero impact'.
Gift Basket Idea for Senior Citizens
Evidence for the importance of fruit and vegetable intake to health and quality of life with aging is widely recognized. Consuming fruits and vegetables can reduce an individual's risk of cardiovascular disease and many cancers.
Carrots : The Master Key For Healthy Living!
It slows ageing, promotes healthy vision, has anti-cancer properties, increases immunity towards various chronic diseases. Yes, carrot does it all for you.