What Do You Know About Acai?
If you have been reading any health magazines for a while, you are not likely to miss hearing or reading about acai. The acai berry has been in the news, featured in many TV shows such as in Oprah, featured in best selling books such as those by Dr. Nicholas Perricone and mentioned by many celebrities such as Rachel Ray. Many people have vowed that they will always live by the acai berry to save them from unbearable aches and pains.
Although it is not hard to hear that the acai berry is healthy, most people have not tried it for themselves and do not know if they are really healthy. There have been many claims that the acai berry can cure diseases and illnesses. There are studies that say that the acai berry has the highest ORAC value. You are likely to find so many claims and some are proven while some are not.
When people talk about the acai, they usually mean the acai berry. Yes, the acai is a berry or a fruit, not a vegetable or any other types of food. Some people think that since the acai berry is so good, it must not be natural. However, it is. The acai berry is an old fruit that is primarily found in the heart of the Brazilian Rain Forest. The are tucked away deep in the swamp areas where it is dark and dangerous for humans.
The tree that the acai berries grow on is the acai palm tree. This type of tree is called Euterpe oleracea. The acai palm tree is large and very tall. If you are standing at the base of an acai palm tree, you will think that it is almost as tall as the sky with branches of acai berries flowing downwards. There are many acai berries on each branch of the acai palm tree.
One of the most exciting fact about the acai berry is that it is very high in antioxidants. When compared to other fruits, acai has many more antioxidants, in both types and amounts! In 2005, a study published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition stated that the acai antioxidants are great against peroxyl radicals and peroxynitrite but not against hydroxyl radicals.
There are many more benefits of the acai berry such as the anticancer benefits. In 2006, the University of Florida published a research finding that shows that the acai berry may be part of a solution to cure cancer. In the lab, the acai berry extract actually destroyed some cancer cells. This is a great hope for scientists trying to find the cure for cancer.
Soon the world will know more about the acai berry. However, from what we already know, adding acai berry extract, juice or powder of some sort to your diet will help you stay healthy. It is accepted even in Scientific circles now that acai contains many things that your body needs to fight diseases and illnesses. Why wouldn’t you want to eat some acai every day?
