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Acai: A Delicious, Potent Superfood

This is how powerful Amazon berry, Acai, is: a 100-gram serving of the dark purple berry has 10 times more anthocyanins (the stuff that is great of the heart) than red wine, and twice as much caner-fighting antioxidants than blueberries. This low-caloric, low fat, no cholesterol fruit may be tiny in size but it sure packs a punch health-wise.

Acai (pronounced ah-sa-ee) is the fruit of a palm, coined "Tree of Life" that thrives in the Amazon rainforests. Although most of the small, round berry is its hard, inedible pit, the skin is really what holds all its treasures. The dark purple berry was once called "nature's perfect energy fruit" by famous nutritionist Dr. Nicholas Perricone.

The indigenous tribes of Brazil have long used this rich, delicious fruit as treatment for a myriad of ailments. In the 1980s, there was a boom in using frozen Acai berries in smoothies, ice cream, and cocktails in Brazilian cities. But it was only when scientist Dr. Andrew Schauss did an ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity) analysis of the Acai berry that spawned a sudden worldwide interest. Now you can find Acai supplements, health juices, and teas in many major health food stores in the U.S Europe, and Asia.

Let's look at the Acai berry's impressive nutritional profile: it is packed with heart-friendly omega fatty acids (oleic acid, a monounsaturated omega-9 acid, and linoleic acid, a polyunsaturated omega-6 acid), free radical fighting antioxidants, and essential amino acids. Acai also increases the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, E, D, and K, while lowering bad cholesterol levels.

What's interesting, too, is that the Acai berry offers anti-aging potential and can be found in beauty products now. The amino acids and trace minerals slow down sun and environmental damage to the skin. The flavanoids in Acai reduce inflammation, which is one of the major causes of aging. These flavanoids also have an astringent effect that effectively tightens tissues and combats wrinkles and acne. Essential amino and fatty acids regenerate cells that are also another solution to fighting saggy skin.

Even more groundbreaking is that a University of Florida research study found that Acai extracts destroyed leukemia cells in a laboratory setting. Some scientists caution that such action may fair very differently in human subjects, so more research needs to be done on its effect on cancer.

With its multiple health benefits, it is no wonder that this Brazilian berry has earned the title of superfood.

Learn more about this author, Yu Ming Lui.
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